Towards a Sustainable and Resilient Coral Reef Ecosystem

InCORE (Integrated Approach for Coral Reef Conservation and Rehabilitation) is a comprehensive approach developed for sustainable coral conservation and rehabilitation. It encompasses various essential components comprising environmental assessment, rehabilitation implementation, periodic monitoring, terrestrial load reduction across watersheds, and capacity development through training workshops and other means, with the main objective to enhance the resilience of reef ecosystems. 

The InCORE project team kicked off its first pilot project at Tangalan in the Philippines, funded by the Asian Development Bank (ADB) for 1.5 years since Feb 2023 until July 2024, aiming is to exemplify the effectiveness of the comprehensive package of coral conservation and restoration programs. The team aspires to create a successful model applicable to other regions in the world.

Coral reefs are in crisis due to both global and local factors. The lobal factors include climate change, rising sea temperatures, and severe typhoons, while the local factors include the influx of turbidity from domestic wastewater and development activities affected by land use of the watershed. 

To achieve better outcomes of technological implementation, careful environmental assessment and continuous efforts of pre- and post-implementation monitoring in collaboration with local stakeholders must be the key to successful conservation and rehabilitation. InCORE takes both onsite survey and simulation models into consideration for site selection.