I was at a community meeting last weekend focused on identifying potential solutions to issues like flooding and shoreline erosion in a coastal Mississippi community. As with any of these types of discussions, cost was a hot topic. It is recognized that very few solutions to these types of chronic issues are considered “cheap,” but one thing that attendees asked was, “What is the cost of doing nothing?”
That question is something that we often think about, but it rarely comes up when it is time to make a decision. The focus is usually on the cost of completing an action instead of what it will cost us if that action isn’t completed. Obviously, there are major considerations like upfront capital needs that drive that discussion, but it is important to think about the cost of a “no action” or “status quo” alterative.
The cost of doing nothing
Thinking through the cost of doing nothing can apply to almost any topic, such as flooding, storm resilience, fisheries, water quality, litter, upland habitat management, etc. However, I’m going to bring up an example related to saltmarsh conservation and restoration.
Saltmarshes (like the plants you see in the water when driving over many bridges in coastal Mississippi or Alabama) are known to be critical for providing many natural benefits, such as habitat for fish and shellfish, filtering out pollution, reducing erosion, minimizing storm impacts, etc. – totaling an underestimated value of at least $100,000 per acre of annual benefits. Even with these known benefits, saltmarshes are often lost due to developmental pressure, disruption of water and sediment, rising waters, boat wakes, etc.
While $100,000 per acre of annual benefits is a substantial value, many of these benefits go beyond direct dollars and cents in that they are related to the identity of the coast. For example, if there are fewer critically important nursery and resident habitats, like saltmarshes, available for recreationally and commercially important fish and shellfish, what will be the impact on tourism and the local seafood industries?
Similar examples could be described for water quality, storm damage, erosion, etc. However, the cost of doing nothing and unimpeded loss trends will likely be much higher than the cost of loss prevention or restoration activities.
What can you do?
Now, you may be wondering what you can do to help as an individual. There are a variety of existing programs that contribute to the “doing something” category. Good news is that some of them can lead to making or saving money yourself. An example of a couple programs in our group that help fill needs related to saltmarsh conservation and restoration are the Living Shoreline Technical Assistance Program (LTAP) and Native Plant Producer Network (NPPN).
If you are a waterfront property owner interested in exploring more sustainable (and often cheaper) shoreline protection alternatives, contact us through LTAP. If you are interested in learning how to grow and sell saltmarsh (and other) plants to make side money and fill a need for these plants locally, contact us through NPPN. Beyond getting involved with programs, just being aware and thinking through the cost of doing nothing for any topic or issue will go a long way.
If you would like more information related to topics mentioned in this blog post, contact me, the director of coastal and marine extension with the Mississippi State University Extension Service, coastal ecology specialist with the Mississippi-Alabama Sea Grant Consortium, and director of the Mississippi Sound Estuary Program, at [email protected].
Meet the author
Eric Sparks, Ph.D.
Assistant Director for Outreach and Coastal Ecology Specialist
Eric is the assistant director for outreach and a coastal ecology specialist. His work focuses on estuarine and wetland issues, and his specialty areas include coastal conservation and... Read more
Phone: 228-546-1025
Email: [email protected]