Policy support tool
A review of coastal management approaches to support the integration of ecological and human community planning for climate change
This review describes the use of natural infrastructure in tidal marsh, beach and barrier island, mangrove, and biogenic reef habitats along the Atlantic, Gulf of Mexico, and Caribbean coasts of the United States. The term natural infrastructure refers to planned networks of natural lands that conserve or enhance ecosystem values and services (see Ozment et al., 2015). The benefits, opportunities, and challenges of implementing natural infrastructure in a coastal zone are compared to those of grey and hybrid infrastructure. Grey infrastructure refers to man-made, constructed assets such as pipes, sea walls, and dams.
This review aims to inform coastal managers and planners about the relative costs and benefits of each infrastructure type. By presenting decision-makers with a suite of actions for restoration, conservation, and planning, the review provides options to maximize ecosystem services of coastal habitats while maintaining appropriate flood protections and socio-ecological resilience measures in the short and long term.