Investing in urban nature pays off

Johannesburg could save millions of rand in infrastructure damage, healthcare costs and environmental management by investing in nature-based solutions to restore parts of the degraded Jukskei River, turning one of the city’s most troubled waterways into a frontline defence against climate risk.

An economic analysis of climate adaptation work under way in the Jukskei River catchment found that every dollar invested in restoring ecosystems such as wetlands and green spaces generates more than three dollars in economic...