06/16/2026
When decision-makers consider whether to invest in nature-based infrastructure, they often don’t have the full picture. Researchers at the University of Georgia’s Institute for Resilient Infrastructure have partnered with the Walton Family Foundation to change that.
A major part of choosing what projects to invest in implementing is estimating what benefits they’ll return– and sometimes more importantly, if those benefits measure up to what they’ll cost.
But traditional cost-benefit analyses often take a narrow view of what those benefits are. Widening our definition of “benefits” to include things that aren’t easily measured in currency–protection from floods, water storage during droughts, wildlife habitat, recreational value, and more–can help us make more informed decisions about our infrastructure investments.
Read more about how we took a closer look at the benefits of nature-based engineering: https://iris.uga.edu/2026/06/16/working-with-nature-pays-off-uga-study-finds-natural-infrastructure-delivers-returns-of-up-to-8-to-1/
