Coral Reefs in Southeast Asia

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.