Flood protection: Two natural and cost-effective solutions

• Mangroves and coral reefs can be used cost-effectively to reduce coastal flooding, a new study finds.
• Mangrove restoration opportunities proved successful in the Bahamas, Cuba and the US – with the gains outweighing the costs, researchers say.
• New ways to source finance for restoration projects could emerge as a result of their findings.

Using a benefit-risk analysis, researchers have found that mangroves and coral reefs can be cost-effective in reducing coastal flooding, a press release from the University of California, Santa Cruz (UCSC), said. Using risk and insurance industry techniques, the researchers were able to show that the gains from reduced damage from floods outweighed the costs of restoring the corals and mangroves, leading to a favorable return on investment.

The study, “Return on investment for mangrove and reef flood protection,” was published in the journal Ecosystem Services.

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