Costa Rica

Enhancing Adaptive Capacities of Coral Gardeners in Reef-Dependent Communities

Project completed

Organisation

Asociación Raising Coral Costa Rica

Website

Support area

Conservation of biodiversity

Funding

98454 €

Project duration

Mar, 2024 – Feb, 2026

Coral reefs along Costa Rica’s Pacific and Caribbean coasts have been heavily damaged by sediment from land use and coral bleaching due to high temperatures. This IKI Small Grants project helps local communities become more resilient by involving them in reef restoration and tackling local issues that harm coral reefs. The project has two main parts. First, it trains coral gardeners in sustainable reef tourism and helps them partner with tour operators to boost marine conservation efforts. Second, it works with key stakeholders to create a framework for managing land, sea, and coastal areas. The project builds on ongoing science-based reef restoration efforts. The results are shared in a guide of best practices for other protected areas in Costa Rica.

Capacity development

IKI Small Grants supports RCCR in their organisational capacity development through:

Obtaining CERP/CERPIT certification for team members
Staff to participate at the Reef Futures Meeting
Staff training in ecotourism principles and practices to support a coral reef tourism program

About the organisation

Asociación Raising Coral Costa Rica has extensive experience and expertise in the field of coral reef restoration. Its goal is to revitalize both the coral reefs themselves and the livelihoods of the people who depend on them. The NGO has already organised and implemented two extensive coral gardening training programmes in local communities. Raising Coral Costa Rica also advocates for improved land use practices to reduce the negative impact on water quality in the coastal zone. It coordinates the Tierra-Mar consortium, which brings together various stakeholders to develop and implement more sustainable land use strategies.