Reefs at Risk Revisited

The Reefs at Risk Revisited analysis finds that approximately 75 percent of global coral reefs are threatened by local and global pressures, with local threats affecting over 60 percent. Without intervention to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and local pressures, threatened reefs could increase to over 90 percent by 2030 and nearly all reefs by 2050. While over 25 percent of reefs are in marine protected areas, only 6 percent are effectively managed. The report identifies 27 nations as most vulnerable to reef degradation, including Haiti, Indonesia, and the Philippines.

• Approximately 75 percent of the world's coral reefs are currently under threat from a combination of global and local pressures. Local threats, which include pollution, coastal development, destructive fishing, and overfishing, currently affect more than 60 percent of reefs, covering about 150,000 sq km. Between 1997 and 2007, threats increased on 30 percent of reefs.
• Projections indicate that if greenhouse gas emissions and local pressures are not reduced, the proportion of threatened reefs will rise to more than 90 percent by 2030 and encompass nearly all reefs by 2050.
• Coral reefs provide critical socioeconomic and protective value, defending 150,000 km of shoreline across more than 100 countries and territories. More than 275 million people live within 30km of reefs, and in 23 countries, reef-related tourism constitutes more than 15 percent of the gross domestic product (GDP).
• Out of 108 assessed reef countries, 27 are identified as the most vulnerable to reef loss and degradation, 19 of which are Least Developed Countries (LDCs). The nine most vulnerable nations are Indonesia, Fiji, Kiribati, Tanzania, Vanuatu, Comoros, Philippines, Grenada, and Haiti.
• Although over one-quarter of global coral reefs are located within marine protected areas (MPAs), management effectiveness is low; only 6 percent are in effectively managed MPAs and 13 percent are in partially effective areas.

APA

World Resources Institute (2011). Reefs at Risk Revisited. https://wriorg.s3.amazonaws.com/s3fs-public/factsheet_reefs_main.pdf

Chicago

World Resources Institute. Reefs at Risk Revisited. 2011. https://wriorg.s3.amazonaws.com/s3fs-public/factsheet_reefs_main.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=World Resources Institute |title=Reefs at Risk Revisited |date=February 2011 |url=https://wriorg.s3.amazonaws.com/s3fs-public/factsheet_reefs_main.pdf |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{worldresourcesinstitute2011reefs, author = {{World Resources Institute}}, title = {{Reefs at Risk Revisited}}, institution = {World Resources Institute}, year = {2011}, month = feb, url = {https://wriorg.s3.amazonaws.com/s3fs-public/factsheet_reefs_main.pdf}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }