Abstract:
Climate change is seriously impacting the world’s marine ecosystems.
Massive coral bleaching episodes have impacted the function of the
reefs and increased rates of mortality. Coral reefs support over one
million plant and animal species and their economic value is projected
to more than US $ 30 billion annually. Extreme climatic conditions,
however, are most likely to increase in the future with current
climate scenarios. Projected increases in carbon dioxide and
temperature exceed the conditions under which coral reefs have
flourished over the past 500 000 years. Coral reefs are crucial biodiversity
hotspots and support both coastal fisheries and tourism in
many regions. Coral reefs, however, are in decline in many regions
as a result of numerous pressures, including, but not limited to,
extreme climate events, unsustainable fishing practices, diseases,
sedimentation, and discharge of untreated sewage. Increasing resilience
and securing rapid recovery of coral reefs will be essential
for the ability of these ecosystems to support coastal fisheries
and coastal livelihoods and cultures in the future. However, this
resilience and recovery may be seriously impounded by unsustainable
coastal infrastructure development and marine pollution from
land-based sources. At the current rate of growth, coastal development
may impact up to 90% of the tropical and temperate coastlines
by 2032 if development continues unchecked. While progress
has been made to reduce the discharge and impacts of oil spills and
SUMMARY
persistent organic pollutants (POP’s), there now needs to be a focus
on the largest current threats to the coastal marine environment :
untreated sewage and piecemeal coastal development.
Over 90% of all the world’s coral reefs are found in the Indo-Pacific
region of Asia, but also found here are some of the largest
increases and levels of emissions of untreated sewage discharge
and coastal marine pollution and development. A drastic increase
in the appropriate integrated management of coastlines particularly
near marine protected areas is urgently needed. Furthermore,
an increase in enforcement and extent of protected coastlines, is
urgently needed to secure the future diversity and recovery of coral
reefs from climate change. Such combined joint protected areas
may form source-“islands” or coral “treasure vaults” for re-colonization
of damaged areas. Furthermore, the combined cumulative
effects of coastal overfishing, marine pollution and coastal development
may impact the long-term productivity of the coastal zone.
This, in turn, may lower the capacity of these systems to support
human livelihoods in the long-term, This challenge requires effective
integrated landuse planning including fisheries, tourism
and coastal infrastructure development, as well as proper watershed
management further inland.
