Reducing Caribbean Risk: Opportunities for Cost-Effective Mangrove Restoration and Insurance
This report evaluates the flood protection benefits of mangroves and identifies cost effective restoration opportunities across the Caribbean. Using flood risk and economic modeling, the study demonstrates how mangrove restoration can reduce storm damages, protect people and infrastructure, and support innovative insurance solutions for coastal resilience.
Subject Tags
- Climate adaptation
- Mangroves
- Coastal
Overview
This report examines how mangrove restoration can reduce coastal flood risk and support innovative insurance mechanisms across the Caribbean. Using advanced flood risk, hydrodynamic, and economic models, the study quantifies the benefits mangroves provide by reducing storm surge impacts, protecting people, property, and critical infrastructure, and lowering economic losses from coastal flooding. The analysis identifies more than 3,000 kilometers of Caribbean coastline where restoring mangroves is cost effective, with particularly strong opportunities in Cuba, the Bahamas, Florida, Mexico, Jamaica, Belize, and the Dominican Republic. The report also explores how insurance products, including parametric and indemnity models, could help fund post storm restoration and enhance long term resilience. Findings show that mangrove restoration often delivers benefits that exceed costs while supporting ecosystem health, climate adaptation, tourism, fisheries, and community protection. The report provides practical guidance for governments, insurers, conservation organizations, and investors seeking nature based solutions for disaster risk reduction and coastal resilience throughout the Caribbean.
Citation
Beck, M. W., N. Heck, S. Narayan, P. Menéndez, S. Torres-Ortega, I. J. Losada, M. Way, M. Rogers, L. McFarla-ne-Connelly. 2020. “Reducing Caribbean Risk: Opportunities for Cost-Effective Mangrove Restoration and Insurance.” The Nature Conservancy, Arlington, VA.
TNC Authors
-
Martha Rogers
Senior Economist
The Nature Conservancy
Email: martha.rogers@tnc.org -
Michael Beck
The Nature Conservancy -
Lianna McFarlane-Connelly
The Nature Conservancy