Photo: The Tampa Bay Estuary Program | Unsplash
Communities are rarely consulted or involved when it comes to government schemes or infrastructure projects. In Louisiana, though, community leaders and thousands of citizens are being enlisted in a unique decision-making process to find a collective solution to an environmental crisis. Rising sea levels on Louisiana's coast are leading to one of the worst land loss crises in the world, as wetlands disappear under the sea or into the Mississippi River. The Foundation for Louisiana, a racial and gender justice nonprofit, has created Louisiana's Strategic Adaptations for Future Environments (LA SAFE), based on this simple idea: Trust communities to know what they need, invite them to tell you and provide the support to make it happen. And communities have responded eagerly. Measures by parishes include planting native vegetation to help absorb storm runoff and terracing restored marshland; building affordable housing designed to endure severe storms and frequent flooding; and a wetlands education center and services to tackle substance abuse and mental health issues. It was the first time that someone in our community came to us and told us that it was not going to be OK, says Jonathan Foret, a Terrebonne Parish resident. The program has given him hope. You have the ability to control how your future looks, he says. If you don't plan for it, Mother Nature will make those choices.
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