The urban planner warns that the cause is not only climatic, but structural
SANTO DOMINGO. – Architect and urban planner Marcos Barinas issued a strong public statement this Wednesday, attributing the recurring urban floods not only to climatic factors, but also to decades of structural decisions regarding urban planning.
The specialist published a lengthy thread on his X (formerly Twitter) account, amidst an episode of intense rain affecting several provinces of the country, especially Greater Santo Domingo, where official reports indicate up to 400 mm of rain.
This storm is associated with an upper-level trough, and has caused significant flooding in the capital and other areas, with accumulations that, according to preliminary reports, exceed the levels recorded in November 2022.
In the series of publications, Barinas argues that “Santo Domingo does not flood because it rains a lot; it floods because we have paved it as if nature did not exist.”.
Urban cosmetics have won out over vital infrastructure
In its analysis, the report notes that the city has favorable geomorphological conditions, such as porous soils and a terraced layout facing the sea, which historically facilitated natural water infiltration. However, it warns that the widespread sealing of the soil has eliminated this capacity, rendering the area incapable of absorbing heavy rainfall.
The professional questions the prevailing approach to the execution of public works, indicating that stormwater drainage has been relegated in favor of projects with greater political visibility.
“We have preferred urban cosmetics over vital infrastructure,” he says, while criticizing the proselytizing nature of many government interventions, which, according to his argument, are geared towards short-term electoral profitability rather than sustainable structural solutions.
Barinas emphasizes that the drainage problem cannot be addressed solely through "hard engineering," such as the installation of pipes, but requires a comprehensive vision of urban planning that includes the recovery of green spaces, the preservation of permeable soils, and the incorporation of nature-based solutions.
The cost of natural disasters
It also warns about the postponement of long-standing plans, some conceived as far back as 1969, whose implementation has been systematically delayed. In its view, this lack of continuity is largely due to four-year political cycles, which are incompatible with infrastructure projects that require between one and two decades for their development and consolidation.
The urban planner also addresses the argument of the high cost of drainage works, noting that, while these investments are significant, the cumulative economic impact of flooding in terms of property damage, public health effects, and productivity losses is greater.
"What is not invested in planning and adequate infrastructure is spent multiplied on disasters," he emphasizes.
Criticism of uncontrolled building expansion
Finally, Barinas calls for a rethinking of the urban development model of Greater Santo Domingo, questioning the uncontrolled expansion of buildings without the proper incorporation of infiltration mechanisms in the land.
“Every time we approve a tower without demanding infiltration solutions, we are transferring the problem to the lower areas,” he warns.
The specialist concludes that the solution to the flooding problem lies, fundamentally, in greater political will and a transformation of the urban management approach.
“A livable city isn’t built just upwards; it’s guaranteed from the ground up. Without drainage, there is no real urban planning,” he points out.
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