Photo: Joan Li // Unsplash
The International Coral Reef Initiative (ICRI) is a global partnership between nations and organizations with the goal of preserving coral reefs and related ecosystems around the world. On Tuesday, the organization’s members said they would raise $12 billion to protect coral reefs. However, experts are still concerned that the money will not be enough unless broader environmental issues are addressed.
The ICRI was launched in 1994 by Australia, France, Japan, Jamaica, the Philippines, Sweden, Britain and the United States. Since then, it has grown to include 45 countries that represent three quarters of the world’s coral reefs. The Initiative is an informal group whose decisions are not binding on its members, but the ICRI states on its website that, “Its actions have been pivotal in continuing to highlight globally the importance of coral reefs and related ecosystems to environmental sustainability, food security and social and cultural wellbeing.”
“The functional existence of these critical ecosystems is at stake due to the climate crisis and a myriad of other anthropogenic stressors,” said the ICRI in a statement. “The window for protecting these ecosystems is closing rapidly.” These stressors come in myriad forms, such as rising marine pollution, destructive coastal development and fishing fleets. However, the rapidly rising sea temperatures that lead to coral bleaching have been of particular concern.
To that end, Reuters reports the ICRI has said it aims to “secure the future” of 125,000 square kilometers of shallow-water tropical coral reefs and double the areas under effective protection by the end of the decade. In addition, the group claimed it would find new solutions to “accelerate” restoration of damaged reefs.
However, scientists are still concerned that, while the pledge is a step in the right direction, it may not be enough to stem the threat of man-made destruction. “Threats are very grave, especially as we head into another El Nino,” said Marian Wong, senior lecturer at the School of Earth, Atmospheric and Life Sciences at Australia’s University of Wollongong. “We are expecting coral bleaching on a mass scale to occur again, probably February to March, unless we are very lucky.”
“ICRI countries should be focused squarely on reducing greenhouse gas emissions,” added Terry Hughes, a coral expert at Australia’s James Cook University. “Ironically, Australia and Saudi Arabia are strong supporters of coral restoration ‘solutions’ because it buys time for fossil fuel industries to continue to pollute the atmosphere for as long as it’s profitable.”
