B£ST Online: preview the new benefits estimation tool

Blue-green infrastructure (BGI), including sustainable drainage systems (SuDS) and natural flood management (NFM), consistently provides fundamental benefits ranging from public health to minimising the chance of flooding. However, some BGI systems provide more extensive benefits because they invariably enhance the area being developed or improved, and contribute to economic development and environmental quality.

B£ST Online is used to assess and monetise many of the financial, social and environmental benefits of BGI. Drawing on the most up-to-date and reliable data, B£ST shows how these benefits are distributed across ecosystem services as well as Natural, Social and other Capitals.

CIRIA is launching B£ST Online this summer thanks to our funders and an Innovate UK Smart Grant. It is an evolution of the 2019 spreadsheet-based B£ST tool, adding online access through a map-based geospatial tool. B£ST enables users to understand and quantify the wider value of BGI measures. These insights facilitate comparisons between schemes, support investment decisions, and help identify stakeholders and potential funding routes.