A new study has concluded that New Orleans has reached a 'point of no return' and that relocation of its population should begin immediately, as the city faces being surrounded by the Gulf of Mexico within decades due to the climate crisis.
The paper, published in Nature Sustainability, warns that ongoing sea-level rise and rampant erosion of wetlands in southern Louisiana will swallow up the New Orleans area within a few generations. The researchers estimate the city 'may well be surrounded by the Gulf of Mexico before the end of this century'.
Southern Louisiana faces 3-7 metres of sea-level rise and the loss of three-quarters of its remaining coastal wetlands, causing the shoreline to migrate as much as 100km inland, stranding New Orleans and Baton Rouge. The region is described as the 'most physically vulnerable coastal zone in the world'.
Despite billions spent on levees and flood defences after Hurricane Katrina, the study warns these measures will not save the city in the long run. Jesse Keenan, a co-author from Tulane University, stated: 'In paleo-climate terms, New Orleans is gone; the question is how long it has.' He added that the timeframe is 'most likely decades rather than centuries'.
The authors call for coordinated action to support the most vulnerable communities, such as those in Plaquemines parish living outside the levee system. Keenan noted: 'No politician wants to first give this terminal diagnosis. They will speak about it behind closed doors, but never in public.'
