Eco-Kalpataru
Team information
Category:
Ni Luh Putu Meisya Sari Suputri
Bachelor
Wageningen University and Research
Putu Kanya Ratnadewi
Master
Wageningen University & Research
Fendi Setiawan Muktiaji
Master
Wageningen University and Research
Irene Aritonang
Bachelor
Wageningen University and Research
Nasya Ghazyah
Bachelor
Wageningen University & Research
Arzalvan Dzakwan Danesaqib
Bachelor
Wageningen University & Research
Christoforus Raditya Wiratama
Bachelor
Wageningen University and Research
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About the team
Eco-Kalpataru aims to solve the Mississippi Delta issue which resembles a major problem in our country Indonesia. With varying backgrounds, we are eager to come up with a holistic and sustainable solution to the adversary. By participating in this challenge we hope to gain ideas on how we could restore and improve the value of the flooding in the delta area in Mississippi, which can later be implemented back home.
Our vision
The Mississippi Delta complex has been through several downsides that caused this area to be sinking and uninhabitable. Thus, we come up with the “Integrated Nature-Based Continuity” plan to answer these limitations. Firstly, the weir and gate system is applied to increase the sedimentation in river delta area by slowing down the water velocity. This is also a solution for the man-made levee that makes the water flow faster without removing the prior levee infrastructure. Moreover, desalination plant and marsh expansion are also implemented to resolve saltwater intrusion, which has been happening throughout Louisiana. Flooding will also be solved by using vegetated levee that is constructed from ploughed clay soil. Thereby, the risk of freshwater scarcity, flooding, and delta sinking will be declining. Secondly, the residential house will be built in a strategic area where land loss is less likely to happen and implement the green urban infrastructure by utilizing green walls and green roofs. Vegetated levee and marsh areas near the residential house not only act as flood barriers but also as a medium for natural biodiversity, for both vegetation and aquatic organisms like fish and shrimp, to grow. This also can help Louisiana to be independent on food production and security despite the natural hazards, which cause food scarcity. Wind and wave energy plants can also be applied to gain renewable energy. Besides that, transportation throughout Delta Complex Area will install the amphibious bus, so interference from floods is neglected. Lastly, the decline in oil and gas industry is expected if other sectors such as ecotourism can outcompete the Louisiana GDP. The ecotourism will utilize the wetlands and vegetated levee. Therefore, Louisiana can be more sustainable and less vulnerable in a way where the environment and human needs are balanced in the ecosystem.
Our inventory & analysis
The inventory analyzed the natural and human-related factors that have shaped the formation of the deltaic plains of the Mississippi River. It also identified the main challenges and opportunities across the delta complexes. The analysis shows that the combination of natural processes and human intervention has exacerbated ecosystem vulnerability, including for the communities living in these areas. For instance, artificial levees protect residential areas from flooding but interrupt natural overbank flooding processes, which reduces sediment deposition. Furthermore, reliance solely on engineered protection systems is insufficient to safeguard industries and transportation networks in the long term. Across all delta complexes, marshes are the dominant habitats supporting many species. Marsh restoration is an important strategy for prevention and resilience, as marshes provide both habitat and coastal protection. However, their growth is currently at risk due to reduced sediment supply caused by engineered levees, as well as increasingly intense hurricanes and other climate-related events. Therefore, embracing natural processes in combination with deliberate, multi-stakeholder planning is essential to address current and future challenges.