About the Project

Assessing the Socio-Economic Value of Salt Marsh Ecosystems for Climate Resilience Financing in Georgia

Around the world there are largescale natural ecosystems that can provide risk reduction benefits to communities. Their existence can reduce storm risk which can be translated into monetary savings through avoided damages. There is a need to protect and restore these natural ecosystems for the multiple socio-economic and ecologic benefits they provide.

Globally, there is a growing interest to use innovative finance mechanisms, such as insurance, to protect and restore these systems. Insurance represents a promising platform for integrating nature-based solutions as it

  1. puts a price tag on risk,

  2. provides incentives for risk reduction, and

  3. creates formalized payout structures.

Past studies have shown that insurance can be a viable option for the protection and restoration of coral reefs and mangroves. This study is exploring whether insurance could work to protect and restore salt marsh ecosystems.

This project will take the first step to considering whether an insurance-based mechanism could be developed for the protection and restoration of salt marshes.

Project Posters