Estimating the cost of coastal adaptation using mangrove forests against sea level rise

Abstract

Sea level rise due to climate change poses a serious threat to human populations in coastal areas. In planning possible countermeasures, it is important to consider the potential economic risks and the cost of any proposed adaptation. This paper examines the cost effectiveness of adaptation measures that combine mangrove afforestation (green infrastructure) and dike construction (gray infrastructure) in areas considered to be at risk of inundation. Based on data for 112 countries and regions where mangrove forests are present along the coastline, the global benefit/cost ratio for the combination of dikes and mangrove is approximately 1.5 times higher than the ratio for dike-only protection. It was found that this type of multiple protection scheme can reduce the number of dikes required and the overall cost of adaptation.