Research project Coastbusters FINESSE: Cost-benefit and revenue model for nature-based coastal management

General introduction

The overall aim of the Coastbusters FINESSE project is to set up a financial framework that integrates eco-engineering perspectives linked to Nature-Based Solutions (NbS) in a marine context with investor perspectives. NbS is part of an ecosystem-based approach to address societal challenges such as climate change, biodiversity and human well-being. Coastal protection and nature restoration have been included in coastal management plans for many years and NbS has been successfully implemented on a small scale in several places, but a clear policy framework to implement NbS on a large scale and to make it financially attractive for private investors is still lacking.

Research approach

FINESSE focuses on three important added values that NbS can deliver for the coast and at sea: (1) coastal protection and sedimentation stabilization, (2) carbon and nutrient fluxes and (3) biodiversity. In practice, we use a biogenic reef as a case, analogous to the concept that was developed during previous Coastbusters projects and of which all data is accessible. From the eco-engineering perspective, we provide answers to questions such as: which ecosystem functions does the NbS fulfill? What are the quantifiable (co-)benefits? Who are the beneficiaries? How large is the value retention potential of the NbS? What levels of delivery are we talking about? Linked to this, we also clarify the investor perspective: what are the risks of implementing this NbS and how large are those risks? What returns can we expect and what efforts must be made? What is the potential impact on other functions that the coast provides?

Relevance/Valorization

FINESSE is expected to deliver a conceptualisation and operationalisation of an integrated value model with an associated monitoring approach and project financing tool. In this way, both the “risk and return side” and the “impact side” of a coastal or offshore NbS can be assessed, among other things by including (co-)benefits that are currently not taken into account to value a NbS.

Financing

VLAIO