Investments in natural water infrastructure projects which help deliver cleaner drinking water, reduce flood risks, and protect against storm damage, increased to a record high of $25 billion in 2015, a new report has found.
These “green infrastructure” projects are aimed at harnessing the natural ability of forests, grasslands, wetlands, mangroves, and other ecosystems.
At a time of water scarcity, increasing droughts and floods, and inadequate financing for water infrastructure, governments, companies and utilities are increasingly looking to invest in such projects as a cost-effective and climate-friendly alternative to traditional “gray” water infrastructure, like water storage, pipes and treatment plants, seawalls or dams, according to a new report by Forest Trends' Ecosystem Marketplace.
About the author
Sophie Edwards
Sophie Edwards is a Devex Contributing Reporter covering global education, water and sanitation, and innovative financing, along with other topics. She has previously worked for NGOs, and the World Bank, and spent a number of years as a journalist for a regional newspaper in the U.K. She has a master's degree from the Institute of Development Studies and a bachelor's from Cambridge University.