Coastal areas are at risk as rising populations and growing urbanization prompt significant losses and damages to coastal habitats, impacting coastal and climate resilience. A new paper by the High Level Panel for a Sustainable Ocean Economy explores four opportunities to ensure sustainable and resilient coastal zones.
Worldwide, cities are struggling to plan and finance climate-appropriate infrastructure. Inter-department collaboration and nature-based solutions could be the key to addressing both issues simultaneously.
Investing in sustainable infrastructure for areas such as renewable energy and electric cars can help China’s economic recovery from the coronavirus crisis.
Building on recent applications in Latin America, this paper overviews WRI’s Green-Gray Assessment method, and provides recommendations for applications.
Green infrastructure can mitigate most of the world's major water problems, but investment has been held back by lack of certainty about returns. Our new methodology helps lay out how to measure the costs and benefits of green and gray infrastructure projects.
The Natural Infrastructure for Aquifer Recharge Financial Calculator, is an excel based tool with a flexible financial model that estimates the private costs and benefits, including the return on investment (ROI), of natural infrastructure interventions designed to enhance aquifer recharge. The technical note explains the methods, data and assumptions used to produce the tool.
The people of Fiji, one of the countries most threatened by climate change, are taking adaptation and resilience into their own hands. Vulnerable neighborhoods in Lautoka City are building infrastructure to withstand stronger storms, and nurturing coastal ecosystems to defend against sea level rise.
Green infrastructure like forests, wetlands and coral reefs can help traditional “gray infrastructure” perform better. Yet, green-gray infrastructure projects remain relatively niche, mainly because of persistent myths about their costs and feasibility.
This report explores how integrating nature into built, gray infrastructure systems can help provide services like food, flood protection, and clean water. These green solutions can open new opportunities for financing, and boost resilience to climate change.
At this event, the World Bank and WRI will launch a new report, Integrating Green and Gray: Creating Next Generation Infrastructure, which explores how nature can act as infrastructure to help meet development and climate goals.
This blog was originally posted on the World Bank's Sustainable Cities blog.
For the cash-strapped government of Rio de Janeiro, restoring forests around the city is a smart investment. New research shows that forests can provide Rio with better water quality at lower cost.
This summer, California experienced its largest fire in state history—the latest disaster in a growing trend towards hotter, larger, and more destructive fires.
Incorporating natural infrastructure into water management plans can cost-effectively improve infrastructure system performance and resilience.
Today at the Global Climate Action Summit, 45 cities across six continents joined the Cities4Forests initiative, committing to conserve and restore their forests while making residents more aware of the vast benefits of trees.
World Water Week is a unique opportunity for individuals around the world— from experts and decision-makers to young professionals—to discuss the world's most pressing water issues and identify promising solutions. Take a look at WRI's scheduled events.
Green bonds finance sustainable infrastructure projects. A new criteria sets standards for green bonds for built and natural water infrastructure.
Wetlands, forests and other green spaces are the original water infrastructure. For the first time, they can now be financed through bonds – just like other built infrastructure such as treatment plants and dams.
From clean water provision to storm protection, forests provide benefits for everyone—even those who live in the concrete jungle.
Brazil's forests are its historic first line of defense against water stress and water-related natural disasters, but now these forests are under pressure. Will Brazil increase investment in its natural infrastructure to defend against water crises?