State of the Planet

News from the Columbia Climate School

Mississippi River Delta

  • Human Activity Is Driving Rapid Sinking of World’s River Deltas

    Human Activity Is Driving Rapid Sinking of World’s River Deltas

    New research, published in Nature, documents the rate of elevation loss in the world’s deltas, and finds that people are the primary reason for it.

  • As Louisiana Floods, Measuring the Climate Change Effect

    As Louisiana Floods, Measuring the Climate Change Effect

    The heavy rains and flooding in Louisiana have been devastating. Can we attribute the severity of it to climate change? How you measure that depends on the questions you ask.

  • Visit to a Different Delta: the Mississippi

    Visit to a Different Delta: the Mississippi

    This summer I am in the Mississippi Delta in southern Louisiana helping to install an updated version of the compaction meters that we have in Bangladesh. The environment is quite different and we have arrived in the midst of an historic storm. Luckily for us the brunt of the storm is NW of us. So…

  • Southern Louisiana’s Vanishing Act

    Southern Louisiana’s Vanishing Act

    Louisiana’s wetlands — the largest system in the United States — are shrinking at an alarming rate.

Collage of Turkiye beach scene and Columbia University Campus with text: UN Climate Change Conference COP31, Antalya, Turkiye, Nov 9-20, 2026

COP31, the 2026 United Nations Climate Change Conference, aims to advance dialogue, strengthen consensus, and accelerate climate action on a global scale. From November 9–20, 2026 in Antalya, Türkiye, heads of state, ministers, scientists, business leaders, and civil society will gather to advance efforts in emission targets, climate finance, and adaptation and resilience. Once again, our experts, students, and global thought leaders from Columbia Climate School and across Columbia University are contributing to key events, sharing insights, and helping shape the dialogue toward ambitious, science-based solutions. Learn More

  • Human Activity Is Driving Rapid Sinking of World’s River Deltas

    Human Activity Is Driving Rapid Sinking of World’s River Deltas

    New research, published in Nature, documents the rate of elevation loss in the world’s deltas, and finds that people are the primary reason for it.

  • As Louisiana Floods, Measuring the Climate Change Effect

    As Louisiana Floods, Measuring the Climate Change Effect

    The heavy rains and flooding in Louisiana have been devastating. Can we attribute the severity of it to climate change? How you measure that depends on the questions you ask.

  • Visit to a Different Delta: the Mississippi

    Visit to a Different Delta: the Mississippi

    This summer I am in the Mississippi Delta in southern Louisiana helping to install an updated version of the compaction meters that we have in Bangladesh. The environment is quite different and we have arrived in the midst of an historic storm. Luckily for us the brunt of the storm is NW of us. So…

  • Southern Louisiana’s Vanishing Act

    Southern Louisiana’s Vanishing Act

    Louisiana’s wetlands — the largest system in the United States — are shrinking at an alarming rate.