New Orleans could face an unliveable future as rising sea levels threaten to surround the city with water before the end of the century, according to a new scientific analysis.
The report, published in the journal Nature Sustainability, warns that coastal Louisiana has “crossed the point of no return” due to climate change, disappearing wetlands and decades of environmental damage.
Scientists estimate sea levels in the region could rise between 10 and 23 feet, while shorelines may retreat inland by as much as 62 miles.
New Orleans, home to around 360,000 people, already sits mostly below sea level and is highly exposed to hurricanes and flooding.
Researchers say the city’s protective wetlands are vanishing rapidly, with Louisiana losing around 2,000 square miles of wetlands since the 1930s.
“It’s very likely that sea level will rise to that elevation in the future,” geology professor Torbjörn Törnqvist told CNN, referring to an ancient shoreline identified north of the city.
The study’s authors say authorities should begin planning a managed relocation process now to avoid a disorderly retreat later.
Since Hurricane Katrina devastated the city in 2005, New Orleans has lost roughly a quarter of its population.
