[Coral-List] Why we are failing to repair coral reefs
Naneng Setiasih
nsetiasih at coral.org
Mon Nov 3 04:46:58 EST 2014
> Hi folks... Hi Helen... yes, I remember you... thanks for the info. Currently I am making a lists of "possible" connections, and keen to start implement it soon. So thanks all.
>
> World's human population trend might be slowing down, including in Indonesia. But, the decrease is caused by both the decrease of fertility rate and mortality rate, but because the decrease of fertility rate is faster than the decrease of mortality rate consequently the overall growth decreases. And more importantly, the number is still big. Indonesia is projected to have 300 million people around 2050. With the prediction of the status reef risk of coral reef in 2050, this number is significant. Saying this, I totally agree that working on human population issues is not about taking away our focus on what ever we are trying to do to, but to strengthen them. Its not about asking coral conservationist to be a family planning experts, but about collaborations. Not only with human population, but also other aspects, like economic development, or in some countries, probably to deal with political instability or even war. I think the bottom line is, we should no longer working in isolation.
>
> Cheers
>
On Nov 2, 2014, at 1:57 PM, Helen Brunt wrote:
> Dear Naneng,
>
> Very well said and really interesting to hear your thoughts. I also feel strongly that family planning/birth control should be higher on the conservation agenda. Women and men should be able to make informed choices, not based on whether or not they can afford contraception. There is an organisation based in Jakarta called the Foundation for Mother and Child (FMCH) which is doing some great work. Do you know of them?
>
> I'm not sure if you'll remember me, but we met once a few years back when you visited Kota Kinabalu, Sabah and we had dinner with Ken Kassem. I used to coordinate the Semporna Islands Project. I am now based in Bangkok working with the Asia Pacific Refugee Rights Network as focusing on issues around statelessness.
>
> Warm wishes,
> Helen
>
> On Oct 30, 2014, at 11:29 PM, Naneng Setiasih wrote:
>
>> Dear all,
>>
>> Thanks David to raise the issue of population. Totally agree, with Indonesia's population getting close to 300 million, I always wonder if what ever we are doing now will ever be enough. I am working with a community in a small village, with about 2000 people, 50% of them younger than 17 years old. Their resources, of course already very depleted, and will continue so once this 50% of the people get married, and have another kids.
>>
>> Many environmental NGOs do not take population issue under their agenda, as it is not "conservation". A totally legitimate reason, However, it does not mean that we can not build a strong link with NGO who does that, and align our program in a "applicable" way. Seems easy, But in reality, when an NGO does do it, they do it outside their ToR, outside their main funding from donors. So, those who actually doing it, doing it more at their personal interests (and thus, they tend not to have a personal social life themselves ;))
>>
>> When I talked to collegues from funders, who by the way, have different departments within their organization including family planning, health, education, and environment, they said, it is complicated, as many of the departments are "independent".
>>
>> I do realize it is complicated, but, we HAVE to do this. So I guess, until people's mindset change, what we can do is to seek for other NGOs who are doing social, family planning, and health issue that work in your area, or interested in working in your area, and then align our work with them.
>>
>> If anybody knows good NGOs/programs about social, family planning, and health issue and are keen to build collaboration with conservation organization in any place in this world, please do share... (in my case, coral triangle)
>>
>> Regards
>>
>> Naneng Setiasih
>> Coral Triangle Regional Manager
>> Coral Reef Alliance
>>
>>
>> On Oct 30, 2014, at 6:01 PM, Sue Wells wrote:
>>
>>> Peter's very good article in ISRS's newsletter Reef Encounter on what can be
>>> done for coral reefs and the subsequent discussion have been very timely.
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>> In Peter's recent post, he mentions the effectiveness - or not - of MPAs for
>>> coral reefs. There is now a rapidly growing literature reflecting the
>>> strenuous efforts around the world to improve MPA management. This is still
>>> very far from perfect, but I think we have moved on from the 1990s, when
>>> Graeme Kelleher and others (myself included) reviewed the status of MPAs and
>>> came to the rather gloomy conclusion about their management as cited by
>>> Peter. Next month, the World Parks Congress takes place in Sydney
>>> http://worldparkscongress.org/, at which many of the initiatives to create
>>> well-managed MPAs, including those for coral reefs, will be presented and
>>> debated under the leadership of IUCN's World Commission on Protected Areas -
>>> Marine. There will be sessions on effective protected area management, on
>>> scientifically sound methods for assessing this, and on incentive schemes to
>>> promote good management. Managing an MPA effectively is far from easy as
>>> many readers of the Coral List will know - in my experience, creating a new
>>> MPA is often much easier and leads to more publicity and media attention,
>>> than the long hard slog of managing one well.
