Indonesia Map
Indonesia is the largest archipelago nation and has an estimated 51,000km2 of coral reefs – and this number does not even included reefs in remote areas that are yet to be mapped. Approximately 18% of reefs in the entire world is found in Indonesia. Most of the reefs here are fringing reef (Types of Reefs) and are easily accessible to coastal communities. In Indonesia, coral reefs are a source of food and income for millions of people living along coastal areas. Thus, protecting the reefs is not only important for marine biodiversity, but also for the people livelihoods who are dependent on these fragile ecosystems.
The case of the Gili Islands in Indonesia will be presented in the following as in this case, sustainability of coral reefs and the livelihoods of fishers and tourism operators was possible, without major governmental interventions besides formalizing of property rights. It shows the efforts of the communities and the success it had. I will go though the participants involved and what made the case of Gili Islands work.