Floods accounted for more lives lost and more property damage than any other form of natural disaster in the United States during the twentieth century. And the wreckage continues: In 2012, Hurricane Sandy killed more than 100 people and inflicted billions of dollars in infrastructure damage. In 2008, Hurricane Ike killed dozens of people and flooded more than 100,000 homes along the eastern coast of Texas. In Wisconsin that same year, heavy rainfall caused record-setting flooding, with 31 counties declared federal disaster areas.
According to the US Environmental Protection Agency, bolstering US public water systems in the face of climate change and land development will require more than $330 billion over the next 20 years, including investments of more than $50 billion for dam safety and community resilience in particular. As governments weigh their options, “green” infrastructure is gaining recognition as a cost-effective substitute for or complement to the “gray” infrastructure—pipes, dams, levees, and the like—traditionally used to control flooding, store water, and reduce urban stormwater overflows.
Green infrastructure refers to natural systems that absorb and filter pollutants from the air and water, protect communities from flooding and storm surges, reduce erosion, and enhance both community and environmental well-being. Floodplains and wetlands can provide buffers against flood risks, for example, and public parks and other permeable urban surfaces can naturally slow and filter polluted runoff.
Green infrastructure investments will often require new kinds of economic and environmental analyses, as well as negotiations and collaboration among numerous stakeholders. But state and local governments often lack the resources and data necessary to evaluate green infrastructure technologies and their benefits. What tools can communities use to target ecosystem investments?
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