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The Value of Wetlands in Protecting Southeast Louisiana from Hurricane Storm Surges

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  • Edward B Barbier
  • Ioannis Y Georgiou
  • Brian Enchelmeyer
  • Denise J Reed
Abstract
The Indian Ocean tsunami in 2004 and Hurricanes Katrina and Rita in 2005 have spurred global interest in the role of coastal wetlands and vegetation in reducing storm surge and flood damages. Evidence that coastal wetlands reduce storm surge and attenuate waves is often cited in support of restoring Gulf Coast wetlands to protect coastal communities and property from hurricane damage. Yet interdisciplinary studies combining hydrodynamic and economic analysis to explore this relationship for temperate marshes in the Gulf are lacking. By combining hydrodynamic analysis of simulated hurricane storm surges and economic valuation of expected property damages, we show that the presence of coastal marshes and their vegetation has a demonstrable effect on reducing storm surge levels, thus generating significant values in terms of protecting property in southeast Louisiana. Simulations for four storms along a sea to land transect show that surge levels decline with wetland continuity and vegetation roughness. Regressions confirm that wetland continuity and vegetation along the transect are effective in reducing storm surge levels. A 0.1 increase in wetland continuity per meter reduces property damages for the average affected area analyzed in southeast Louisiana, which includes New Orleans, by $99-$133, and a 0.001 increase in vegetation roughness decreases damages by $24-$43. These reduced damages are equivalent to saving 3 to 5 and 1 to 2 properties per storm for the average area, respectively.

Suggested Citation

  • Edward B Barbier & Ioannis Y Georgiou & Brian Enchelmeyer & Denise J Reed, 2013. "The Value of Wetlands in Protecting Southeast Louisiana from Hurricane Storm Surges," PLOS ONE, Public Library of Science, vol. 8(3), pages 1-6, March.
    • Handle: RePEc:plo:pone00:0058715
    DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0058715
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    Citations

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    Cited by:

    1. Elisaveta P. Petkova & Kristie L. Ebi & Derrin Culp & Irwin Redlener, 2015. "Climate Change and Health on the U.S. Gulf Coast: Public Health Adaptation is Needed to Address Future Risks," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 12(8), pages 1-15, August.
    2. Edward B. Barbier, 2016. "The Protective Value of Estuarine and Coastal Ecosystem Services in a Wealth Accounting Framework," Environmental & Resource Economics, Springer;European Association of Environmental and Resource Economists, vol. 64(1), pages 37-58, May.
    3. Md. Ali Akber & Muhammad Mainuddin Patwary & Md. Atikul Islam & Mohammad Rezaur Rahman, 2018. "Storm protection service of the Sundarbans mangrove forest, Bangladesh," Natural Hazards: Journal of the International Society for the Prevention and Mitigation of Natural Hazards, Springer;International Society for the Prevention and Mitigation of Natural Hazards, vol. 94(1), pages 405-418, October.
    4. Christopher G. Siverd & Scott C. Hagen & Matthew V. Bilskie & DeWitt H. Braud & Robert R. Twilley, 2020. "Quantifying storm surge and risk reduction costs: a case study for Lafitte, Louisiana," Climatic Change, Springer, vol. 161(1), pages 201-223, July.
    5. Douglas L. Bessette & Lauren A. Mayer & Bryan Cwik & Martin Vezér & Klaus Keller & Robert J. Lempert & Nancy Tuana, 2017. "Building a Values‐Informed Mental Model for New Orleans Climate Risk Management," Risk Analysis, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 37(10), pages 1993-2004, October.
    6. Das, Saudamini, 2024. "Examining weak sustainability for storm protection by mangroves," Ecosystem Services, Elsevier, vol. 65(C).
    7. Wu, Wei & Yeager, Kevin M. & Peterson, Mark S. & Fulford, Richard S., 2015. "Neutral models as a way to evaluate the Sea Level Affecting Marshes Model (SLAMM)," Ecological Modelling, Elsevier, vol. 303(C), pages 55-69.
    8. Vinent, Orencio Duran & Johnston, Robert J. & Kirwan, Matthew L. & Leroux, Anke D. & Martin, Vance L., 2019. "Coastal dynamics and adaptation to uncertain sea level rise: Optimal portfolios for salt marsh migration," Journal of Environmental Economics and Management, Elsevier, vol. 98(C).
    9. Boutwell, Luke & Westra, John, 2015. "Potential for Error in Valuing Ecosystem Services Using the Expected Damage Function Approach," 2015 Annual Meeting, January 31-February 3, 2015, Atlanta, Georgia 197796, Southern Agricultural Economics Association.
    10. Vincent T. M. Zelst & Jasper T. Dijkstra & Bregje K. Wesenbeeck & Dirk Eilander & Edward P. Morris & Hessel C. Winsemius & Philip J. Ward & Mindert B. Vries, 2021. "Cutting the costs of coastal protection by integrating vegetation in flood defences," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 12(1), pages 1-11, December.
    11. Boutwell, Luke & Westra, John, 2015. "The Economic Value of Wetlands as Storm Buffers," 2015 Annual Meeting, January 31-February 3, 2015, Atlanta, Georgia 196854, Southern Agricultural Economics Association.
    12. Abbie A. Rogers & Fiona L. Dempster & Jacob I. Hawkins & Robert J. Johnston & Peter C. Boxall & John Rolfe & Marit E. Kragt & Michael P. Burton & David J. Pannell, 2019. "Valuing non-market economic impacts from natural hazards," Natural Hazards: Journal of the International Society for the Prevention and Mitigation of Natural Hazards, Springer;International Society for the Prevention and Mitigation of Natural Hazards, vol. 99(2), pages 1131-1161, November.
    13. Liyun Zhang & Quan Zhen & Min Cheng & Zhiyun Ouyang, 2019. "The Main Drivers of Wetland Changes in the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei Region," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 16(14), pages 1-16, July.
    14. Yun Tang & Arturo S. Leon & M. L. Kavvas, 2020. "Impact of Dynamic Storage Management of Wetlands and Shallow Ponds on Watershed-scale Flood Control," Water Resources Management: An International Journal, Published for the European Water Resources Association (EWRA), Springer;European Water Resources Association (EWRA), vol. 34(4), pages 1305-1318, March.
    15. Herrera, Diego & Cunniff, Shannon & DuPont, Carolyn & Cohen, Benjamin & Gangi, Dakota & Kar, Devyani & Peyronnin Snider, Natalie & Rojas, Victor & Wyerman, Jim & Norriss, Jessie & Mountenot, Marshall, 2019. "Designing an environmental impact bond for wetland restoration in Louisiana," Ecosystem Services, Elsevier, vol. 35(C), pages 260-276.
    16. Juan Robalino & Katrina Mullan & Matías Piaggio & Marisol Guzmán, 2023. "Does Green Infrastructure Work? Precipitation, Protected Areas, Floods and Landslides," Economics of Disasters and Climate Change, Springer, vol. 7(3), pages 457-482, November.
    17. Maqsood Mansur & Julia Hopkins & Qin Chen, 2023. "Estuarine response to storm surge and sea-level rise associated with channel deepening: a flood vulnerability assessment of southwest Louisiana, USA," Natural Hazards: Journal of the International Society for the Prevention and Mitigation of Natural Hazards, Springer;International Society for the Prevention and Mitigation of Natural Hazards, vol. 116(3), pages 3879-3897, April.
    18. Edward B. Barbier, 2013. "Valuing Ecosystem Services for Coastal Wetland Protection and Restoration: Progress and Challenges," Resources, MDPI, vol. 2(3), pages 1-18, August.

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