SUSTAINABLE
COASTAL COMMUNITIES
Historically,
the major forms of economic development in Louisiana’s coastal
region have involved exploiting renewable and nonrenewable resources.
Such activities, by their very nature, tend to be either cyclical
or transient.
The location of the
state’s coastal communities near sea level, the unstable
nature of their surrounding coastal wetlands, and their vulnerability
to storms and hurricanes limit the range of economic activity
that can be pursued in the region. Taking into account those stark
realities, many of Louisiana’s coastal communities in their
present form are and will be practically impossible to sustain.
With those
facts in mind, many of Louisiana Sea Grant’s research
efforts focus on balanced economic development with sustainability
of coastal resources, strengthening local and state leaders’
knowledge and skills in order to undergrid the stability of coastal
communities, and strengthening communities’ preparedness
and response capabilities for coastal emergencies.
Delcambre:
Building a Sustainable Coastal Community
A prospering
coastal village for generations, Delcambre’s shrimping industry
and economy has struggled in recent years. Then, in September
2005, a 10-foot storm surge from Hurricane Rita swept through
the community creating more hardships, and flooding all but two
dozen of the town’s nearly 1,000 buildings.
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