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Earth

Rebuilding New Orleans' natural defences

By Bennett Daviss

7 September 2005

KATRINA’s impact could have been blunted if the fabric of marshes that once defined the Louisiana coastline had been there to shield New Orleans from the storm. This natural protection has been steadily stripped away by development, leaving the city vulnerable.

If the city is to be restored, this protection must be put back too, says Michael Tidwell, a campaigner for coastal wetland restoration. “We shouldn’t rebuild one building in the city unless we commit to a comprehensive plan to restore the wetlands,” he says.

The Mississippi river, which carries between 40 and 50 per cent of all the water…

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