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An analysis of 83 nature-based solutions in the Alps region estimated a return on investment of 2.8 euro per 1 euro spent based on co-benefits and the monetary value of ecosystem services like heatwave mitigation...

González-García, Alberto, Ignacio Palomo, Anna Codemo, Mirco Rodeghiero, Titouan Dubo, Améline Vallet, and Sandra Lavorel. “Co-benefits of nature-based solutions exceed the costs of implementation.” Cell Reports Sustainability 2, no.3 (2025): 1-19. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.crsus.2025.100336

Coastal wetlands provide significant cost avoidance during extreme storm events. A regional study across 12 affected states showed that during Hurricane Sandy in 2012, wetlands avoided $625 million in direct flood...

Narayan, Siddharth, Michael W. Beck, Paul Wilson, Christopher J. Thomas, Alexandra Guerrero, Christine C. Shepard, Borja G. Reguero, Guillermo Franco, Jane Carter Ingram, and Dania Trespalacios. “The value of coastal wetlands for flood damage reduction in the northeastern USA.” Scientific reports 7, no. 1 (2017): 9463. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-017-09269-z

Protecting undeveloped land within floodplains significantly reduces property damage caused by flooding events, as shown by an eleven-year nationwide study of 450 communities. Communities protecting open space under...

Brody, Samuel D., and Wesley E. Highfield. (2013). Open space protection and flood mitigation: A national study. Land Use Policy, 32, 89-95.

A review of 14 studies conducted worldwide shows that salt marshes slow waves and stabilize shorelines. Wider marshes with more dense vegetation and higher biomass slow waves to a greater extent and stabilize...

Shepard, Christine C., Caitlin M. Crain, and Michael W. Beck. (2011). The protective role of coastal marshes: a systematic review and meta-analysis. PLoS One, 6(11), e27374.

A review of 15 studies finds overwhelming support that mangrove and salt marsh vegetation protects against erosion, storm surge, and potentially small tsunami waves. While wetland vegetation cannot protect...

Gedan, Keryn B., Matthew L. Kirwan, Eric Wolanski, Edward B. Barbier, and Brian R. Silliman. (2011). The present and future role of coastal wetland vegetation in protecting shorelines: answering recent challenges to the paradigm. Climatic Change, 106(1), 7-29.

Coastal wetlands reduce the damaging effects of hurricanes on coastal communities. Coastal wetlands in the United States are estimated to provide $23.2 billion a year in storm protection services. A loss of 1...

Costanza, Robert, Octavio Pérez-Maqueo, M. Luisa Martinez, Paul Sutton, Sharolyn J. Anderson, and Kenneth Mulder. (2008). The value of coastal wetlands for hurricane protection. AMBIO: A Journal of the Human Environment, 37(4), 241-248.

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