Iquique, Chile and Paraguaipoa, Venezuela roll out new coastal protection walls

The Chilean Ministry of Public Works inaugurated an emergency coastal protection wall at Playa Bellavista in Iquique. The new reinforced‑concrete structure was built 15 metres east of the former wall, restoring about 800 square metres of beach, improving safety against wave erosion and adding universal accessibility. Sub‑secretary Nicolás Balmaceda said the wall “protects a strategic road for Iquique and a place of recreation and identity for generations of Iquique residents.”

In the Venezuelan state of Zulia, the governor announced the construction of protective walls in Paraguaipoa to shield communities from rising sea levels and strong surf. The project is part of an integrated plan that includes medical assistance, food distribution to roughly 924 families, road rehabilitation and environmental fumigation. Authorities are conducting topographic and bathymetric surveys to define the volume of sediments to remove and the heavy machinery needed for the permanent closure of a water channel.

Both initiatives aim to secure coastal infrastructure, preserve public spaces and mitigate the impacts of climate‑related sea‑level rise on local populations.