ReBoot
Team information
Category:
Yarnick Zoetekouw
Master
University of Amsterdam
Ian Witte
fresh graduate
Wageningen University & Research
Noémie Renouil-Hata
Bachelor
Wageningen University and Research
Michael Hendle
Master
Wageningen University and Research
Isa Tiebosch
Master
Wageningen University and Research
Demi Wiskerke
Master
Wageningen University & Research
Gwendolyn van Herpen
Bachelor
Wageningen University and Research
Ahmed Baqai
Master
Technical University of Berlin
Taofiq Yusuf
PHD
Louisiana State University
This project is being coached by
About the team
We are a passionate, interdisciplinary team with a diverse expertise in landscape architecture, plant sciences, hydrology and water resources management, coastal and environmental engineering, and social sciences. Our aim is to use a nature based approach by utilizing the environment to the best of its ability
Our vision
For our future vision of the Louisiana delta, we acknowledge that all current conservation and restauration projects are economically and practically unsustainable on the long-term. Therefore, we shall consider nature as a teacher. The delta is naturally resilient, capable of creating vast amounts of land all by itself, and it should gain the space to do so. Because the Mississippi wishes to flow through the Atchafalaya, we will let it run this desired course. This way, the river can utilize its land-building abilities there, while the Plaquemine delta would erode to form a barrier arc, creating a new layer of defence against storm surges. Coastal communities gain new opportunities in the newly growing delta, while existing population centres remain sheltered by levees and can be transformed into sponge cities. Redirecting the river does bring new challenges. For instance, some settlements would have to be reshaped or relocated to accommodate a naturally-flowing river. In addition, a canal would have to be dug to ensure the upper Mississippi river remains accessible for ocean vessels. Another challenge is related to the fossil industry: we expect Louisiana’s oil and gas reserves to be depleted sometime in the medium to long term future. As the state currently runs on a fossil economy, a shift in income sources will be needed. Luckily, the entire delta boasts new opportunities for low-carbon manufacturing, research, fishery, transformed agriculture and tourism. By combining our ideas, we would create a more resilient, attractive and sustainable Mississippi delta. By allowing the river to flourish where it desires, the economic potential, cultural heritage and the livelihoods of those living in the delta will be conserved for generations to come. Ultimately, the delta will have to change, but by considering nature as a teacher, there is a new hope for the future.
Our inventory & analysis
The Louisiana delta has a rich history with many ethnic groups, typically living on raised lands along waterways. Their economy is largely based on oil and gas, and it forms the shipping gateway to the rest of the Mississippi river. Other major industries include fisheries and tourism, which are related to the natural values provided by the Delta. However, the future of this entire region is under threat. The Mississippi river delta is the world’s fastest eroding coastline. 50 years from now, up to 50% of the delta will be lost. This is partly natural: the delta experiences a cycle of land-building and erosion. However, erosion is accelerated by antropogenic factors: levees prevent floods, limiting natural dynamics and resilience of the river. Oil and gas infrastructure contributes too. Moreover, rising sea levels and more frequent storm surges form threats to people and ecosystems, while loss of land and depletion of fossil sources put Louisiana’s economy and jobs at risk. To sustain life in Louisiana’s delta, it is important to start the transition to nature-based river management, -energy, and -economics. By taking nature as a teacher and utilizing opportunities it brings, there is a new hope to save the Mississippi delta.