After Hurricane Katrina, Earth Economics set out to assess the value of restoring the Mississippi River Delta. The newly released report, "Gaining Ground - Wetlands, Hurricanes and the Economy: The Value of Restoring the Mississippi River Delta," evaluates 11 natural system goods and services. They include: water supply, water flow regulation, hurricane protection, food production, raw materials production, recreational value, carbon sequestration, atmospheric composition regulation, waste treatment, aesthetic value and habitat value.
Earth Economics proposes these factors be taken into consideration when defining the importance of restoring the delta, its ecology, and its potential for commerce. Additionally, the report urges restoration of the Mississippi River Delta wetlands that have lost more land area since 1930 -- 2,300 square miles, greater than the size of the state of Delaware -- by using the energy, water and sediment of the Mississippi River to rebuild them. By providing the economic justification for these large scale restoration projects, this analysis strengthens ongoing planning efforts proposed by the State of Louisiana's Comprehensive Master Plan for a Sustainable Coast and the Multiple Lines of Defense strategy developed by the Lake Pontchartrain Basin Foundation and Surdna grantee the Coalition to Restore Coastal Louisiana.
The study points out the threatening confluence of oil pipelines, flood protection and Mississippi River levees that collectively have degraded the wetlands that protect against hurricanes, climate change, and sinking land. By protecting assuring water supply, buffering climate instability, supporting fisheries and other food and fur stocks, maintaining critical habitat, and providing waste treatment, these natural systems can provide $12 billion to $47 billion in benefits every year.
To view the full report, please click here.
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