Is there an economic benefit to implementing small-scale natural infrastructure projects in urban areas?
N-EWN researchers Scott Pippin, Craig Landry and Mohammadreza Zarei addressed that question in their recent publication, “Benefit-Cost Analysis of Green Infrastructure Investments: Application to Small Urban Projects in Hinesville, GA.”
Hinesville made the perfect case study, as it’s located in the Georgia coast, which is home to roughly 40% of U.S East Coast’s wetlands. Specifically, the researchers wanted to learn more about whether these small-scale projects, which could help buffer low-lying towns and cities from the impacts of climate change while also helping to support the pre-existing wetlands that define the area, were economically feasible.
They found that these projects did indeed provide an economic benefit: Green infrastructure investments in Hinesville, GA produced a positive net benefit between $738,312 to over $5.5 million (under a range of scenarios). The authors also included a roadmap for how to replicate their research–providing others with a method for calculating the net benefit of installing natural infrastructure projects in other locations.
Read the article here.
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