Will Hurricane Katrina Impact Shoreline Management?
Over recent decades, meteorologists have found that storms, such as hurricanes, have been increasing in strength. Because of this added strength, hurricanes have become greater sources of destruction for coastal communities. As a result, Pilkey and Young pose the question: should communities and corporations be allowed to re-build on the same vulnerable land after their homes and buildings have been demolished?
Technology continues to create materials and designs that are able to strengthen our buildings so that when re-building does occur, the infrastructure will hopefully withstand more storms. However, as technology increases, so does the intensity of the storms. Building on shorelines also increases the amount of erosion of soil into the ocean, decreases the biodiversity and ecosystem features through this erosion, and requires a large amount of funds from the government. Thus, many areas vulnerable to frequent and powerful storms have been re-built time after time. Should we allow this to continue, or should funds be cut and shoreline communities be discouraged?
It would seem that a lot of goods, services, and raw resources are being wasted on re-building. Because of the weather systems, building in vulnerable areas seems pointless and inefficient. All the funds that have been transferred into beach management, disaster relief, and re-building and strengthening entire communities could have been put towards other, more secure developments. Since each time an area is re-built the buildings become bigger, more money is required. Overall, this allocation of resources, funds, and services seems greatly displaced in light of economic issues in other parts of the country.
A similar issue to the shoreline habitation is the California wildfires’ situation. Erosion along the canyons was occurring, so people introduced trees to the area to reduce the amount of soil and rock lost. These trees appealed to many people so communities were established and the controlled fires to maintain the trees were ended. Controlled fires are essential for the well-being of forests. They prevent large disastrous wildfires. People often neglect to consider this, as we can now see in this state today. Huge deadly wildfires have begun and communities across California are being greatly impacted.
However, some members of society wish to defy Mother Nature and live wherever they so choose. Through the governments funding re-building, they essentially are supporting these peoples’ decisions. Both canyon and ocean fronts have remarkable views of nature, and they also share in being locations that experience some of the worst disasters because of nature.
Easton T. Classic edition sources: environmental studies. New York: McGraw-Hill; 2009. pp. 43-7.
US Global Change Research Program. Climate change impacts on the United States-the potential consequences of climate variability and change overview: coastal areas and marine resources. [Online]. Avail from: http://www.usgcrp.gov/usgcrp/Library/nationalassessment/LargerImages/SectorGraphics/Coastal/USMap.jpg [2003 Oct 12]
