New Delhi, Aug. 11 -- India is spending more than Rs.11 trillion a year by way of public capital expenditure, putting infrastructure at the centre of its growth strategy. Yet, some of what protects those investments is not counted as infrastructure at all-mangroves, wetlands and urban forests.

This is a costly blind spot. Mangroves can weaken storm surges before they reach a port. Wetlands can hold excess rainwater before it floods. Urban forests can lower heat and absorb stormwater. They cannot replace drains, seawalls or other engineered assets, but they can reduce the pressure on them, lower damage and make them resilient.

The economic case for this is becoming harder to ignore. More than two-thirds of India's city dwellers could fac...