The Future Prospects of the Louisiana Wetlands

     Prior to Hurricane Katrina (2005), Hurricane Rita (2005), and the BP oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico (2010), Congress passed a few acts, like the 1990 Coastal Wetlands Planning, Protection, and Restoration Act, to restore the Louisiana Wetlands.  Unfortunately, the restoration of the wetlands was never a governmental focus prior to the natural disasters of 2005.  Because of this, the wetlands were greatly diminished by 2005, making them a vulnerable target during hurricane season.  After Katrina took its toll on the inhabitants of New Orleans, Americans came to realize just how important the Louisiana Wetlands really are to their safety and overall well being.  Because of this, it seems as if the restoration of the wetlands is likely to become a major project in the near future.  However, there is much debate and speculation on how to go about restoring the wetlands, creating a delay in action and causing additional loss.  It is estimated that if nothing is done to stop the process of wetland loss, Louisiana is likely to lose an additional seven hundred square miles of wetland by 2050, meaning that one-third of 1930s coastal Louisiana will have vanished.  As a result of this, cities like New Orleans will become even more vulnerable to storms, making another Katrina a likely possibility.  

 

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