A new Tulane University study using data collected from hundreds of monitoring sites along Louisiana’s coast is giving researchers a glimpse at what the state’s coastal wetlands will be like 50 years from now. Tulane Geology Professor Torbjorn Tornqvist says expect major losses if things continue as they are.
“The most likely scenario is that we would lose about 75 percent of our remaining wetlands by 2070.”
Tornqvist says the loss of wetlands will not only make relocation necessary for those in smaller remote areas but also force out people in more populated areas He says some areas will be almost entirely flooded toward the end of the century.
“The southwestern part of Louisiana that’s probably the most vulnerable part of the coast. And that’s what this study again confirms.”
Tornqvist says, no matter what we do Louisiana is facing significant losses and impact on certain communities, but he claims taking action can make a difference.
“By really changing our trajectory towards the world becoming carbon neutral as soon as possible we can certain end up on a more manageable path.”
Tornqvist says there is hope for a more favorable outcome if immediate action is taken. By meeting the targets set by the Paris Agreement and reducing carbon emissions, it is possible to shift to a more sustainable climate trajectory that would reduce the rate of wetland loss.
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