Coastal Erosion’s Impact on Marginalized Communities: A Scholar’s Perspective

In her conversation with her faculty mentor, Dr. Amy George, then college sophomore Tiara raised the question, “Why are people (specifically people of color) within our city [New Orleans] suffering the most?”

This question set her on a path of discovery and awakened the desire to address this her research.  Now, a senior at Tulane University, double majoring in Environmental Biology and Africana Studies, Tiara achieved a milestone when she presented her own research focused on the social effects of coastal erosion in marginalized areas, specifically in African-American and Indigenous communities, at the Research and Ideas Symposium, hosted by Tulane University’s Office of Undergraduate Research and Center for Academic Equity. “I made the decision to continue [pursuing my degree] in the Africana Studies department, [and] combine it with Environmental Biology because they are not separate. To me, we are a product of our environment. When you step into a place, if your environment isn’t conducive to who you are as a human, you’re not gonna thrive.” she reflected. 

Tiara’s research took her back to her home, Southeastern Louisiana.  At the age of three, she experienced the ripening effects of Hurricane Katrina, and in the midst of such chaos, she remembers there being a sense of togetherness. As a proud member of the New Orleans community, Tiara wants to use her lived experiences, her education, and voice to protect her city, to ensure that current and future generations have an opportunity to enjoy the home she loves, and urge people to remember that life is unpredictable. Her overarching aim is to equip people with the awareness and tools to implement adequate emergency efforts within wetland communities.

Because Louisiana, a state in the delta region, is prone to flooding, flooding can affect the foundational integrity of the environment and perpetuate the issue of coastal erosion. Coasts are more likely to shrink if there is constant erosion without soil replacement. Within her research, Tiara has identified two key factors which contribute to coastal erosion: the disrupted effects of manmade structures and the catastrophic effects of hurricanes. Overtime, hurricanes have been magnified by the lack of sediment supply used to contribute to natural resources (for example, plants and trees) that stabilize and replace the land within the delta region. 

As a budding thought-leader in this field, Tiara is driven to find strategic, sustainable, and effective solutions for coastal erosion issues. After graduation, Tiara plans on continuing to investigate the environmental, economic, social, and emotional effects of coastal land loss within urban and rural communities in Southeastern Louisiana, and is seeking to spearhead coastal restoration efforts, with the goal of bridging communication between government agencies/entities and the people that are being directly impacted by this environmental issue.