Background 1
CTI-CFF is a multilateral partnership founded on the commitment of the six Coral Triangle countries (CT6): Indonesia, Malaysia, Papua New Guinea, the Philippines, Timor-Leste, and the Solomon Islands; to safeguard coastal and marine resources and communities.
Globally, the Coral Triangle is considered one of the most important and diverse ecosystems:
- It is an epicentre of marine biodiversity, with over 500 species of reef-building corals and 3,000 species of fish.
- 120 million people are directly dependent upon marine resources for livelihoods and food security.
- The coral reefs support a USD 12 billion a year tourism industry.
- Its tuna spawning and nursery grounds support a multi-billion dollar tuna fishery industry.
- Its reef systems and mangrove forests protect communities from storms, reducing damage and future reconstruction costs.
However, climate change will dramatically affect rivers, estuaries, mangrove forests, coral reefs, fisheries, coastal livelihoods, and coastal infrastructure through ocean acidification, increasing temperatures, sea level rise and more intense cyclones and storms. In 2009, the CT6 committed to implementing a Regional Plan of Action whose fourth goal – “Climate Change Adaptation Measures Achieved” - was considered particularly urgent. Hence, in 2010, the Region-wide Early Action Plan for Climate Change Adaptation (REAP-CCA) was developed identifying immediate actions to be taken across the Coral Triangle to build coastal community resilience to climate change. It is a major step toward implementing climate change adaptation under the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change.
Relationship to CSA
REAP-CCA will contribute to sustainable production and food security and to adaptation through the achievement of its two objectives, namely (i) maintaining marine and coastal ecosystem structures, functions, and services critical to livelihoods and food security of coastal communities and (ii) supporting diversification strategies that build the resilience of coastal communities to climate change. While reduced emissions are not currently a major objective, improved mangrove forest management will result in increased carbon sequestration. Similarly, REAP-CCA does not aim to increase but rather sustain productivity.
Impacts and lessons learned
100+ policies, laws and agreements supporting improved ecosystem management have been proposed or adopted plus 8 specific laws or policies addressing climate change. An online Climate Change Adaptation Marketplace will link funders of climate change adaptation with ready-to-go projects on the ground. Over 1 million hectares of marine protected areas and an additional 10 million hectares of coastal areas are already under improved management (Read 2014). 2
References
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1
CTI. 2011. Region-wide Early Action Plan for Climate Change Adaptation for the Near-shore Marine and Coastal Environment (REAP-CCA). Jakarta, Indonesia: CTI Interim Regional Secretariat.
http://www.coraltriangleinitiative.org/sites/default/files/resources/FINAL_CCA%20REAP_17Oct2011_lg_V6.pdf The Coral Triangle encompasses almost six million square kilometers of ocean and coastal waters surrounding Indonesia, Malaysia, Philippines, Papua New Guinea, Solomon Islands and Timor-Leste (Figure 1). It is considered the global epicenter of marine biodiversity—home to over 500 species of reefbuilding corals and 3,000 species of fish. The cumulative impacts of unplanned coastal development, over-fishing, habitat degradation, and climate change threaten the health and welfare, food security, and livelihoods of over 120 million people that live in coastal zone. -
2
Read T. 2014. Stewarding biodiversity and food security in the Coral Triangle: Achievement, challenges and lessons learned. Jakarta, Indonesia: CTI Interim Regional Secretariat.
http://assets.worldwildlife.org/publications/659/files/original/CTSP-LessonsLearned_final__MK_edits__PD_review_2014_Jan_15.pdf?1391724667 The management team of the US Agency for International Development (USAID)- supported Coral Triangle Support Partnership (CTSP) commissioned this report to take a qualitative look at the achievements, challenges, and lessons learned from investment in CTSP. CTSP is part of a broader USAID investment supporting the Coral Triangle Initiative on Coral Reefs, Fisheries, and Food Security (CTI-CFF), a six-nation effort to sustain vital marine and coastal resources in the Coral Triangle located in Southeast Asia and the Western Pacific.