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This report falls within the framework of the Feasibility Study for the FFEM's contribution to the seagrass component of the WIOCOR program for the promotion and strengthening of marine landscapes' contribution to socio-ecological resilience and the development of a blue economy in the Indian Ocean.

Indeed, the Comoros Archipelago is at the heart of the world's second richest marine biodiversity region after the Coral Triangle. It is a small island developing state vulnerable to climate change and local anthropogenic pressures. In the new Comoros Emergent Plan (PCE) for 2030, sustainable management of marine ecosystems is considered a key factor in promoting the blue economy, a necessary condition for adaptation to climate change, natural disasters, and environmental preservation.

Seagrass beds, with their carbon sequestration capabilities, coastal protection against rising sea levels, and role as nurseries for marine fauna and coastal fisheries, are important ecosystems for the Comorian population.

The purpose of this mission is to:

1. Diagnose the state of seagrass beds, including threats to the geographical area and species present.
2. Evaluate the stakeholders involved, including national authorities and local actors.
3. Clarify the type of sub-projects related to seagrass beds that could be supported via a call for projects.

During our mission, we proceeded in three steps. Firstly, we reviewed documentation related to seagrass beds in the Comoros. Then, we conducted interviews with key stakeholders and field visits on the island of Mohéli and Grande Comore. Finally, we carried out an analysis of stakeholders, problems, and solutions.

In summary, seagrass beds are well developed on the island of Mohéli and are home to flagship species such as green turtles and dugongs. However, they face significant pressures from coastal erosion and upstream soil erosion, leading to sedimentation of seagrass beds and even the disappearance of the Thalassodendron ciliatum species, which was once abundant two decades ago.

In light of the above, the following proposals are formulated by local stakeholders, particularly from the island of Mohéli:

1. Operationalize the seagrass bed monitoring system with associated database.
2. Contribute to regional monitoring of the spatio-temporal distribution of the Thalassodendron ciliatum species and diagnose the causes of its disappearance.
3. Consider a program for restoring degraded seagrass beds, especially the most threatened species (such as Talasodendrum ciliatum).
4. Establish a center for the study and conservation of seagrass beds and associated flora.
5. Conduct an institutional diagnosis to propose a governance framework clarifying mandates and articulations between the MAB Committee, PNM Management Committee, and restructuring of PNM with the creation of technical departments.
6. Create underwater trails and educational marine reserves focusing on seagrass beds and coral reefs.
7. Reduce fishing pressures by shifting fishing efforts to pelagic zones in collaboration with FADESIM through the establishment of coastal pelagic fish concentration devices and the implementation of rotating reserves and temporary closures of octopus fishing.

It is important to carefully examine the initiatives of various actors to avoid duplication and seek complementarities and synergies to develop with different stakeholders and partners.

Executive Summary

Recognizing the significant socio-economic and ecological values of coral reefs and their associated ecosystems, the countries of the Western Indian Ocean (WIO), through regional cooperation frameworks (Indian Ocean Commission, Nairobi Convention), have aligned with the International Coral Reef Initiative (ICRI) to try to provide solutions to help manage and conserve these systems. One such solution is a regional framework for monitoring and reporting on the state of coral reefs through the Global Coral Reef Monitoring Network (GCRMN).

This report presents the latest compilation and quantitative assessment of coral reef health data by regional monitoring networks in the WIO, adding to the global GCRMN reports published from 1999 to 2008. The primary objective of this report is to provide updated information on the state of coral reefs in the region, up to the impact of the 2016 global coral bleaching event. The secondary objectives are: a) to illustrate general trends that explain the different health states of various reefs and the reef management perspectives in relation to these b) to present the regional drivers of change and how they might evolve in the coming years, to help countries plan for the impacts and recovery of coral reefs.

In the past, coral cover was higher, algal cover was low, and fish diversity and abundance were significant. Now, coral cover is lower, algal cover is equal to and increasing with coral cover, and fish populations are low.

The first part of the report provides a regional overview, documenting quantitative trends of coral reefs in the Western Indian Ocean, fleshy algae, and fish based on data from 822 reef sites from 1992 to 2016, from 9 countries. It also documents coral bleaching and mortality in early 2016, based on 699 bleaching reports from 54 organizations and more than 80 observers in all 9 countries.

The second part of the report presents country-level summaries of coral reef monitoring up to 2015/16 and coral bleaching observations in 2016, drawn from national reports prepared by the National Coral Reef Task Forces (where applicable) of each country.

Overall Reef Health

The results indicate that hard coral cover significantly declined across the region immediately following the 1998 bleaching event, and since then, the average coral cover has remained at about 30%, which is 25% lower than pre-bleaching levels. The subsequent increase in algal cover lagged by a year, rapidly increasing from 1998 to 2000, then remaining at about 35% over the past 15 years, which is 2.5 times higher than before 1998.

