Louisiana Takes Adaptation Seriously — Evidence of a Tipping Point in Belief in Climate Change?

The public-private partnership Louisiana Strategies for Future Environments just released a report so stark in its conclusions that, were it not for all of the maps and figures its contains, one would have assumed that it had to be written in a blue state such as Massachusetts or California, rather than deep red Louisiana.  It’s sad that we’ve come to this point, but it does appear that Louisiana at least is taking the fact of climate change seriously.  (And unlike watered-down efforts in other red states, the LASAFE report does actually repeatedly use the phrase “climate change.”)

The language pulls no punches:

  • Statistics paint a grim picture.  4,120 square miles could be lost in the next 50 years.

  • Louisiana is in the midst of an existential crisis.

  • In some communities, conditions are likely to get worse before they get better.  For some, relocation will be the only viable option.

  • Adaptation must include a large-scale rethinking of where and how development takes place in the future – and also where and how it does not.

  • Louisiana is already experiencing a migratory shift as a result of flood risk. In short, those who move are often those with the financial means and social networks to do so, while in many cases, lower-income populations – those most vulnerable to severe impacts when disasters occur – remain behind and in locations more prone to significant flood risks.  (All emphases in original.)

The recommendations are also pretty dramatic.  Here are a few that caught my eye:

  • Align public funding and project prioritization to promote green infrastructure and stormwater management.

  • Develop zoning incentives to attract mixed-use development in low-risk areas.

  • Create an option buyout program for full-time residents in high-risk areas.

  • Encourage development that is informed by an understanding of the relationship between public health and the built environment.

The bottom line?  Climate change is real, it’s happening now, and it’s going to be catastrophic for Louisiana unless the state starts planning for it.  Moreover, the impacts will fall more heavily on those least able to handle them.

There is a lot in the report about how to adapt the economy as a whole to the realities of climate change – but nothing about the role that the oil and gas industry has played in creating the very problems that the report is trying to address.  Nonetheless, in the context of Louisiana politics, that’s a pretty small quibble.

It will be interesting to see what the leadership in Louisiana makes of – and does with – this report.  If the GOP retakes the Governorship, will this just get buried?  Time will tell — though time is short for Louisiana to start acting on these recommendations.

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