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Eroding Land and Erasing Place: A Qualitative Study of Place Attachment, Risk Perception, and Coastal Land Loss in Southern Louisiana

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  • Catherine E. Lambert

    (Department of Communication, College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14853, USA)

  • Jason R. Holley

    (Department of Communication, College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14853, USA)

  • Katherine A. McComas

    (Department of Communication, College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14853, USA)

  • Natalie P. Snider

    (Environmental Defense Fund, Washington, DC 20009, USA
    Center for Environmental Science, University of Maryland, College Park, MD 20742, USA)

  • Grace K. Tucker

    (Environmental Defense Fund, Washington, DC 20009, USA)

Abstract

Southern Louisiana and its coastal bayous are sites of both frequent flooding and rapid coastal land loss, exacerbated by the increasing effects of climate change. Though much work has examined flood risk perceptions in coastal areas, few studies have considered the qualitative and contextual dimensions of perceptions of coastal land loss and its associated impacts, and how these perceptions relate to local culture, place, and intentions to mitigate personal exposure to risk. We conducted six focus groups in areas with distinct exposure to coastal land loss. Participants expressed strong attachment to community, culture, and place. Personal ties to land loss through family or social connections, experiences with fishing and water-based activities, and indirect impacts on Louisiana’s seafood industry and cuisine provided a lens for understanding the immediate impacts of coastal land loss. Participants felt that exposure to the risks of land loss was inevitable and that mitigation was beyond individual efforts, a feeling that manifested both as pessimism and as a resilient focus on collective action. Considering state history with political corruption, participants generally distrusted state-level mitigation initiatives. These findings shed light on the qualitative dimensions of coastal land loss perceptions in southern Louisiana and their relation to place attachment, mitigation intentions, and sources of risk information. While participants with personal ties to risk report feelings of exposure and inevitability, they are also embedded in communities with strong ties to place. This nuance only complicates the meanings that individuals associate with land loss and the actions that they are motivated to take; impacts of coastal land loss on the landscape and distinct place characteristics of southern Louisiana may lead to significant disruption to identity and well-being, but also provide a pathway for risk awareness and potential motivation of collective mitigation actions.

Suggested Citation

  • Catherine E. Lambert & Jason R. Holley & Katherine A. McComas & Natalie P. Snider & Grace K. Tucker, 2021. "Eroding Land and Erasing Place: A Qualitative Study of Place Attachment, Risk Perception, and Coastal Land Loss in Southern Louisiana," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(11), pages 1-16, June.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:13:y:2021:i:11:p:6269-:d:567280
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    1. Olaf Kühne & Lara Koegst, 2023. "Neopragmatic Reflections on Coastal Land Loss and Climate Change in Louisiana in Light of Popper’s Theory of Three Worlds," Land, MDPI, vol. 12(2), pages 1-17, January.

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