Reefs at Risk Revisited

This fact sheet summarizes the 'Reefs at Risk Revisited' report, a global map-based analysis of threats to coral reefs led by the World Resources Institute. It details the prevalence of local and global pressures, the socioeconomic vulnerability of coastal communities, and the effectiveness of current marine protected areas.

• Approximately 75 percent of global coral reefs are currently threatened by a combination of global and local pressures. Local threats—including 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. Without intervention to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and local pressures, the proportion of threatened reefs is projected to exceed 90 percent by 2030 and encompass nearly all reefs by 2050.
• Coral reefs provide critical protection and economic value, defending 150,000 km of shoreline across more than 100 countries and territories. Over 275 million people live within 30km of coral reefs. Reef-related tourism benefits at least 96 countries and territories, and in 23 of those, it represents 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, characterized by low adaptive capacity and high dependence on reefs, are Indonesia, Fiji, Kiribati, Tanzania, Vanuatu, Comoros, Philippines, Grenada, and Haiti.
• While over 25 percent of the world's coral reefs are within marine protected areas (MPAs), management effectiveness is low. Only 6 percent of global coral reefs are in effectively managed MPAs, and 13 percent are in areas considered only partially effective.

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} }