New Orleans could face collapse, study warns, urging relocation to start immediately

A new climate study has warned that New Orleans may face an unliveable future because of rising sea levels, coastal erosion and stronger hurricanes.

The research, published in Nature Sustainability, says southern Louisiana could see sea levels rise between three and seven metres, potentially surrounding New Orleans with water before the end of the century.

Jesse Keenan, one of the study’s authors, said leaders should begin planning for relocation immediately.

“In paleo-climate terms, New Orleans is gone; the question is how long it has,” Keenan said.

He added that the city’s remaining lifespan is “most likely decades rather than centuries.”

The study warns that up to three-quarters of coastal wetlands in southern Louisiana could disappear, while the shoreline may shift as much as 100 kilometres inland.

Researchers described the area as one of the world’s most physically vulnerable coastal zones.

Billions of dollars have already been spent upgrading flood defences after Hurricane Katrina devastated the city in 2005.

However, the report says those protections will need major upgrades to remain effective.

“There is an opportunity for palliative care, we can transition people and the economy. We can get ahead of this,” Keenan said.

The paper argues that relocation planning should begin now while communities still have time to move in an organised way.