Read the passage below carefully:
For decades, the Nyandungu wetland in Kigali served as a dumping ground for industrial effluent and urban runoff, severe degradation that crippled its capacity to regulate seasonal flooding. In 2016, a comprehensive ecological restoration initiative was launched, transforming the 121-hectare valley into an urban ecotourism park featuring restored floodplains, native fig trees, and structured boardwalks. Beyond providing a recreational sanctuary for city residents, the rehabilitated marshland now acts as a natural filtration unit, trapping heavy metals and sediments before water drains into the Nyabugogo River network. Local municipal records indicate a significant drop in downstream water treatment costs since the park's commissioning. Furthermore, seasonal inundations that previously submerged nearby commercial quarters during the heavy rains have noticeably subsided. While commercial real estate developers had initially lobbied to pave the marshland for high-density commercial complexes, environmental planners argued that maintaining the hydrological integrity of the valley would yield far greater long-term economic dividends for the municipality than short-term property taxes.
Based on the passage, what can be logically inferred about the economic impact of restoring the Nyandungu wetland?
- The ecological restoration reduced public spending on water purification and flood management while serving the municipality's broader financial interests.Answer
- BThe restoration project generated immediate high revenue for commercial real estate developers through ecotourism property sales.
- CDownstream water purification costs increased significantly because heavy metals and sediments accumulated in the marshland.
- DEnvironmental planners prioritized short-term municipal tax collection over the long-term hydrological health of the valley.