Jakarta (ANTARA) - The Indonesian Embassy in Washington, D.C., is organizing a global collaborative forum with international financial institutions and conservation bodies to step up the protection of the Coral Triangle.
The forum will be held in partnership with the Ministry of Marine Affairs and Fisheries (KKP) and scheduled to take place in Washington, D.C., in the spring of next year.
It will bring together key multilateral and non-governmental stakeholders, including the World Bank, the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF), The Nature Conservancy (TNC), the World Resources Institute (WRI), Conservation International, and the Global Environment Facility (GEF).
In an official statement received here on Sunday, Indonesian Ambassador to the United States Indroyono Soesilo emphasized that coral reef preservation extends far beyond safeguarding marine ecosystems, directly impacting food security, the sustainable blue economy, and the welfare of coastal communities.
"Therefore, robust international collaboration is imperative to ensure that Indonesia's marine wealth is preserved and continues to deliver sustainable benefits for future generations," Soesilo said.
Indonesia seeks to bridge conservation priorities with economic development and food security goals through the forum, he noted. The anticipated international backing is expected to materialize into blended finance programs, knowledge-sharing platforms, and tangible on-the-ground initiatives for coastal communities and marine ecosystems.
The Coral Triangle spans six nations — Indonesia, Malaysia, Papua New Guinea, the Philippines, the Solomon Islands, and Timor-Leste — encompassing more than six million square kilometers of ocean.
Often dubbed the "Amazon of the Seas," the region hosts over 3,000 species of reef fish and nearly 76 percent of the world’s reef-building coral species.
It holds an estimated 75,000 square kilometers of coral reefs, with Indonesia accounting for roughly 60,000 square kilometers, making the country the largest coral reef custodian in the area.
More than 120 million people across the region rely directly on these marine resources for sustenance and livelihoods. The area generates an estimated US$3 billion annually from reef fisheries, US$1.5 billion from tuna fisheries, and US$12 billion from nature-based tourism.
Beyond its economic value, the reef network acts as a vital natural buffer, protecting approximately 26 million coastal inhabitants from storm surges and coastal erosion.
Indonesia has a long-standing track record of managing large-scale multilateral marine conservation initiatives.
The Coral Reef Rehabilitation and Management Program - Coral Triangle Initiative (COREMAP-CTI), which concluded in 2022, was supported by a US$47.38 million World Bank loan, a US$10 million GEF grant, and a US$5.74 million co-financing commitment from the Indonesian government.
That initiative laid the groundwork for the ongoing US$210 million Oceans for Prosperity Program (Program Laut untuk Kesejahteraan/ LAUTRA).
Jointly managed by the fisheries ministry and the Ministry of National Development Planning (Bappenas), the program aims to enhance the governance and sustainability of 8.3 million hectares of marine protected areas across 11 provinces.
The LAUTRA initiative has also mobilized grant co-financing, including US$5 million from the World Bank−administered PROBLUE Multi−Donor Trust Fund and US$7.3 million from the Government of Canada.
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Translator: Uyu Septiyati Liman
Editor: Primayanti
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