This publication addresses the often-debated question of how to assess the total value of an adaptation project by introducing an innovative quantification concept that allows the comparison of adaptation projects. A new study conducted by GIZ (Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit) uses indicators of ‘saved wealth’ and ‘saved health’ to identify most promising adaptation options ex-ante and monitor and evaluate project results ex-post. ‘Saved wealth’ covers the monetary value of public infrastructure, private property and income loss, while ‘saved health’ assesses avoided disease, disability and life loss. Among the interesting study results is that the wealth benefits are five times higher for a mangrove project than for a dyke upgrade.
