State of Louisiana Regional Adaptation Strategy
Throughout the LA SAFE process, stakeholders recognized that thinking and cooperating regionally is instrumental to adapt to increasing risk and to create a resilient and vibrant coast in support of the state and the nation. Parish residents discussed the impact of land use decisions on the region, the need to coordinate transportation and economic development efforts for the betterment of all residents, and the impacts of water management actions on adjacent parishes, especially along bayous and rivers. They expressed their shared concerns about their ability to live on the coast, to retain their young people, to maintain their businesses and attract workers, and to provide amenities to enhance everyone’s quality of life.
Equity is a critical consideration for regional planning. An effective regional approach should take into consideration the dynamics of shifting populations within the context of land loss and other environmental changes, which often result in those who are most vulnerable being left behind in areas that no longer provide access to adequate infrastructure, services, or social networks. Investments made using a regional framework should address these dynamics and be directed towards areas of greatest need. Just as the Louisiana Office of Community Development adheres to HUD’s requirements for investing in areas in which at least 51% of the population is low- to moderate-income, a regional plan should call for other public entities to prioritize and coordinate investments in areas of greatest need.
Summary
Louisiana is the most flood-prone state in the U.S., and its flood risks extend to all three types of flooding—coastal (surge and tidal), fluvial (riverine), and pluvial (intense rain causing surface flooding). Statistics paint a grim picture. According to the Coastal Protection and Restoration Authority (CPRA), more than 1,900 square miles have been lost in Louisiana since the 1930s, and an additional 4,120 square miles could be lost over the next 50 years. The state’s coastal condition directly correlates with its disaster risk—specifically vulnerability from severe tropical events and their accompanying catastrophic surge floods.
Louisiana is in the midst of an existential crisis. Its response to this crisis can either lead to a prosperous renaissance or to a continued and sustained cycle of disaster and recovery. The Coastal Master Plan—a $50 billion, 50-year coastal restoration and flood risk reduction effort—is the cornerstone of Louisiana’s response. However, even with the plan’s full implementation, it is likely the state will experience a net loss of land—and be faced with the increased coastal flood risk that comes from less land—over the next 50 years. In some communities, conditions are likely to get worse before they get better. For some, relocation will be the only viable option. While structural interventions like levees, pumps, and floodgates are vital to mitigate flood risk, complete protection is impossible. Adaptation is necessary, and as a comprehensive approach adaptation includes structural risk reduction systems and ecological restoration efforts. Adaptation must also include a large-scale rethinking of where and how development takes place in the future—and also where and how it does not.
7 Steps to Define Your Business Process by Stefano Borghi. Used via CC BY-NC-ND 4.0 DEED, via Google.
