Coastal development and climate change are dramatically increasing the risks of flooding, erosion, and extreme weather events for millions of vulnerable people and vital infrastructure, and governments worldwide are responding by dedicating billions of dollars to reduce risks from disasters and climate change. Our coastal habitats can serve as critical first lines of defense. For example, coral reefs work as low-crested, submerged breakwaters, which provide flood reduction benefits through wave breaking and energy attenuation. Wetlands protect coastlines by slowing waves and storm surges and by building land. These natural defenses are threatened by increasing intensity and frequency of natural disasters as well as increases in human-caused disturbances. The good news is that reefs and wetlands can recover if we identify and allocate resources to manage and restore them.

OUR APPROACH: The first SNAPP Coastal Defenses project played a significant role in demonstrating the cost-effectiveness of natural defenses. Since that time there has been growing interest in Natural Defenses from many sectors (e.g., disaster management, conservation, infrastructure, insurance, investors) with some changes in policy and practice. Nonetheless the public and private investment in natural defenses is still very limited.

We will bring together experts across science, business, management and policy to examine the advances that have been made and identify innovative approaches to fill the remaining gaps that limit wider implementation of natural defenses. By working with stakeholders to assess the efficacy of past natural coastal defense projects, our work paves the way for the expansion and implementation of natural defenses to achieve more disaster risk reduction and conservation goals.