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Natural Capital Ireland’s literature review for the Irish Green Building Council, “Exploring the Costs and Benefits of Protecting and Enhancing Biodiversity in New Residential Developments”, examines how nature can be integrated into housing and how its value is assessed.
The review explores measures such as sustainable drainage, swales, rain gardens, trees, permeable surfaces and green or blue roofs. Alongside biodiversity, these can provide benefits through managing runoff, moderating heat, improving amenity and supporting wellbeing. The balance of benefits and costs depends on the site, design and long-term management.
An important finding is the limited availability of integrated cost-benefit evidence for new residential developments in Ireland. International studies offer useful insights, but they do not establish that every measure will deliver the same return on every Irish project. Installation, maintenance and replacement costs need to be considered alongside environmental and social outcomes.
For project teams, the review reinforces the value of bringing landscape, drainage and ecology expertise into design early. Clear maintenance responsibilities and an understanding of who pays and who benefits are also important. Better Irish evidence would help teams compare options and make informed decisions about biodiversity within new communities.