NBI Deep Dive: The Value of Wetland Restoration in Colombia

In the second session of our NBI Deep Dive series, we focused on a Sustainable Asset Valuation (SAVi) case study of wetland restoration in La Mojana, Colombia. The region’s complex wetland ecosystem is under pressure from population growth and climate change. Local communities face devastating floods as well as increasing water scarcity, putting their livelihoods in fishing and agriculture at risk. Planners and policy-makers are therefore considering different infrastructure options to mitigate flood risks and improve the water management in La Mojana, such as restoring wetlands, rehabilitating indigenous drainage channels, and building dikes along rivers.

In this webinar, we went step-by-step through the Sustainable Asset Valuation (SAVi) for infrastructure options in La Mojana. We explained how creating a causal loop diagram helped us identify the socioeconomic and environmental factors at play, and how we used this as a blueprint for the mathematical system dynamics model. We also explained the use of climate data, spatial models and financial analysis.  Taking all these elements into account, we concluded with the integrated cost-benefit analysis for the infrastructure options and explain how stakeholders can use the results.

SPEAKER

• Georg Pallaske
  Associate, IISD and Project Manager at KnowlEdge Srl

MODERATOR

• Liesbeth Casier
  Lead, Public Procurement and Sustainable Infrastructure Policy and Coordinator of the NBI Global Resource Centre

You can watch the recording here.

About the NBI Deep Dive Series

This series will focus on the technical aspects of our Sustainable Asset Valuation (SAVi) methodology, providing in-depth explanations of our process as well as applied examples in the form of case studies. The first three sessions will feature Nature-based Infrastructure (NBI) projects that address water-related challenges, alongside the UN Conference on Water.

We will look at systems modelling, spatial modelling, and financial modelling of various case studies to give the method context and explain its practical application.

These sessions are intended as a further building block from our training sessions, providing technical depth on the methods of assessing the value of specific NBI projects. We also hope to raise awareness on the importance of integrated assessments and scenario analysis, valuing all social, economic and environmental risks and opportunities for NBI projects.