Enhancing Adaptive Capacities of Coral Gardeners in Reef-Dependent Communities

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. Target coastal communities depend on agriculture, fishing and marine tourism and are among the less socio-economically developed in Costa Rica.

The project aimed to strengthen the adaptive capacity in coastal communities by encouraging self-sustaining community-led restoration while simultaneously addressing local drivers of coral reef degradation.

Asociación Raising Coral Costa Rica collaborated with two reef dependent communities in Golfo Dulce (Pacific Side) and Cahuita National Park (Caribbean Coast), as well as the National System of Conservation Areas (Sistema Nacional de Áreas de Conservación(SINAC) to develop a locally tailored reef restoration and regenerative tourism model. Indirect beneficiaries included tourists, local businesses, community members, and school children.

• Guideline “Integrating regenerative tourism and coral restoration: a practical guide for reef management” published, providing recommendations to promote reef restoration more responsibly and regeneratively. The guideline was developed in a participatory process with stakeholder inputs and practical in-water exercises.
• 8 community members (3 of them women) trained as coral gardeners for reef restoration on the Pacific and Caribbean Coasts.
• Knowledge of relevant 239 stakeholders from government, communities and tour operators increased on how reef restoration can benefit both marine ecosystems and communities.
• Local multi-stake holder coalitions strengthened to raise awareness on land-sea relationships, including solutions to reduce sedimentation and pollution in coastal zones.

Asociación Raising Coral Costa Rica has built upon previous experiences of reef gardeners and marine eco-tourism at the Pacific Coast, strengthened their work in that region and expanded the model to the Caribbean Coast. It strengthened community based regenerative tourism, promoted stakeholder engagement and created awareness on land-sea relationships.

The project engaged diverse stakeholders, such as state actors from the National System of Conservation Areas SINAC, tourist operators and coastal communities to identify priorities for improving reef resilience. Workshops, trainings, in-water exercises, and open discussions have led to the creation of concrete guidelines for developing regenerative reef-restoration tourism on both coasts. Based on this experience the practical guide “Integrating regenerative tourism and coral restoration: a practical guide for reef management” was developed (available in English and Spanish).

Asociación Raising Coral Costa Rica piloted a reef tourism program, installing nursery structures and restoration sites. In pilot tours coral gardeners and tour operators tested the tourism model. This included training of 8 coral gardeners in reef restoration.

The project also raised awareness in coastal communities: at least 50 community members on each coast increased their understanding of the value of coral reefs. Concrete plans were developed for attracting tourism-derived income into the community both directly for tour guides, tour operators and coral gardeners. These tourists in turn gained awareness of community-based restoration.

The project facilitated discussions among stakeholders, including government, business owners, farmers, NGOs and citizens on land-sea relationships and supported them to identify land-based drivers of coral reef degradation and solutions for reef restoration and conservation. A coalition of local land-sea stakeholders was strengthened in the Pacific region and newly established in the Caribbean, analyzing reef-responsible land-use practices and developing management recommendations.

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

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

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.