Nature as Resilient Infrastructure: An Overview of Nature-Based Solutions

The document advocates for the integration of nature-based solutions (NbS)—including green and natural infrastructure—into U.S. national infrastructure planning. It highlights that NbS are often more cost-effective and resilient than traditional 'gray' infrastructure, providing significant benefits in flood mitigation, heat reduction, and carbon sequestration. The text provides specific economic data on the cost-savings of living shorelines and green storm drainage systems compared to concrete alternatives, while emphasizing the co-benefits of improved water quality and public health.

• The United States faces a significant funding gap for traditional 'gray' infrastructure, with the American Society of Civil Engineers estimating cumulative repair needs of $4.6 trillion through 2025 and a funding gap of $2.1 trillion.
• Coastal nature-based solutions are often more cost-effective than gray infrastructure; for example, living shorelines cost an average of $361 per linear foot as of June 2019, which is approximately one-third of the $1,022 per linear foot cost for concrete bulkheads.
• Nature-based solutions provide substantial economic protection against storm damage, with coastal wetlands estimated to provide $23.2 billion in annual storm protection across the U.S. and a specific case study showing $625 million in property damages prevented during Hurricane Sandy (2012).
• In urban environments, green infrastructure for storm drainage is significantly cheaper than traditional gray infrastructure; in Los Angeles, a retrofit is estimated to cost between $2.8 and $7.4 billion for green infrastructure versus $44 billion for gray, while in Philadelphia, the cost difference is $1.2 billion versus $6 billion over 25 years.
• Nature-based solutions mitigate the 'urban heat island' effect caused by gray infrastructure. Without intervention, 150 U.S. cities are projected to experience 30+ days per year with a heat index above 105°F by 2050 under a business-as-usual scenario.
• Beyond hazard mitigation, nature-based solutions offer environmental co-benefits, including carbon sequestration—where one square mile of salt marshes stores carbon equivalent to 76,000 gallons of gasoline—and a potential reduction in water treatment costs by 25 percent or more.

APA

Luedke, H. (2019). Nature as Resilient Infrastructure: An Overview of Nature-Based Solutions. Environmental and Energy Study Institute. https://www.eesi.org/papers/view/fact-sheet-nature-as-resilient-infrastructure-an-overview-of-nature-based-solutions

Chicago

Luedke, Heather. Nature as Resilient Infrastructure: An Overview of Nature-Based Solutions. Environmental and Energy Study Institute, 2019. https://www.eesi.org/papers/view/fact-sheet-nature-as-resilient-infrastructure-an-overview-of-nature-based-solutions.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Luedke |first1=Heather |title=Nature as Resilient Infrastructure: An Overview of Nature-Based Solutions |publisher=Environmental and Energy Study Institute |date=16 October 2019 |url=https://www.eesi.org/papers/view/fact-sheet-nature-as-resilient-infrastructure-an-overview-of-nature-based-solutions |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{luedke2019nature, author = {Luedke, Heather}, title = {{Nature as Resilient Infrastructure: An Overview of Nature-Based Solutions}}, institution = {Environmental and Energy Study Institute}, year = {2019}, month = oct, url = {https://www.eesi.org/papers/view/fact-sheet-nature-as-resilient-infrastructure-an-overview-of-nature-based-solutions}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }