This is a decent note that, by virtue of its “shallow” scope of inquiry, leaves out some interesting policy solutions that might be cost-effective. This is especially true for policies involving flood prevention. It has been shown that different cities flood at different rates for the same amount of rainfall (recommendations for better studies and links welcome!). In developing countries, flooding is worsened by encroachments, loss of urban lakes, concretization of surfaces, etc. As a consequence, the open space that permits seepage of water into the earth reduces. If more open spaces were present, (a) more water would seep into the ground, reducing volume of flood water, and (b) water would slow down, causing less damage (speed of water is associated with flood damages).
Thus, potential EA partners might purchase large tracts of land in flood prone cities, greenify them, and make the surface more amenable to water seepage. This has strict parallels with provision of ecosystem services like planting trees or preserving wetlands. The CEA is relatively easy. Even when urban land is expensive, strategic placement of these tracts can potentially lower damages from flooding. Studies that causally link flooding and concretization of surfaces remain scarce, with natural variations being hard to find. So, it remains an active area of inquiry.
Quick Edit: Potentially more relevant for urban, rain-induced flooding.
This is a decent note that, by virtue of its “shallow” scope of inquiry, leaves out some interesting policy solutions that might be cost-effective. This is especially true for policies involving flood prevention. It has been shown that different cities flood at different rates for the same amount of rainfall (recommendations for better studies and links welcome!). In developing countries, flooding is worsened by encroachments, loss of urban lakes, concretization of surfaces, etc. As a consequence, the open space that permits seepage of water into the earth reduces. If more open spaces were present, (a) more water would seep into the ground, reducing volume of flood water, and (b) water would slow down, causing less damage (speed of water is associated with flood damages).
Thus, potential EA partners might purchase large tracts of land in flood prone cities, greenify them, and make the surface more amenable to water seepage. This has strict parallels with provision of ecosystem services like planting trees or preserving wetlands. The CEA is relatively easy. Even when urban land is expensive, strategic placement of these tracts can potentially lower damages from flooding. Studies that causally link flooding and concretization of surfaces remain scarce, with natural variations being hard to find. So, it remains an active area of inquiry.
Quick Edit: Potentially more relevant for urban, rain-induced flooding.