Green-Gray Infrastructure | Conservation International

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Adapting to the escalating impacts of climate breakdown — particularly for coastlines facing sea-level rise and stronger storms — requires changing our infrastructure.

“Green-gray” infrastructure mixes the conservation and restoration of nature (including natural coastal buffers such as mangroves and seagrasses) with conventional approaches (such as concrete dams and seawalls).

The result? Fortifying communities against climate effects while providing fresh water, clean air, coastal protection and other natural benefits.

94T

US DOLLARS

An estimated US$ 94 trillion will be spent on infrastructure globally in the next 20 years.

Storm protection in the Philippines

The Philippines is one of the most vulnerable nations in the world to the effects of climate breakdown. Tropical storms are happening more frequently and with greater intensity, leading to devastating storm surges along the country’s coasts — such as Typhoon Haiyan, which killed more than 6,000 people in 2013.

Conservation International is working to minimize the damage of future storms by constructing green-gray projects, especially in the country’s most isolated and vulnerable regions. Four pilot project sites in Iloilo province combine mangrove restoration with breakwaters to improve the resilience of coastal communities. We are working with the government to implement these kinds of approaches across the country.