Wetlands
Project details
In the coastal area of the Biobío Region, urban expansion, pollution, and climate change are degrading critical coastal wetland ecosystems that play a key role in reducing flood risks, storing carbon, and supporting biodiversity. These wetlands are also vital stopover points for migratory birds travelling along the Americas Flyways.
The Americas Flyways Initiative, led by Audubon Americas in partnership with BirdLife International and the Development Bank of Latin America and the Caribbean (CAF), aims to restore 579 hectares of wetland ecosystems in the Rocuant–Andalién system. Restoring these degraded wetlands will improve the conditions for biodiversity while protecting people and infrastructure from climate impacts.
Through nature-based solutions (NbS), the project will increase water retention in the landscape, reduce flood damage, protect against saline intrusion, and improve quality of life for people in the nearby cities of Talcahuano and Concepción.
To support investment planning, the Nature-Based Infrastructure (NBI) Global Resource Centre used the Sustainable Asset Valuation (SAVi) methodology to measure the economic, social, and environmental value of restoring the wetlands. The analysis compared a business-as-usual scenario with a nature-based scenario, and accounts for
- job creation from restoration and ongoing maintenance,
- tourism and recreation value from improved ecosystems,
- carbon storage and climate mitigation benefits, and
- increased property values and reduced flood damage costs.
We found that wetland restoration is economically viable with returns of up to USD 1.30 per every USD 1 invested, and net benefits of USD 42.45 million over 26 years. The largest benefits from the Rocuant–Andalién wetland restoration come from the increased social value of nature for local recreation, higher land and property values, and avoided costs from flood damage and lost rental income. These broader social and environmental benefits play an important role in the project’s economic viability, reflecting the substantial value generated for the local population.
The results will inform CAF’s investment decisions and strengthen the case for further funding for NBI in Chile from multilateral development banks. In addition, local and national governments can use the results to prioritize NBI in climate adaptation policies, and civil society organizations can use the insights to advocate for wetland restoration as a solution for local well-being and climate resilience.