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>> In his article, Peter is also right that MPAs are not the only tool for
>>> long-term management and that we need more, broader, integrated approaches
>>> such as Marine Spatial Planning. This approach is also growing rapidly -
>>> for example, UNESCO has just launched a new guide:
>>> http://openchannels.org/msp-eval-guide/homepage?utm_source=OpenChannels+Comm
>>> unity+Members
>>> <http://openchannels.org/msp-eval-guide/homepage?utm_source=OpenChannels+Com
>>> munity+Members&utm_campaign=aec5d9e974-Literature_Update_10_29_2014&utm_medi
>>> um=email&utm_term=0_96f5655e1e-aec5d9e974-107711417>
>>> &utm_campaign=aec5d9e974-Literature_Update_10_29_2014&utm_medium=email&utm_t
>>> erm=0_96f5655e1e-aec5d9e974-107711417
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>> Whether we can get good management in place fast enough to prevent their
>>> decline is another matter, but the tools are being made available to help us
>>> do this.
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>> And I would like to support Alina in her posts about population size, and
>>> also consumption which I think has to be linked with this if we are to have
>>> an equitable world. We absolutely have to be aware of this. In the UK,
>>> many conservationists are supporting organisations working on this (e.g.
>>> http://www.populationmatters.org/) - that is something we can all do.
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>> In the spirit of not wanting to give up just yet, best wishes,
>>>
>>> Sue
>>>
>>> Sue Wells
>>>
>>> 95 Burnside
>>>
>>> Cambridge CB1 3PA
>>>
>>> Mob: 07905 715552
>>>
>>> e-mail: suewells1212 at gmail.com
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>> Message: 5
>>>
>>> Date: Tue, 28 Oct 2014 15:58:15 -0400
>>>
>>> From: Peter Sale < <mailto:sale at uwindsor.ca> sale at uwindsor.ca>
>>>
>>> Subject: Re: [Coral-List] Why we are failing to repair coral reefs
>>>
>>> To: <mailto:coral-list at coral.aoml.noaa.gov> coral-list at coral.aoml.noaa.gov,
>>> <mailto:gbustamante09 at gmail.com> gbustamante09 at gmail.com
>>>
>>> Message-ID:
>>>
>>> <
>>> <mailto:OFDEB246F7.B0AB4277-ON85257D7F.006D6C12-85257D7F.006DB65C at uwindsor...c
>>> a> OFDEB246F7.B0AB4277-ON85257D7F.006D6C12-85257D7F.006DB65C at uwindsor.ca>
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>> Content-Type: text/plain; charset="US-ASCII"
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>> Georgina, and coral-liat,
>>>
>>> Just a quick response to your plea for positive messages.
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>> There is an amazingly positive message that we can deliver, that has largely
>>> gone neglected. That is that local effort addressing local causes of reef
>>> degradation have positive effects, and may even bolster the capacity of the
>>> reef system to withstand the effects of climate change by making the reef
>>> community more resilient. There is no reason to give up on reducing fishing
>>> pressure where reefs are overfished (nearly everywhere), reducing pollution,
>>> and channelling coastal development in environmentally sustainable
>>> directions. All these actions will reduce the pressures on reefs which
>>> cause much of the degradation presently seen.
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>> My earlier post to coral list was a call on us (the scientists and
>>>
>>> managers) to stop being complacent, comfortable with small-scale, temporary
>>> improvements in reef condition, and be willing to talk about our failures
>>> and work harder for real successes. As one clear piece of evidence of the
>>> complacency, I suggest we need look no further than the numerous 'paper'
>>> MPAs that exist on reefs. When Graeme Kellerher first coined the term
>>> 'paper park' in approx 1990, some 90% of MPAs were effectively unprotected.
>>> In the 25 years since, I doubt the 90% has been very much reduced. Yet if
>>> just half the unprotected protected areas were to become protected, it would
>>> vastly expand the area of reef under real protection. Why have we turned a
>>> blind eye for so long, and why are we not now collectively demanding better
>>> performance by each of us and by others?
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>> There is lots of room for optimism about the fact that we can do something
>>> for reefs. There is unfortunately room for pessimism that, until now, we
>>> don't seem to care enough. Getting younger people motivated to show us up
>>> as the relatively poor performers we have been would be a great achievement,
>>> and is a very positive step.
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>> Good luck,
>>>
>>> Peter Sale
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>> <mailto:sale at uwindsor.ca> sale at uwindsor.ca @PeterSale3
>>>
>>> <http://www.uwindsor.ca/sale> www.uwindsor.ca/sale
>>> <http://www.petersalebooks.com> www.petersalebooks.com
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>> _______________________________________________
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>>> Coral-List at coral.aoml.noaa.gov
>>> http://coral.aoml.noaa.gov/mailman/listinfo/coral-list
>>
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>
> Helen Brunt
>
> Thailand: +66(0)9-5064-7036
> UK: +44(0)7910-542336
> skype ID: helensnake1519
>
>
>
>
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