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This report considers the use of natural infrastructure to address flood and other climate change–induced risks in an urban area, New York City community of Howard Beach, Queens.

The report evaluates:

• the relative merits of various approaches to climate change resilience, using the New York City community of Howard Beach, Queens, as a case study,
• proposes an innovative approach to quantifying ecosystem functions and services; and
• establishes replicable methods for making decisions about using natural infrastructure in this context.

The study finds that when ecosystem functions and services are included in a cost-benefit analysis, hybrid infrastructure—combining nature and nature-based infrastructure with gray infrastructure—can provide the most cost-effective protection from sea-level rise, storm surges, and coastal flooding.

This report seeks to demonstrate that it is possible to better quantify and monetize the benefits and services that nature and nature-based infrastructure provide.