The Forces of Nature. Assessment of Economic Valuation of Coastal Protection Services Provided by Mangroves in Jamaica

Published in The World Bank. The Nature Conservancy, 2019

Mangrove forests play a critically important role in coastal protection. They can dissipate wave energy, which can lower flood risk and minimize erosion. Mangrove forests, however, are threatened by a number of natural and man-made factors, including storm events. Often times, mangroves are able to recover post-storm with limited intervention, but active post-storm restoration efforts are required to re-establish mangroves and hasten recovery, particularly when hydrological damage has occurred. Insurance is a unique market-based mechanism that can cost-effectively protect and restore coastal habitat. In Quintana Roo, Mexico, The Nature Conservancy helped launch the first-ever insurance product to protect coral reefs from storm damage. We consider whether a similar mechanism could be developed for the protection and restoration of mangroves following storm events.

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Recommended citation: Castano Isaza, Juliana; Lee, Simone Michelle; Dani, Saurabh Suresh; Beck, Michael William; Narayan, Siddharth; Losada, Inigo J.; Espejo Hermosa, Antonio; Torres-Ortega, Saul; Abad-Herrero, Sheila; Mandal, Arpita; Smith, Rose-Ann; Edwards, Taneisha; Kinlocke, Robert; Mitchell, Simon; Webber, Mona; Trench, Camilo; Francis, Patrice; Spence, Adrian. 2019. Forces of Nature: Assessment and Economic Valuation of Coastal Protection Services Provided by Mangroves in Jamaica (English). Washington, D.C. : World Bank Group. http://documents.worldbank.org/curated/en/357921613108097096/Forces-of-Nature-Assessment-and-Economic-Valuation-of-Coastal-Protection-Services-Provided-by-Mangroves-in-Jamaica