International Waters Conference (26-29 October 2009)

CRTR influences international, national, local policy Professor Paul Greenfield today advised the GEF International Waters Conference how the CRTR Program has influenced policy change at the international, national and local levels in its first five year phase. READ MORE

New tool helps communities protect their reefs Coastal communities and policy makers around the world can now use a sophisticated model to predict the impact of coastal developments and climate change on their coral reefs and coastal environments. The model will be used in planning to allow sustainable development and protect their reefs. READ MORE 

Community and scientists work together to restore coral reefs Researchers from the CRTR Program are working with local communities to restore live coral cover to the reefs of Bolinao, Pangasian in the northwestern Philippines by sharing low-cost reef restoration techniques which have emerged as a result of scientific research in the region over the past four years.  READ MORE

Coral reef restoration: the good, the bad and the ugly Professor Alasdair Edwards, Chair of the CRTR Restoration and Remediation Working Group gave a workshop on the challenges and the practicalities of coral reef restoration. DOWNLOAD PRESENTATION

Technical workshops (24-25 October 2009)

Groundwater pollution – threatening coral reefs and the costal zone Coastal protection, food security and tourism are the important eco-system services that coral reefs provide communities on Mexico's Yucatan Peninsula, leading scientists and natural resource managers at the 5th GEF International Waters Conference heard today at Cairns, Australia. READ MORE

Damned if we do, and damned if we don’t Scientists, policy makers and resource managers were urged to overcome their different perspectives in order to deliver environmental outcomes by Professor Roger Bradbury. READ MORE

Climate talks warned to focus on health of world's oceans   With coral reefs providing eco-system services worth at least $170 billion worldwide, the world's oceans must be high on the agenda at the Copenhagen meeting of the United Nations Framework Convention for Climate Change (UNFCCC) in December, leading international marine scientists warned today. READ MORE 

Coastal resources and rapid global change: can we avoid disaster? Current targets in international negotiations on climate change will not lead to a world with healthy coral reefs, according to the CRTR Program’s Professor Hoegh-Guldberg. READ MORE 

Marine reserves in the Philippines: challenges, successes & perspectives  Establishing Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) is one way countries can build the resistance of their coral reefs, and the ecosystems and communities that depend on them, says Professor Ed Gomez, Chair of the CRTR Program’s Southeast Asian Centre of Excellence. READ MORE

Conserve coastal habitat today, preserve income for tomorrow “What effect will this decision have on the natural habitat along my coastline 20 years from now?” It's a question local councils and planning officials in coastal towns and cities need to ask every time they consider a proposal for local development, says Peter Sale, the Chair of the CRTR Program's Connectivity Working Group, who is attending GEF's International Water Conference at Cairns, Australia, this week. READ MORE

Taboos, customs hold key to managing Tanzania's reefs A proper recognition of indigenous knowledge in coastal management is a key step towards preserving the marine resources of the East African nation, Tanzania. Government actions, such as the enforced closures of fishing grounds, are helping to better manage fishery resources and fishing habitats, yet these actions overlook the powerful possibilities of incorporating local indigenous knowledge, says Dr Margareth Kyewalyanga, the Chair of the CRTR Program's East African Centre of Excellence. READ MORE