What is the synergy between environmental restoration and hurricane protection?
Zeringue: Fundamentally, an environment restored to health and functionality diminishes degradation from natural forces. For example, wetlands adjoining levees reduce daily wear from wind, waves and tides. While providing essential habitat for both resident and migratory species, ridges and coastal forests also dampen storm surge. During Gustav and Ike, restored barrier islands protected interior marshes. Barrier islands took a hard hit, but if we had not rehabilitated some of them after 2005, they and the marshes that lie behind them would now be in much worse shape. We’re learning how to use activities serving economic and social purposes to benefit the environment also. For instance, we can use material dredged during maintenance of shipping channels to create wetlands. Or we can operate locks to mitigate saltwater intrusion as well as to accommodate navigation. In addition to providing flood protection, levees can be designed to enhance and sustain wetlands. As we expand and improv
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- Where does environmental justice work fit under Conservation, Preservation, and Restoration?
- What is the synergy between environmental restoration and hurricane protection?
