A Sustainable Asset Valuation Assessment of Nature-Based Solutions in the Jukskei River Catchment in Johannesburg, South Africa

The assessment evaluates the viability of nature-based solutions (NbS) in Johannesburg's Jukskei River catchment, including riparian restoration and urban tree planting. Using the SAVi methodology, the report finds that these interventions are economically viable, with a discounted benefit-to-cost ratio (BCR) of 3.06 and cumulative net benefits of ZAR 152 million from 2025 to 2050. The most significant benefits are avoided health costs from water pollution and avoided infrastructure damage from flooding.

• The nature-based solutions (NbS) interventions in Johannesburg are economically viable, yielding a cumulative discounted net benefit of ZAR 152.0 million over a 25-year period (2025–2050) with an integrated benefit-to-cost ratio (BCR) of 3.06.
• The most substantial individual benefit is the reduction of intangible avoided health costs related to water pollution, valued at ZAR 65.4 million, followed by tangible avoided costs for flood damage to infrastructure at ZAR 62.1 million.
• Other significant economic benefits include ZAR 38.8 million in avoided alien invasive plant management costs, ZAR 19.5 million in avoided health costs from heat, and ZAR 31.3 million from carbon sequestration.
• Sensitivity analysis shows that a higher shadow price for carbon (USD 40/ton) increases carbon sequestration benefits to ZAR 88 million and the BCR to 3.83. Conversely, a scenario with lower flood damages reduces avoided infrastructure costs to ZAR 12.4 million, though the project remains viable with a BCR of 2.38.
• The NbS interventions cover 469 hectares of riparian zone and include the planting of 46,000 trees to address degradation caused by rapid urbanization, pollution, and invasive species.

APA

Kapetanakis, M. (2026). A Sustainable Asset Valuation Assessment of Nature-Based Solutions in the Jukskei River Catchment in Johannesburg, South Africa. International Institute for Sustainable Development. https://www.iisd.org/system/files/2026-03/nature-based-solutions-johannesburg.pdf

Chicago

Kapetanakis, Michail. A Sustainable Asset Valuation Assessment of Nature-Based Solutions in the Jukskei River Catchment in Johannesburg, South Africa. International Institute for Sustainable Development, 2026. https://www.iisd.org/system/files/2026-03/nature-based-solutions-johannesburg.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Kapetanakis |first1=Michail |title=A Sustainable Asset Valuation Assessment of Nature-Based Solutions in the Jukskei River Catchment in Johannesburg, South Africa |publisher=International Institute for Sustainable Development |date=March 2026 |url=https://www.iisd.org/system/files/2026-03/nature-based-solutions-johannesburg.pdf |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{kapetanakis2026sustainable, author = {Kapetanakis, Michail}, title = {{A Sustainable Asset Valuation Assessment of Nature-Based Solutions in the Jukskei River Catchment in Johannesburg, South Africa}}, institution = {International Institute for Sustainable Development}, year = {2026}, month = mar, url = {https://www.iisd.org/system/files/2026-03/nature-based-solutions-johannesburg.pdf}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }