Rajat Ampat, West Papua, Indonesia, harbors more types of fish and coral than anywhere else on the planet. It was one of the target regions of the COREMAP program. Photo Credit: Elodie Van Lierde
Environment IndonesiaCelebrating 25 Years of Marine Conservation Here
For the last 25 years, Indonesia has been protecting its coral reefs and marine ecosystems through its Coral Reef Rehabilitation and Management Program (COREMAP).
“The roadmap and lessons learned provided by COREMAP have become foundational to the sustainability and longevity of marine ecosystem protection and rehabilitation,” says Udhi Eko Hernawan, head of the Research Center for Oceanography at the National Research and Innovation Agency.
Indonesia’s COREMAP was introduced back in 1998 in an effort to protect its marine ecosystems from overfishing, pollution, and coastal development, among other threats. Coral reefs play a crucial role in mitigating the effects of climate change, and Indonesia’s Rajat Ampat islands are considered to be home to more types of fish and coral than anywhere else on the planet. Though it was put in place over two decades ago, COREMAP continues to bring benefits to Earth’s ecosystems while simultaneously increasing local communities’ livelihoods through stewardship and management positions.
