Marine conservation and coral reef protection

Germany supports Indonesia in establishing and maintaining marine protected and fishing zones

• KfW provides EUR 7 million in funds on behalf of the German Federal Ministry for the Environment, Nature Conservation and Nuclear Safety
• Promotion of profitable and environmentally-friendly fishing
• 55,000 coastal residents to benefit

Germany is providing additional funds to protect endangered coral reefs in Southeast Asia. To this end, KfW today signed a EUR 7 million grant agreement with the US environmental organisation Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS) on behalf of the German Federal Ministry for the Environment, Nature Conservation and Nuclear Safety. The aim of the joint project is the long-term protection of marine habitats, primarily off the coast of the Indonesian island of Sulawesi. The project is part of the International Climate Initiative (IKI) of the Federal Ministry for the Environment, Nature Conservation and Nuclear Safety. Signature took place during the international marine conservation conference "Our Ocean" in Bali attended by German Federal Minister of the Environment, Nature Conservation and Nuclear Safety Svenja Schulze.

Federal Minister of the Environment, Nature Conservation and Nuclear Safety Svenja Schulze: "Coral reefs are particularly vulnerable to climate change. We are already seeing that many coral reefs are bleaching due to rising ocean temperatures, which is resulting in the loss of valuable marine habitats. One of the world’s largest is in Indonesia. Which is why this is the starting point for our protection programme under the International Climate Initiative."

In addition to establishing additional marine protected areas, the aim is also to promote sustainable and effective management of the local fishing industry. The project activities are carried out in the three provinces of West Nusa Tenggara, North Sulawesi and Aceh, where a total of around 55,000 inhabi-tants benefit from the promoted measures. Agriculture and fishing are the main sources of income for most of the local population. The measures promoted by KfW create incentives to significantly reduce environmentally harmful fishing practices and overfishing.

"With its coral reefs and fish species, Indonesia boasts a level of marine biodiversity that is unique in the world. It is therefore all the more important to preserve this biodiversity for a long time to come through profitable but also environmentally-friendly fishing," said Dr Joachim Nagel, member of KfW Group's Executive Board. "The establishment of more marine protected areas and support for local fishermen make a key contribution."

Indonesia is a founding member of the Coral Triangle Initiative (CTI) – a multilateral partnership of six countries working to preserve the coral triangle since 2009. The new project initiated by KfW and WCS, expands the existing CTI portfolio and helps to achieve the common goals of the partner countries and to curb inadequate management of marine resources.

In mid-October KfW, together with the European Investment Bank and the French development bank AFD, launched the Clean Oceans Initiative to clean up the oceans with a total volume of EUR 2 billion. Protecting marine habitats is one of the most important responsibilities of our time.

Further information:

Further information on the International Climate Initiative (IKI):

https://www.international-climate-initiative.com/

Further information on KfW Development Bank is available at: www.kfw-entwicklungsbank.de/International-financing/KfW-Entwicklungsbank/.