This webinar originally aired on 17 September, 2019.
This webinar will provide an overview of new research on how natural defenses can reduce coastal risk. Key new findings include: 1) the global costs of storms would double if the top 1 m of coral reefs is lost, 2) coral reefs provide $1.8 billion in annual flood protection benefits to the US alone, and 3) globally, if mangroves are lost, 39% more people would be affected by floods and property damage would increase by US$82 billion. This webinar will also show which countries (and hotspots in countries) have the most to gain in flood protection from reef conservation. We will wrap up by describing our work with the insurance industry and FEMA to show how valuation of risk reduction benefits can be used to finance reef and wetland conservation and restoration at scale. [Please note: This webinar significantly updates a May 2018 EBM Tools Network/OCTO webinar with new results and opportunities for implementation in policy and practice.]
Presented by: Mike Beck of the University of California at Santa Cruz
Co-sponsors: OCTO (OpenChannels, The Skimmer, MPA News, EBM Tools Network)