Aggregated at the regional level, both coral and fleshy algal cover have remained essentially the same in the post-1998 period; however, coral cover has varied significantly between countries. Seychelles and Kenya suffered the highest coral mortality in 1998, but since then, they have shown good coral recovery. South Africa has shown slight increases in coral cover since monitoring began. Other countries (Comoros, France, Madagascar, Mauritius, Mozambique, and Tanzania) have all shown a progressive decline in overall cover since monitoring began in each country.

Coral Reefs of the Comoros

The coral reefs of the Comoros develop along the steep volcanic coasts of the Archipelago. They occupy about 60% of the coastline of Grande Comore, 80% of that of Anjouan, and 100% of that of Moheli, covering a total area of about 11,000 ha. They host a diverse range of accompanying fauna (fish, mollusks, stony corals, gorgonians, crustaceans, etc.), which constitute significant biodiversity and economic resources (fishing and tourism).

However, this ecosystem is subject to several types of threats, including:

• The extraction of natural coastal materials for construction (corals, sand, pebbles)
• Commercial or tourism-related activities (coral and shell trafficking)
• Some destructive fishing techniques (dynamite fishing, small-mesh net fishing, poison fishing using Tephrosia, and foot fishing at low tide)
• Erosion of watersheds leading to terrigenous inputs
• Pollution linked to coastal urbanization (domestic waste deposits on the coastline, urban waste, and hydrocarbons)
• Bleaching due to rising water temperatures caused by climate disturbances

The economic and ecological importance of the coral reefs of the five states of the Indian Ocean Commission, along with the similar problems encountered in the exploitation of coastal resources, led these countries to establish a regional network to monitor the health of coral reefs through the Regional Environment Program (PRE), funded by the European Union and implemented by the IOC from 1995 to 2000.

The main objective of the network is to contribute to the integrated management of coastal areas by monitoring the health of reefs through periodic site observations. In the Comoros, the network is managed by the NGO AIDE under the supervision of the National Directorate of the Environment (DNE). The network's activities currently benefit from the financial and technical support of the Regional Marine Protected Areas Network Project, funded by the French Global Environment Facility (FFEM) and WWF through the IOC.

The purpose of this report, produced under a grant contract awarded by WWF to AIDE, is to assess the monitoring and related activities from 2005 to 2007. The analysis of the evolution of the state of the coral reefs from 2005 to 2007 shows a general growth tending towards the initial situation (before the 1998 bleaching), with a coral cover rate of over 70%. This is the case for the sites of Trou du Prophète in Grande Comore, Wani in Anjouan, and Walla in Moheli. Other sites show a stationary cover rate, particularly in Itsandra, Candzoni, and Maluzini, where the reef geomorphology proves that a certain coral cover rate threshold cannot be exceeded. A very low cover rate is also observed in the sites of Mutsamudu, Bimbini, Chindini, and Fomboni, where human pressures are heightened.

The stations in the Moheli marine park are generally doing well (coral cover rate between 50 and 72%) compared to other stations on the same island (Domoni and Fomboni with about 30% live coral). Thus, implementing management measures across the entire national territory, with urgency on sensitive coral sites, would be desirable.

Abstract

The ecosystem profile typical of SIDS makes the Union of the Comoros one of the most vulnerable countries to climate change. The poorest communities are the most affected by climate change and are mobilizing more to develop response actions. The AIDE NGO requested and obtained a grant from the UNDP-GEF Small Grants Program to identify and share community-based adaptation good practices. The objective is to contribute to building the adaptation capacities of local communities in the country.

The work carried out by the team of AIDE NGO identified 24 potential interventions in community-based adaptation (ABC). About twenty were assessed, and eleven were retained as good practices in ABC. These practices are documented in the appendix and in a video documentary for better sharing (https://fb.watch/64djDnKLF_/). All of these good practices have generally benefited from certain conditions for success, such as technical and financial partners often formalized by conventions, charters, and agreements for better collaboration.

These practices are spread over three types of environments:

1. Marine Environment

   • Management of knowledge improvement through the coral reefs and associated ecosystems monitoring network
   • Establishment of fish aggregation devices (FAD)
   • Temporary closure of octopus fishing

2. Coastal Environment

   • Fight against coastal erosion marked by the construction of riprap
   • Restoration of coastal dunes and mangroves

3. Terrestrial Environment

   • Defense and restoration of soils
   • Agroforestry
   • Thrifty stills
   • Efficient management of water

All these actions bring considerable environmental impacts and socio-economic benefits. Finally, it was recognized that the success of community-based adaptation practices must be accompanied by good anchoring in sustainable participatory political, institutional, and financial mechanisms.