MIAMI BEACH, FL – SEPTEMBER 29: A bus plows through a flooded street that was caused by the combination of the lunar orbit which caused seasonal high tides and what many believe is the rising sea levels due to climate change on September 29, 2015 in Miami Beach, Florida. The City of Miami Beach is in the middle of a five-year, $400 million storm water pump program and other projects that city officials hope will keep the ocean waters from inundating the city as the oceans rise even more in the future. (Photo by Joe Raedle/Getty Images)
The federal government is proposing a $4.6 billion plan to protect the low-lying Miami area from the effects of climate change, including the construction of miles of sea walls.
The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers released a draft plan Friday calling for walls to protect the area from sea level rise that could reach about 13 feet (4 meters) in height.
The Miami Herald reported Saturday that the plan is designed to protect tens of thousands of homes and businesses from flooding.
The plan also calls for movable barriers at the mouths of three waterways, elevating and flood-proofing thousands of buildings throughout the county and restoring mangroves in vulnerable areas.
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The plan does not contain previous proposals to buy out hundreds of homes and convert them into parks or open spaces.
The Corps of Engineers plans to hold online public meetings on the proposal on Tuesday and Thursday next week.
