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Team information
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Musa Keita Jaiteh
Bachelor
University Of Eastern Finland
Evgeniia Makhalina
Bachelor
University of Eastern Finland
Prakirth Govardhanam
Bachelor
University of Eastern Finland
Luisa Rebata Hernani
Bachelor
University of Eastern Finland
NIKOLAOS TSIAMPALIS
Bachelor
University of Eastern Finland
Abdulaziz Haij
Bachelor
University of Eastern Finland
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About the team
We are six students in the Bachelor’s Degree Programme in Information Technology at the University of Eastern Finland, Kuopio Campus. Although we are all studying IT now, we bring previous educational backgrounds and work experience in software development, sociology and political science, geology, and logistics.
Our vision
Our vision for the Mississippi River Delta-2120 is for it to become a place that is managed like a living system that can move, rebuild, and protect people in a more natural way, so the land can exist where sediment and freshwater can still reach wetlands and help them build elevation. Food production needs to match the land it's on. Rather than forcing wet areas to function like dry farmland, the idea is to let higher ground support traditional agriculture. Wetter areas will contribute through fishing and other forms of production. We would also need to treat nature and biodiversity as part of how the delta works. We need to support and rebuild wetlands wherever it is still possible because they support wildlife and because they physically protect the coast. In 2120 we expect different parts of the delta to be managed based on what each area can realistically do. Some parts of the abandoned delta plains will be rebuilt (here we will be able to reconnect some sediment and freshwater, reduce destructive water shortcuts, and keep the marsh platform high enough), some parts will become “managed water landscapes” (acting as a flood storage, for example), and some parts will turn into open water (and here the ultimate goal is to make sure the critical infrastructure and population aren’t left behind). Speaking about critical infrastructure, the main change in terms of transportation, energy and housing in 2120 is that the infrastructure will stop spreading deeper into wetlands that are sinking. The most reliable roads, rail links and service corridors will stay on higher ground and are designed to remain usable during floods.
Our inventory & analysis
For our Milestone 1 report we divided the Mississippi River Delta into four process-driven regions, based on geomorphology and natural processes: Active Birdfoot Delta (river-dominated), Atchafalaya Delta-building Zone, Abandoned Delta Plain Wetlands (sediment-starved and subsiding), and the Barrier / Outer Coast Arc (storm-dominated outer shoreline). The Active Birdfoot Delta (Plaquemines-Belize) loses land more rapidly than it is being created. The Atchafalaya zone is a major river swamp where new deltas are actively growing while much of the adjacent delta plain is being overtaken by the sea. The Abandoned Delta Plain Wetlands are overlapping delta lobes that are cut off from consistent sediment delivery. The Barrier / Outer Coast Arc is shaped mainly by wave reworking, storms, and shoreline erosion. Key natural forces include sediment delivery, sinking land and rising seas, freshwater–saltwater mixing, and storms and waves. Human factors include urban concentration near New Orleans, protection priorities, and roads on higher ground. Major trends include hurricane flooding risk, saltwater intrusion, erosion/land loss, and drought stress.