KEY TAKEAWAYS: Nature Sustainability study warns New Orleans may face severe long-term inundation risk Sea-level rise projected 3–7 meters could shift shoreline inland up to 62 miles Louisiana could lose up to 75% of remaining coastal wetlands by 2070 Researchers say relocation planning shou ld begin while adaptation options still exist   A recent study published in the Nature Sustainability Journal has concluded that New Orleans has reached a “point of no return” and will be surrounded by the ocean in decades because of the climate crisis. The new paper estimates that the city may be surrounded by the Gulf of Mexico before the end of the century because of rising sea levels, coastal erosion, global heating and strengthening hurricanes. This means that low-lying southern Louisiana faces multiple threats, and that the process of relocating people from New Orleans should start immediately, says The Guardian. Will New Orleans be under water? Southern Louisiana is facing the loss of three-quarters of remaining coastal wetlands, as well as three to seven meters of sea-level rise, which will cause the shoreline to migrate as much as 62 miles inland, stranding New Orleans and Baton Rouge, according to the recent study. The state’s shoreline is projected to move over 30 miles inland of New Orleans and, by 2070, it will lose about 75% of its remaining wetland. Eventually, all of coastal Louisiana will because inhabitable, says Yale School of the Environment. This situation makes the region the most vulnerable coastal zone in the world, according to researchers, and requires action to transition people away from New Orleans, which has a population of about 360,000, to safer ground, The Guardian reported. Louisiana has already experienced depopulation in recent years, as nearly all the state’s coastal zone has lost residents since 2000, especially following major hurricanes. This means that climate-driven depopulation has already begun and may accelerate as sea-level rise increases the impact of future storm surges, according to Tulane University. Despite depopulation and the shoreline moving far inland, researches say there is still time to develop strategies for households, infrastructure and regional economies to adapt to climate change, says Tulane University. Presley Bo Tyler is the Louisiana Deep South Connect Team reporter for USA Today Network. Find her on X @PresleyTyler02 and email at [email protected] This article originally appeared on Shreveport Times: New study estimates New Orleans could be under water by end of the century Reporting by Presley Bo Tyler, Shreveport Times / Shreveport Times USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect ...read more read less