the G20 and is Lead Organization for the S20 Securing a Future for the World’s Coral Reefs

SECURING A FUTURE FOR THE WORLD’S CORAL REEFS

CARLOS DUARTE Distinguished Professor of Marine Science and Tarek Ahmed Juffali Research Chair in Red Sea Ecology

THE KINGDOM OF SAUDI ARABIA IS COMMITTED TO THE CONSERVATION OF CORAL REEFS AND LEARNING FROM THE RESILIENCE OF CORAL IN THE RED SEA TO BE ABLE TO SHARE WHAT WE KNOW WITH THE REST OF THE WORLD – BUT WE CAN’T DO THAT ALONE.

The G20 launches a KAUST-inspired coral reef protection initiative

Coral reef protection has secured a leading position as one of the final policy recommendations in the G20 Communiqué for 2020. As a result, a new global coral reef protection initiative will now be launched under the leadership of Saudi Arabia, with the support and cooperation of G20 nations. KAUST has been chosen as the central node for the new initiative, leveraging the university’s cutting-edge infrastructure, expertise in coral reefs and access to nearby coral ecosystems.

At the November 2020 G20 Leaders’ Summit in Riyadh, the world’s largest economies committed to increasing coral reef recovery and conserving vulnerable marine habitats through the launch of the Global Coral Reef R&D Accelerator Platform. The platform is designed to accelerate international research and development in improving the survival, conservation, resilience, adaptation and restoration of coral reefs. The new partnership will help to ensure future generations continue to experience healthy reefs, with the aim of increasing global coral reef recovery by 10%.

The initiative comes in recognition of the critical role marine ecosystems play in nature and human society. The G20 is a major custodian of warm-water and cold-water coral reefs, with about half of the world’s tropical reefs located in the economic exclusive zones of G20 members. Coral reefs are among the most valuable ecosystems on earth, harboring incredible biodiversity. However, human activity and climate change endanger the survival of coral reefs, on which 25-50% of the world’s marine life depends. Without concrete action, it is estimated that a significant share of coral reefs are at risk.

ing on coral reef conservation, resilience, adaptation and restoration. The initiative encompasses both warm-water tropical coral reefs and those growing in deep, cold waters – the latter of which have also experienced losses and are threatened by multiple human pressures. Saudi Arabia has pledged $10 million per year for the next 10 years toward the initiative. Other countries are expected to make their own pledges. The goal is to raise a total of $30 million annually.

KAUST has worked throughout 2020 to ensure that the issue of coral reef protection reached the top of the G20 agenda. As part of efforts to mainstream global coral reef protection, an international workshop on coral reef conservation was held in July 2020 with G20 members, invited guests, and regional and international organizations. Participants addressed the causes of coral reef degradation, its impact and potential solutions. The workshop noted that coral reefs possess ecological and socioeconomic value that benefits more than 1 billion people, with a global economic value that exceeds $1 trillion.

The initiative represents the culmination of research that has been pioneered at KAUST over the last decade, led in particular by KAUST Professor of Marine Science Carlos Duarte. In April 2020, an international oceans study led by Professor Duarte and fellow KAUST Professor of Marine Science Susana Agustí detailed how marine life can recover to full abundance by 2050, identifying nine components of marine ecosystems that are integral to rebuilding marine life, including coral reefs.

Professor Duarte held a media briefing in the G20 International Media Center in Riyadh during the summit week of the Saudi G20 presidency to talk about securing a future for the world’s coral reefs. He highlighted the need for international collaboration, as no single nation has the capacity to reverse the threat to coral reefs alone. Professor Duarte said, “The ambition of the Saudi G20 presidency is to not only seek to conserve the reefs we have, but to actually increase the extent of coral reefs globally by maybe 10%.”

G20

“The proposed location will allow the platform to leverage KAUST’s infrastructure to support R&D globally, while providing access to cutting-edge infrastructure, expertise, sequencing capabilities, advanced sensor technology, and coral reefs to study in the Red Sea and Arabian Gulf.”

Communiqué from the G20 Ministers of the Environment