Rebuilding Coral Reefs: A Decadal Grand Challenge

20 July 2021, 12h00 (UTC)

A High Level Science Policy Dialogue

Moderator: Kristian Teleki, World Resource Institute

Organized under the auspices of the International Coral Reef Symposium 2021 by Future Earth Coasts, and partners including the International Coral Reef Society, the German Federal Ministry for the Environment, Nature Conservation and Nuclear Safety, UN Environment Programme, ICRI, HSH Prince Albert II of Monaco Foundation and the Kellner & Stoll Foundation for Climate and Environment.

The International Coral Reef Society (ICRS) assembled a team of experts to highlight the urgency of taking action to conserve and restore reefs through protection and management measures. This effort culminated in the creation of a paper titled “Rebuilding Coral Reefs: A Decadal Grand Challenge” which provides a summary of the most relevant and recent natural and social science findings and their implications for the numerous discussions and negotiations taking place at the global level.

This event will bring together scientists, including the lead author of the paper, Nancy Knowlton, and policy actors to discuss the paper and how it can support governments as they prepare for key negotiations on the dual crisis of climate change and biodiversity loss.

The paper will be available here on the day of the event.

Brief Outline:

• Introduction
• Presentation of “Rebuilding Coral Reefs”
• Reactions to the paper from key stakeholders
• Moderated dialogue
• Wrap-up and closing remarks
• 30 minutes press conference

Speakers Include:

• Ambassador Peter Thomson, UNSG’s Special Envoy for the Ocean,
• Nancy Knowlton, Lead author, Smithsonian Institution, USA
• David Obura, Contributing author, Founding Director of CORDIO East Africa
• Rita Schwarzelühr-Sutter, Parliamentary state secretary at the German Federal Ministry for the Environment, Nature Conservation and Nuclear Safety
• Abdulla Naseer, Minister of State of Environment, Climate Change and Technology, Maldives
• Andréa Grottoli, President of the International Coral Reef Society (ICRS)
• Leticia Carvalho, Head of Marine and FreshWater Branch, UN Environment Programme
• David Souter, Global Coordinator, Global Coral Reef Monitoring Network

Partners: