The value of natural infrastructure.
In order to avoid risk and damage, and to build resilience to these disasters, natural infrastructure solutions are increasingly being considered and implemented.
Rain gardens capture rainwater in a depression in the ground, and prevent flash floods and erosion in streams by slowing down storm water.
NI solutions include constructed wetlands that are used for industrial processed water and waste-water treatment, substituting traditional waste-water treatment infrastructure.
Natural infrastructures offer numerous benefits to society.
Natural infrastructure can help avoid water pollution that would otherwise need to pass through a conventional water treatment plant, thus reducing costs.
Many cities have a water fund focused on NI solutions that has resulted in significant savings every year by reducing water treatment costs.
NI solutions often require less initial capital investment and reduced operations and maintenance costs.
These collaborations will be necessary to create synergetic approaches, reporting mechanisms and tools that are compatible for assessing progress toward sustainable development across all sectors and regions.
There is a need to strength informational cooperation between cities or countries across both the developed and developing worlds.