The CRRI Global and GEF7 (Global Environment Facility) Workshop was recently held in Indonesia, bringing together 50 participants from the seven CRRI resilient reef countries (Fiji, Solomon Islands, Indonesia, Philippines, Madagascar, Cuba and Tanzania). The workshop marked an important milestone by kickstarting the implementation of the in-country phase of the initiative.
Attendees* included the network of CRRI partners and government officials in the areas of science and innovation, poverty alleviation and development, biodiversity and ecosystem resilience and advocacy and public engagement. Working together, the participants reflected on CRRI’s global strategy and undertook participatory planning as part of the new GEF 7 project, Coral Reef Rescue: Resilient Coral Reefs, Resilient Communities. Clear priority actions and milestones to improve implementation and resource mobilisation at the country level were agreed upon.
Carol Phua, CRRI Lead, reflects on the workshop outcomes: "Meeting face to face with people from the countries involved in the CRRI, our partners and government officials, enabled the shared understanding of the next steps to build momentum and energy for the project to carry forward into the in-country implementation phase and identify joint resource mobilisation activities."
*Attended by the CRRI network of partnerships that support conservation at a global scale and government officials : WWF, University of Queensland international Development, WCS, GEF, University of Havana, Tanzania Marine Parks and Reserves Unit, Solomon islands Ministry of Environment Climate Change, Disaster Management and Meteorology, Reef Check Indonesia, Rare, Palawan Council for Sustainable Development, Madagascar Ministry of Environment and Sustainable Development, Indonesia Ministry of Marine Affairs and Fisheries, Fiji Office of the Prime Minister, CARE Australia, CARE USA, Blue Ventures, Australian Institute of Marine Science, Arizona State University/Allen Coral Atlas.
