In response to climate change, many countries are likely to invest in even more infrastructure for coastal defenses and flood control to reduce the vulnerability of human settlements to climate change. Increased water shortages will increase demand for new irrigation facilities and new reservoirs. Similarly, natural ecosystems can reduce vulnerability to natural hazards and extreme climatic events and complement, or substitute for, more expensive infrastructure investments to protect coastal and riverine settlements. Floodplain forests and coastal mangroves provide storm protection, coastal defenses, and water recharge, and act as safety barriers against natural hazards such as floods, hurricanes, and tsunamis, while wetlands filter pollutants and serve as water recharge.
