June 6, 2022

A Guide to Private Sector Investment in Coastal Resilience

Nicholas Institute for Environmental Policy Solutions

Coastal habitats are important natural buffers to sea level rise and storm surges.

On World Oceans Day, Ignace Beguin Billecocq and Tibor Vegh write about what the private sector can do to improve coastal resilience. Coastal resilience is the ability of a coastal community to bounce back after hazardous events such as storms; and, more narrowly, the protection of people and property provided by natural infrastructure such as mangroves or coral reefs.

Based on the latest scientific reports that discuss interconnected and multi-dimensional risk, the authors write that while some economic sectors might have a more direct risk reduction benefit than others from investing in coastal resilience, all private sector actors can mitigate certain types of risk they are now facing, or will be facing in the near future.