Project Detail

Engaging the community and building capacity for coral reef restoration

The Overall Goal is to engage members of the community, in the conservation of biodiversity and environmental stewardship, as they monitor and evaluate the progress of restoration of coral reef ecosystems -- through academic research and citizens science -- at two coastal locations in Barbados.

The objectives of the project are to:
1. To engage fifteen hundred members of the community within a period of three years -- through their connection with CORALL -- to monitor and evaluate the progress of restoration of coral reef ecosystems at two feasible coastal locations in Barbados; and,

2. To build the functional and technical capacity of the CORALL secretariat in order to effect community engagement in citizens science, academic research, and awareness pertaining to coral restoration.

Project Snapshot

Grantee:

Coral Reef Restoration Alliance

Country:

Barbados

Area Of Work:

Biodiversity

Operational Phase:

OP6 - Y2 (Jul 16-Jun 17)

Grant Amount:

US$ 49,525.00

Co-Financing Cash:

US$ 48,875.00

Co-Financing in-Kind:

US$ 46,800.00

Project Number:

BAR/SGP/OP6/Y2/CORE/BD/17/01

Start Date:

1/2017

End Date:

8/2021

Status:

Satisfactorily Completed

Project Characteristics and Results

Policy Influence

CORALL has been able to influence government policy through example. The policy of CORALL is to include all members of society in our endeavours to restore the reefs and to keep them well-managed. In a ?Nation News? article of 19 April, 2019, the Prime Minister of Barbados announced, in a ?Nation News? article of 19 April 2019, a debt management strategy involving The Nature Conservancy and Ministry of Maritime Affairs and the Blue Economy that would focus on forming a major Trust, ?? whose purpose is to take care of the maritime environment in this instance. So, they will use the income of the Trust to help and work with fishermen, to work with the re-building of the coral reef ?.? Subsequently, in launching the new Coastal Zone Management Plan for Barbados in June 2021, the Prime Minister mentioned the important work pertaining to the ?Roofs to Reefs Program? which compliments the ?Ridge to Reef? approach of CORALL, and the Minister of Maritime Affairs lauded the work of CORALL during the launch of CORALL?s video to commemorate World Environment Day in June 2021.

Project sustainability

CORALL needs to develop more linkages with other funding agencies that will provide complimentary funding and in-kind contributions to match contributions from the GEF-UN, especially funding agencies that support the administration of the CORALL Secretariat, and management of future projects.

Replication of project activities

CORALL plans to continue this project indefinitely since it is anticipated that a minimum period of thirty years will be required before the coral reef ecosystems are conserved and managed in a sustainable manner that ensures the well-being of the reefs and the peoples? lives upon which healthy reefs depend. The next immediate steps will be to obtain permission from the Government of Barbados to outplant the fragments of healthy coral that have been cared in CORALL?s nurseries; and to eventually expand on the areas and numbers of restoration sites.

Significant Participation of Indigenous Peoples

Not applicable

Linkages gef projects

Not yet, but the project will contribute to knowledge that is being disseminated on the functional capacity of CORALL that relates to the principles and best practices embedded in, ?Integrating Water, Land and Ecosystem Management in Caribbean Small Island Developing States - GEF IWEco?. CORALL was recently invited to submit information about the project as a case study for GEF IWEco.

Inovative Financial Mechanisms

Project participants: reports, case studies, e-media and workshops Project donors: reports, case studies, e-media and workshops Government: case studies, e-media and workshops Other groups: case studies, e-media and workshops All will participate in special events for World Oceans Day.

Gender Focus

There are no gender specific roles in the coral reef restoration project.

Capacity - Building Component

We need to develop the capacity of the Alliance to fulfil its mandate of preserving and restoring coral reef ecosystems for the benefit of all.

Project Results

The Coral Reef Restoration Alliance project took a ?ridge to reef ? approach and built the capacity of 1,500 people in the community in coral restoration through a combination of physical restoration and the Adopt-a-Coral programme launched in January 2020. This included building and populating nursery structures with rescued coral fragments (mostly staghorn coral, Acropora cervicornis) at three sites on the west coast of Barbados. The project also engaged community members in monitoring the restoration sites. Outreach programmes were conducted and emphasized the connection between human land-based activities and coral reef health..

Environmental Outcomes:
Three healthy coral restoration sites have been established by CORALL on the west coast of Barbados;
The survivorship, condition and growth of the coral fragments has been high throughout the duration of the project; and, CORALL?s project suggests that coral ecosystem restoration can be successful despite the many challenges faced by humans and their environment.

All activities that were planned in the original project proposal to GEF-SGP of UNDP were completed, with the exception of the proposed installation of the photovoltaic system to power the CORALL Secretariat. Permission was granted, by GEF-SGP of UNDP to CORALL, to re-allocate the funds originally intended for installation of the photovoltaics, towards establishing a coral nursery at Vauxhall Reef. The activity to establish this coral nursery was completed.

Community engagement during the entire project was accomplished by involving members of the community at every step of the way ? from inception to implementation.

+ View more

Back to search results

Countries

Regions

Project Snapshot

SGP Country office contact

Address

Country Website