STEWARDING BIODIVERSITY AND FOOD SECURITY IN THE CORAL TRIANGLE: ACHIEVEMENTS, CHALLENGES, AND LESSONS LEARNED

The report evaluates the impact of the Coral Triangle Support Partnership (CTSP), a consortium of Conservation International, The Nature Conservancy, and WWF-US, funded by USAID. The program focused on Marine Protected Areas (MPAs), Ecosystem Approach to Fisheries Management (EAFM), and Climate Change Adaptation (CCA) across Indonesia, Malaysia, Papua New Guinea, the Philippines, Solomon Islands, and Timor-Leste. Key achievements include the improved management of over 11 million hectares of marine and coastal areas, the adoption of over 100 policies, and the training of over 10,000 individuals. The report highlights the necessity of regional-scale management for transboundary marine resources but notes challenges such as political instability, weak enforcement capacity, and telecommunications gaps. It concludes that sustainable ocean governance requires government leadership, community engagement, and integrated ecosystem-based approaches.

• The USCTI program achieved significant quantitative results in marine conservation, including placing 1,128,250 hectares of MPAs and 10,062,319 hectares of coastal areas under improved management.
• The initiative successfully influenced policy and capacity building, resulting in the proposal or adoption of 108 policies, laws, and agreements for improved management, including 8 specifically addressing climate change.
• The program fostered regional cooperation and a shared identity among the CT6 nations, increasing their visibility at global forums like APEC, Rio+20, and the UNFCC.
• Significant technical tools were developed to standardize regional management, including the Coral Triangle Atlas (an online GIS database), the USCTI Integrated Toolkit with 42 manuals, and the Regional Early Action Plan (REAP) for climate change adaptation.
• Implementation faced systemic challenges, including the non-binding nature of CTI-CFF commitments, which made progress dependent on the shifting political will of changing government leaders.
• Enforcement remains a critical weakness across the region due to inadequate capacity to patrol Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) waters and the high risk associated with relying on local fish wardens.
• The program demonstrated that community-led management, such as Locally Managed Marine Areas (LMMAs) in Papua New Guinea and joint management in Timor-Leste, is essential for sustainable conservation.
• Alternative livelihood projects were identified as key incentives for behavior change, provided they are based on realistic market assessments.

APA

Read, T. (2014). STEWARDING BIODIVERSITY AND FOOD SECURITY IN THE CORAL TRIANGLE: ACHIEVEMENTS, CHALLENGES, AND LESSONS LEARNED. WWF International. https://www.worldwildlife.org/documents/92/7s2ggtlibx_CTSP_LessonsLearned_final__MK_edits__PD_review_2014_Jan_15.pdf

Chicago

Read, Tory. STEWARDING BIODIVERSITY AND FOOD SECURITY IN THE CORAL TRIANGLE: ACHIEVEMENTS, CHALLENGES, AND LESSONS LEARNED. WWF International, 2014. https://www.worldwildlife.org/documents/92/7s2ggtlibx_CTSP_LessonsLearned_final__MK_edits__PD_review_2014_Jan_15.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Read |first1=Tory |title=STEWARDING BIODIVERSITY AND FOOD SECURITY IN THE CORAL TRIANGLE: ACHIEVEMENTS, CHALLENGES, AND LESSONS LEARNED |publisher=WWF International |date=7 February 2014 |url=https://www.worldwildlife.org/documents/92/7s2ggtlibx_CTSP_LessonsLearned_final__MK_edits__PD_review_2014_Jan_15.pdf |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{read2014stewarding, author = {Read, Tory}, title = {{STEWARDING BIODIVERSITY AND FOOD SECURITY IN THE CORAL TRIANGLE: ACHIEVEMENTS, CHALLENGES, AND LESSONS LEARNED}}, institution = {WWF International}, year = {2014}, month = feb, url = {https://www.worldwildlife.org/documents/92/7s2ggtlibx_CTSP_LessonsLearned_final__MK_edits__PD_review_2014_Jan_15.pdf}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }