Management
Social vulnerabilities are the proneness of social groups to the effect of vulnerabilities and their resistance. It is the degree of the sensitivity of a population to the effects of man-made or natural threats and its capability to respond and pull through from the effects of these dangers. Factors influencing these threats include lack of access to resources such as technology, information and knowledge, limited access to political power and political representation, social capital like networks, beliefs and customs and population.
Social vulnerabilities are not evenly distributed among the social groups or regions. For example, Hurricane Katrina affected the poor areas of New Orleans due to the citizen vulnerability. The Gulf Coast vulnerability caused by natural disaster has affected the marginalized groups such as the elderly, minority and ethnic communities, the physical and mental handicapped and the impoverished.
The recurring natural disasters have caused many impacts on the lives of this region. First is on the people’s traditional food and medicinal plants. Their food has been contaminated by the salt intrusion and lack of adequate farming land due to its loss to the changing climate and adverse Hurricanes. The increased lack of fresh seafood and vegetables, which is replaced by processed food, has altered their diets and affected their health. Their livelihood has changed, as they can no longer go fishing due to the high temperatures that make storing difficult. Generally, this has affected their social and economic lives.
Physical vulnerabilities
The majority of coastal hazards researches have focused on the analysis of the physical characteristics of coastal vulnerability. Louisiana landscape is a complex patchwork with various swaps, bayous, marshes, low-lying islands and deltas. The coastal region experience high rainfall throughout the year which leads to regular fluctuations of river flow, sea-level, tides and storm surges and makes the region to be ever-changing environment. However, coastal regions experiences greater normal subsidence therefore resulting to isolation from freshwaters as well as sediment sources.
The causes of subsidence that have been affecting the coastal regions are levee installations and natural deterioration of barrier islands thus encouraging marine tides therefore causes erosion and saltwater intrusion that affect biophysical nature. The main sources of vulnerability are modern industrialization and the location of the communities living in low-lying regions such as Grand Bayou. However, destruction of natural marshes as well as other barriers has also results to a state of more vulnerable to natural disaster.
The main physical challenges make Louisiana coastal to be vulnerable to climate change impacts. Climate change is known to have negative impact on the environment and on the social life of the community living in that region. These include land loss, severe weather and changes in species presence. Therefore existence in these coastal regions has been discouraged since the impacts have potential effect to tribal life since food reduction is also affected therefore there is no preservation of tribal traditions.
There was increased vulnerability due to hurricanes, it is projected that change in climate result to higher temperature differentials resulting to strength and frequency of severe storms and hurricanes. However vulnerability is increased by lack of government quick response when disaster strikes along coastal Louisiana tribes. Due to hurricane frequency occurrence and high damage potential risks and impacts, researches are at forefront of coastal vulnerability.
Natural vulnerabilities
Natural vulnerabilities in Louisiana include air contamination, great heat, contagious diseases, drought, flooding and weather changes which are brought by the consistent disasters in the area. These vulnerabilities are affecting the people of the area who are economically poor and cannot or take time to recover from the aftermath of the disaster.
Flooding and heavy rain has been attributed the climate changes which has resulted to high intensity hurricanes. These put the communities at high risk of devastation. Flooding cause health impacts and risks such as injury, death, contaminated drinking water. This is caused by sewerage breakage, increased disease carrying insects and disruption and displacement of communities.
Climate change threatens the availability of clean drinking water in these areas. Increased risked of seasonal drought is a major risk in this areas. Climate change significantly affects the sustainability of water supplies. There are increased cases of salt intrusion, sewerage breakages due to the hurricane. These affect the available safe water, which in return affects people’s health and food supplies.
The southern coastal region of Louisiana is characterized by swamps, marshes, bayous, deltas and low-lying islands. The environment has however been changing due to fluctuations in river flow, sea-level, tides, and rainfall. There have been an abnormal subsidence and they are being isolated from freshwater and sediment sources. These are caused by levee installation, fossil fuel extraction, infrastructure and deterioration of barrier islands.
Strategic plans
Strategic plans and policy will provide appropriate objectives and analytical based planning, as well integrated solutions. Although the challenges that the coastal region experience is not unique therefore the region need a prime strategies in a comprehensive way. Several institutions such as RAND have contributed to comprehensive planning in approaching Louisiana coastal regions. The approach starts by applying suite predictive models to estimate the effects of the risks caused by catastrophes.
The Coastal Louisiana Risk Assessment Model (CLARA) is designed to estimate flood depths and any resultant damage that would occur from major storms. This estimate act as a planning tool which RAND researchers develop to identify potential alternatives. CLARA has shown that storm-surge flood damage is a major threat to coastal Louisiana therefore may result to damage that may be grow significantly in the future. The plan uses objective and scientific information that enables the development and comparison of different strategies. The planning tool comes up with sediment diversion, restoration projects and marsh creation that result to land building.
The resulting Master Plan is the first comprehensive solution for Louisiana's coast to receive broad support from the Louisiana public. The plan came up with the following principle that would be beneficial for coastal planning. The policies have to identify key vulnerabilities, evaluate strategies to reduce these vulnerabilities and be a robust strategy to future uncertainty. There is need to integrate risk-reduction strategies that are design to reduce future damage. The strategies aid in retaining productivity of the land and minimize risks and shift economies and investments to sustainable state.
