Please put your thinking caps on

Gregor:

I wish you the best of luck. I would not go to a World Summit at =
gunpoint.

My experience with these "high-level" meetings is that they are =
dominated by politicians (of all stripes and types) who are not the =
slightest bit interested in listening to others, but extremely =
interested in pushing their own agendas. I have avoided such meetings =
assiduously for the last few decades, and am much the happier for it.

We should all realise that a widespread view in lesser-developed nations
=
holds that interest in reefs is driven by First World academics who like
=
working in nice places. (This is not a view with which we could all =
disagree with clear consciences...) The pernicious "Wise Use" mindset is
=
now fairly common, in which reefs are viewed as resources, to be =
utilised sustainably. No one in positions of power understands that =
sustainable development is an oxymoron. So, we need to find the handles.

In our narrow focus on our ecosystem, we sometimes lose sight of the =
fact that the overarching concern of the next 50 years will be access to
=
good water. Everything else will pale by comparison. Countries are also
=
beginning to adopt integrated water resource management plans, some of =
them organised by advanced decision-support systems. Coastal zone =
management is a subset of these plans, and reefs come under that rubric.
=
"We need to understand that coral reef management begins at the top of =
the mountain, and flows down to the sea through the villages and =
churches and mosques." (Sound track, "People of the Reefs.")

If we push our ecosystem, we are no better than all the other special =
pleaders. My suggestion is, we push for water resource programs, because
=
it's a Good Thing. And then we ensure that reefs are under those =
umbrellas.
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