The lack of sediment has led to soil loss at an alarming rate, says the director of the Louisiana Coastal Recovery Center in the United States | amazing

Brian Haas, director of the Louisiana Coastal Recovery Center, explains the situation in the area.

“Our coast is sinking due to chronic erosion. We are suffering the effects of climate change, with stronger and more frequent storms. In 2021, for example, Hurricane Ida swallowed up 274 square kilometers of our coast.

Breen also highlights that human-made changes have also contributed to the current scenario. The Great Flood of 1927 was one of the greatest natural disasters the country has ever seen. The Mississippi River, the longest in the United States, It has spread, killing more than 1,000 people and leaving nearly a million homeless.

“So that this would never happen again, containment dams were approved for construction on the Mississippi River. But one consequence was that the dams eventually isolated the river. In the spring, water that had been slightly overflowing and carrying sediment that helped support the state’s soil became Coastal Louisiana, trapped in the river. The lack of sediment since the 1950s has caused soil loss at an alarming rate.Brain says.

In addition, open canals for oil exploration have brought more water closer to coastal communities.

“In my father’s time, the island was bigger. There were not many canals. We talked about the day when we would have to leave. But I never thought that this It will happen in my generation.”

Population resettlement

John Borg has lived on Louisiana’s waterways for 56 years. As a fisherman, he saw the changes happening.

“Yes, there was a road here. This bay wasn’t open. This was all dirt, on the left side too. Hard ground,” John explains.

Of the Isle Jean Charles, 98% of the site is now underwater. Of the original lands, only 2% remained. In 2022, Chris Brunet had to leave the house where he was born. “The house was built in 1961, only 30 centimeters off the ground. In 2003, we had to raise the house to the height it is today,” he says.

Kelvin Hill is the Louisiana State Housing Program Director and his team is working directly on the resettlement plan for the residents of Jean Charles Island. Budgeted at $48 million, it is the first climate refugee project implemented by the US government.

“We had to earn the trust of the community. They were concerned about losing their history, their ancestors and things that were traditionally important to them,” says Kevin.

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