Wetland restoration is seen as sunk cost – but new research shows why it should be considered an investment

Wed, 18 Jun 2025 12:46:45 +1000

Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>

Andrew Pam
<https://theconversation.com/wetland-restoration-is-seen-as-sunk-cost-but-new-research-shows-why-it-should-be-considered-an-investment-258281>

"As extreme weather intensifies globally, governments are seeking nature-based
solutions that deliver both climate and economic benefits.

The restoration of wetlands is an often overlooked opportunity. As our recent
study shows, wetlands have long been treated as environmental “add-ons” but are
in fact rising economic assets, delivering more value as they mature.

Restored coastal wetlands, particularly mangroves and saltmarshes, offer
growing returns in the form of carbon sequestration, biodiversity protection
and storm buffering. These benefits build up gradually, sometimes
exponentially, over time.

But planning frameworks treat restorations as static costs, rather than
compounding investments.

Using international data and economic modelling, we developed a framework to
capture how wetland benefits evolve over decades. While we draw on global
datasets, this approach can be applied in New Zealand to understand the value
of local restoration projects."

Cheers,
       *** Xanni ***
--
mailto:xanni@xanadu.net               Andrew Pam
http://xanadu.com.au/                 Chief Scientist, Xanadu
https://glasswings.com.au/            Partner, Glass Wings
https://sericyb.com.au/               Manager, Serious Cybernetics

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