Ten years after Hurricane Katrina, the city of New Orleans has done much to mitigate the risk of a hurricane. The August 22 issue of The Washington Post included an article by Chris Mooney (http://www.washingtonpost.com/sf/national/2015/08/21/the-next-big-one/) about an important decision that remains to be made: whether to use sediment diversion to protect the wetlands that protect New Orleans. In addition to slowing the loss of wetlands, the advantages include a relatively low one-time cost and a potential economic value from sportsmen and tourists who would enjoy the wetlands. The key disadvantage is the disruption to the local fishing industry. A key uncertainties are whether the diversions will actually work because there are many factors that influence wetland restoration and the impact of the wetlands on the storm surge may be limited.
The decision-making process appears to be an analytic-deliberative one: a state advisory board has scientific experts, while fishermen have organized a group to oppose the diversions and (if necessary) block construction, and a state agency needs to make a decision before the end of the year.
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