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English 
2023-05-12 11:54:04
Context Coral reefs are ecosystems of considerable ecological and socio-economic value. However, they have been subjected to multiple degradations due to anthropogenic pressures and intense climate vulnerabilities over the past three decades. To address this issue of widespread degradation, the International Coral Reef Initiative (ICRI) and the Global Coral Reef Monitoring Network (GCRMN) have committed to seeking solutions. It is within this framework that the southwest Indian Ocean reef network was created in October 1997, during the International Reef-Man Seminar organized by UNESCO, ICRI, and the Indian Ocean Commission (IOC) in Nosy Be, Madagascar. In the Comoros, stakeholders signed a charter structuring the national reef network, coordinated by the Association for Intervention for Development and the Environment (AIDE). About ten reef sites have benefited from annual monitoring of their health status. Similarly, the National Network of Protected Areas has initiated various conservation actions for the reef zones of the archipelago. However, Cyclone Kenneth, which struck the Union of the Comoros in general and the island of Grande Comore in particular last April, seriously worsened the situation of these reefs, requiring urgent interventions. Thus, the NGO AIDE requested and obtained a grant from the TANY MEVA-MADAGASCAR foundation, selected to manage small grants from the Critical Ecosystem Partnership Fund (CEPF) in the Indian Ocean region. CEPF is a joint fund of the French Development Agency, Conservation International, the European Union, the Global Environment Facility, the Government of Japan, and the World Bank. The total project budget is 8,080,000 Comorian francs over a period of 18 months (July 2019-January 2021). Objectives and Expected Results The objective of this grant is to contribute to the sustainable management of coral reefs in Grande Comore. The specific objectives are to: Strengthen the capacities of local actors on the ecological importance and ecosystem services of coral reefs. Establish a participatory monitoring and co-management system for reef resources with local communities. Three (3) results are expected: a. Local actors are sensitized and trained on the ecological and socio-economic values of coral reefs. b. A participatory monitoring system is established. c. A co-management agreement for reef resources by pilot sites is established. Planned Activities The activities planned under this project include: Organizing information meetings with fishing communities and local authorities. Holding information meetings in public places. Broadcasting radio and TV programs. Publishing posters on reefs. Organizing snorkeling and ecological monitoring training sessions. Organizing training sessions on socio-economic monitoring. Conducting benthic transects and fish counts on the reefs of the 5 pilot sites. Establishing a reef monitoring database. Developing co-management agreements in the 5 pilot sites.