全球智库信息集成服务系统

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People have coexisted with coral reef ecosystems in Southeast Asia for thousands of years. With more than 350 million people living within 50 km of the coast, coral reefs are important not only in local communities’ cultures, but are also critical to the economic health of these nations.

Despite their worth, coral reefs in Southeast Asia face unprecedented threat levels from human activities. The population explosion during the last 50 years is driving many of the current pressures and is creating elevated, often unsustainable demand on both the terrestrial and marine resources of the region. These pressures are jeopardizing the incredible value of coral reefs, whose loss would have significant economic impacts for the region.

Key findings of the report include:

Biological endowment. Southeast Asia contains nearly 100,000 square kilometers of coral reefs, almost 34 percent of the world total. With over 600 of the almost 800 reef-building coral species, these reefs have the highest levels of marine biodiversity on earth. Southeast Asia is also the global center of biodiversity for coral reef fish, mollusks, and crustaceans. The region also contains 51 of the world’s 70 mangrove species and 23 of the 50 seagrass species.

The economic value associated with coral reefs in Southeast Asia is substantial. The value of the region’s sustainable coral reef fisheries alone is US$2.4 billion per year. In addition, coral reefs are vital to food security, employment, tourism, pharmaceutical research, and shoreline protection. The coral reefs of Indonesia and the Philippines provide annual economic benefits estimated at US$1.6 billion and US$1.1 billion per year, respectively.

Threats to reefs. The heavy reliance on marine resources across Southeast Asia has resulted in the overexploitation and degradation of many coral reefs, particularly those near major population centers. The main threats include overfishing, destructive fishing practices, and sedimentation and pollution from land-based sources. Human activities now threaten an estimated 88 percent of Southeast Asia’s coral reefs, jeopardizing their biological and economic value to society. For 50 percent of these reefs, the level of threat is “high” or “very high.” Only 12 percent of reefs are at low risk.

Effective management is key to maintaining coastal resources, but, is inadequate across much of the region. Some 646 marine protected areas (MPAs) cover an estimated 8 percent of the coral reefs. Of the 332 MPAs whose management effectiveness could be determined, only 14 percent were rated as effectively managed, 48 percent have partially effective management, and 38 percent have inadequate management.

Lack of information. Despite widespread recognition that coral reefs are severely threatened, information about the status and nature of the threats to specific reef areas is limited. This lack of information inhibits effective decisionmaking concerning coastal resources. The Reefs at Risk project was developed to address this deficiency by creating standardized indicators that raise awareness about threats to coral reefs and to highlight the linkages between human activity and coral reef condition.

Bahasa Indonesian

Menteri Kelautan dan Perikanan Indonesia Kata Pengantar

Puji syukur ke hadirat Tuhan Yang Maha Esa atas berkat dan bimbinganNya sehingga World Research Institute (WRI) dapat menerbitkan buku Reefs at Risk Southeast Asia-Summary for Indonesia yang kemudian diterjemahkan dalam bahasa Indonesia dengan judul Terumbu Karang yang Terancam di Asia Tenggara-Ringkasan untuk Indonesia.

Sebagai negara kepulauan terbesar dan secara geografis terletak di antara Samudera Pasifik dan Samudera Hindia, keanekaragaman hayati laut Indonesia tak tehitung jumlahnya. Terumbu karang Indonesia sangat beraneka ragam dan memegang peranan yang sangat penting dalam menjaga keseimbangan lingkungan dan menyumbangkan stabilitas fisik pada garis pantai tetangga sekitarnya. Oleh karena itu harus dilindungi dan dikembangkan secara terus menerus baik untuk kepentingan generasi sekarang maupun generasi mendatang.

Terumbu karang sangat mudah terpengaruh oleh kondisi lingkungan sekitarnya baik secara fisik juga biologis. Akibat kombinasi dampak negatif langsung dan tidak langsung pada terumbu karang Indonesia, sebagian besar terumbu karang di wilayah Indonesia saat ini sudah mengalami kerusakan yang sangat parah. Bagaimanapun juga, tekanan terhadap keberadaan terumbu karang paling banyak diakibatkan oleh kegiatan manusia, sehingga perlu dilakukan langkah-langkah pencegahan. Peningkatan kegiatan manusia sepanjang garis pantai semakin memperparah kondisi terumbu karang.

Oleh karena itu merupakan kebutuhan mendesak untuk menerapkan konservasi dan rencana-rencana pengelolaan yang baik untuk melindungi terumbu karang dari kerusakan yang semakin parah. Langkah dan kebijakan yang perlu dilakukan untuk mengurangi ancaman terhadap terumbu karang di Indonesia adalah dengan meningkatkan kesadaran masyarakat terhadap perlunya menjaga kelestarian terumbu karang dan mengadakan perencanaan pengelolaan wilayah pesisir yang baik dengan cara mengidentifikasi tingkat kerawanan dari terumbu karang dan meningkatkan pengelolaan yang berkesinambungan.

Saya berharap dengan terbitnya buku Terumbu Karang yang Terancam di Asia Tenggara-Ringkasan untuk Indonesia ini menjadi referensi yang baik bagi pemeliharaan dan pengembangan terumbu karang yang berkelanjutan di Asia Tenggara dan dapat meningkatkan kesadaran serta keterlibatan semua pihak dalam menjaga kelestarian terumbu karang di Indonesia.

Rokhmin Dahuri Menteri Kelautan dan Perikanan Republik Indonesia