Making our coastal communities more resilient

Nearly 40 percent of the world's people live along coasts. We can lower risks from erosion and storm surges by helping them work with nature.


  • coastal wildlife

    Restoring the Mississippi River Delta

    Why: Coastal Louisiana, a vital economic engine, is losing land. Every 100 minutes, a football field of land disappears into open water.

    How: We’re helping Louisiana embark on the largest-ever coastal restoration program, guided by science and made possible by bipartisan collaboration, to rebuild land and provide storm protection.

  • dune

    Using nature to help strengthen coastal protection

    Why: Our coasts have largely been stripped of their natural protections under the pressures of erosion, development – and now, rising seas.

    How: We’re showing coastal planners and decision makers how “natural infrastructure” – such as dunes and barrier islands – can lessen damage and complement manmade protection, such as levees.

  • levee

    Finding innovative ways to finance coastal resilience

    Why: Natural defenses can save millions of dollars, so communities need more options for financing such projects.

    How: We're exploring a variety of approaches, including a special kind of bond to support wetland restoration efforts in coastal Louisiana and, potentially, other flood-prone areas.

Updates on our coastal work

Check out these recent posts from the Delta Dispatches and Growing Returns blogs, written by experts at EDF and our partner organizations.

See more posts »


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