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Institutional Strengthening and Capacity Development for the
Long-term Management and Conservation of MCPAs Encompassing
Coral Reefs in South Asia
Coral reefs have been estimated to provide
the world with US$ 375 billion in goods and services
annually, which per unit areas, places them among the most
valuable ecosystems globally. South Asia is home to 6% of
the world’s coral reefs, providing a critical source of food
and livelihoods to an estimated 400 million people.
Demographic and economic changes have increased demands on
marine and coastal resources across the region. Extractive
processes for food, income generation, medicines, and
building materials degrade coastal ecosystems in many
locations and, combined with natural impacts, inflict heavy
pressures on the resource base.
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The South Asian region was ranked the lowest in the world in
terms of declared Marine and Coastal Protected Areas (MCPAs)
in the 2003 United Nations List of Protected Areas, making
the Indian Ocean with its wealth of coral reefs, seagrasses,
and mangrove forest, perhaps the most poorly protected
coastline/ocean. As a result, the degradation of coastal and
marine resources continues at an unprecedented rate, and
despite current protection measures, one third to half of
the coral reefs of South Asia are now effectively dead, and
a further 30% threatened.
Through funding from the European Union a three-year project
was initiated on January 1 2006. The aim of which, is to
contribute to the reduction in the rates of marine and
coastal biodiversity loss within the South Asia region, and
protect the natural resources on which the economic and
social development of future generations is based, through
the establishment of regionally representative networks of
marine and coastal protected areas (MCPAs) encompassing
coral reefs.
Actions will include:
- The
development of human and technical expertise, the
improvement of information and networking services, and
the allocation of technical equipment to sites.
- Review and
rationalisation of training and management processes
across the region to ensure greater consistency and
aptitude for management and conservation, and to
formulate a transferable resource base.
- Institutional
strengthening to mainstream environmental considerations
into development policy and readdress the unique
situations of poor coastal communities.
- The creation
of advisory and coordination capacity through the
establishment of the South Asia Coral Reef Task Force,
developing linkages between all levels of management,
focusing existing regional expertise, facilitating
coordinated responses to transboundary management issues
and improving the representation of South Asian marine
and coastal resource management challenges within global
discussion fora.
The South Asia
Cooperative Environment Programme (SACEP), based in Colombo,
is responsible for the coordination of project activities
and is working alongside, the International Coral Reef
Action Network (ICRAN), United Nations Environment Programme
- Coral Reef Unit (UNEP-CRU), IMM Ltd, and regional partners
to conduct project activities.
Publications
Information Brochure
Past Activities
Regional Resource Coordination and
Mobilization Workshop for the Long-term Management and
Conservation of MCPA's in South Asia, 27 - 28 September
2006, Colombo, Sri Lanka
| Workshop Materials |
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| 1st Workshop Report |
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| 2nd Workshop Report |
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