Valuing Nature in Cascais: From Coastal Dunes to Green Corridors

Understanding the tangible value of nature is central to building climate-resilient communities. During the Cascais Study Visit (7-9 October 2025), Re-value Cities and project partners explored how Nature-Based Solutions (NbS) can be assessed not only for their environmental and social benefits but also for their economic performance. A key novelty is the cost-benefit analysis of co-benefits, which assigns economic value to the multiple advantages that nature provides, from flood mitigation to improved air quality and enhanced urban aesthetics.

Day 3 of the Study Visit included a hands-on workshop with the Invest4Nature Decision Support Toolbox, an EU-funded tool supporting decision-making by comparing green and grey solutions, assessing their costs, benefits and risks. Participants also examined real-world applications in Cascais, from coastal dunes to green corridors, demonstrating how ecological restoration, habitat conservation, and climate risk reduction can be systematically evaluated.

In Ribeira das Vinhas, a 10 km green corridor connects Cascais with the Sintra Mountains. Interventions such as temporary retention basins, boardwalks, and riverbank restoration reduce flooding and erosion, enhance biodiversity, and preserve cultural heritage, while fostering community participation and educational activities. Along the coast, the Guincho-Cresmina dune system has been restored to mitigate coastal erosion, conserve native habitats, and support nature-based tourism, with measures including planting native dune species, maintaining sand traps, and creating observation trails.

By linking ecological restoration to economic and social metrics, these NbS projects display their potential to contribute to climate adaptation, urban resilience, and circular economies, offering data and insights that help cities plan interventions that are both ecologically sound and financially viable.

For those interested, the Invest4Nature Decision Support Toolbox can be explored here.