34th ICRI General Meeting in Townsville, Australia from 2nd- 7th december 2019

The 34th International Coral Reef Initiative (ICRI) General Meeting started its work on 2nd December 2019 in Townsville, Australia. Dr Sivaji Patra,Senior Programme Officer representing SACEP at this meeting .The objective of the workshop is to:

• Build an understanding of what “managing for resilience” means for coral reefs
• Share leading practice examples of how resilience-based management can be applied
• Resilience-based management tool for reef conservation and the tools available for coral reef managers.

Coral reefs supply a wide range of important benefits to communities around the world. Reefs provide jobs, livelihoods, food, shelter, and protection for coastal communities and the shorelines along which they live. Unfortunately, reefs today are facing multiple threats from many directions. 2019 was one of the warmest years on record, causing widespread damage to coral reefs. Warmer oceans lead to coral bleaching, which is becoming increasingly frequent around the globe—leaving reefs, fish, and the communities who depend on these resources at great risk.