"<h2>Reef-Dependent Population</h2>In the South Asia region, 180 million people benefit from coral reefs, including 51 million people who are likely highly dependent on reefs for their food or livelihood.(Estimated using WorldPop and World Vector Shoreline. People within 30 km of reefs and 10 km of the coast were considered \"highly dependent,\" while those within 100 km of reefs \"benefit.\")&nbsp;"

"<h2>Tourism</h2>Coral reef-associated tourist expenditure in South Asia is valued at $1.4 billion annually. This includes on-reef recreation (snorkeling, diving, recreational fishing, glass-bottom boat tours, etc.) as well as reef-adjacent benefits (such as white, sandy beaches and sheltered waters)."

Value

Vulnerability

Infrastructure

Habitat

Value and Importance of Coral Reefs

"About 4.2% of the world's coral reefs are in the South Asia region. Different sources offer different figures for the total area of reef cover: Source &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Area (km²)&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Global Share <a href=\"https://data.unep-wcmc.org/datasets/1\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" target=\"_blank\">Global Distribution of</a>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;6,266&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;4.2%<a href=\"https://data.unep-wcmc.org/datasets/1\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" target=\"_blank\">Coral Reefs (UNEP-WCMC)</a>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;<a href=\"https://gcrmn.net/products/reports/\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" target=\"_blank\">Global Coral Reef Monitoring</a>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;10,949&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;4.2%<a href=\"https://gcrmn.net/products/reports/\\\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" target=\"_blank\">Network (GCRMN) Report</a>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 31% of South Asian coral reefs are located within marine protected areas; almost all of these are in “Fully or Highly Protected” areas."

"<h2>Mangroves</h2>South Asia region possesses about 7.7% of the world's mapped mangroves. Between 1996 and 2016, the region lost over 5% of its mangrove area (a net loss of 600 km²). This net change included both 884 km² of loss and 284 km² of gain. As of 2016, the region had 10,486 km² of mangrove forest."

Ecosystems

Protected Areas

Coral Reefs, Mangroves, and Protection

"<h2>Local Threats</h2>Local activities and pollution threaten 40% of reefs in South Asia. Most reefs in coral atolls, particularly the Chagos Archipelago, were rated as being under low threat, while the continental and fringing reefs were more often rated as being under high threat. Overfishing is the most pervasive threat, but coastal development and land-based sources of pollution also threaten many continental reefs."

"<h2>Coral Bleaching Conditions</h2>In South Asia, most coral reefs will experience severe coral bleaching conditions at least twice per decade by the 2030s. By the 2040s, such conditions will occur annually (on average) for nearly 90% of the region’s reefs."

"<h2>Ocean Acidification</h2>By the 2030s, most reefs in South Asia will be situated in conditions considered marginal for coral growth, based on ocean acidity and the availability of aragonite. By the 2060s, all reefs will be in areas rated poor."

Habitats

Local Threats

Global Threats

Local and Global Threats to Coral Reefs

"<h2>Live Hard Coral Cover</h2>The trend of live hard coral cover follows a dramatic pattern, with coral bleaching being the major driver of coral loss in the South Asia region.&nbsp;Average values for the region are dominated by&nbsp;the&nbsp;Maldive&nbsp;and&nbsp;Chagos&nbsp;archipelagos, which include three-quarters of reefs&nbsp;across&nbsp;the region.&nbsp;Monitoring was limited prior to 1998, but available data suggest coral cover averaged between 38% and 45%.&nbsp;The mass coral bleaching event in 1998 resulted in a loss of 70% of&nbsp;that coral cover&nbsp;(to 12%), but this was followed by significant recovery (by 2010), particularly in&nbsp;Chagos&nbsp;and the Maldives where local threats are low. A second major bleaching event in 2016 and localized coral bleaching events from 2017-2019 have continued to cause declines in live hard coral cover – to under 25%.&nbsp;&nbsp;"

"<h2>Algae Cover</h2>The average cover of algae across South Asia was relatively low and stable at about 10% until 2008, after which there was a progressive increase to 14% by 2018.&nbsp;&nbsp;"

"Modeled cover of live hard coral cover (left) and algae (right) for the South Asia region. The solid line represents the predicted marginal mean and ribbons represent 80% (lighter shade) and 95% (darker shade) credible intervals. Grey areas of the temporal series represent times for which no observed data were available."

"<h1>Summary</h1> The South Asia region is comprised of six sovereign countries with coral reefs&nbsp;(Bangladesh, India, Maldives, Myanmar, Pakistan and Sri Lanka), as well as the&nbsp;Chagos&nbsp;Archipelago.&nbsp;Coral reefs play a significant role in national economies, and in supporting livelihoods through fisheries and tourism, particularly in Maldives, India and Sri Lanka. The region&nbsp;includes 4.2% of the world’s coral reefs, with about three-quarters of that reef area&nbsp;concentrated along the 2,000 km long Lakshadweep-Maldives-Chagos&nbsp;Ridge. The&nbsp;reefs around these atolls and offshore islands are subject to less anthropogenic pressure and remain in better condition than those around the South Asian mainland. However, sea level rise is a major threat to island communities in the Maldives and Lakshadweep Islands.&nbsp;Coastal fringing reefs along mainland India, Bangladesh, Pakistan, and Sri Lanka suffer from overfishing, destructive fishing, coastal development, pollution and sedimentation.&nbsp;&nbsp; Coral bleaching has been the major driver of coral loss in the South Asia region. Recovery after bleaching has been variable – higher in the atolls, where local threats are lower. The increasing frequency of coral bleaching events could, however, exceed the ability of these reefs to fully recover between events.&nbsp;Controlling local pressures can help increase resilience, however protection is limited in most&nbsp;areas&nbsp;outside of the&nbsp;Chagos&nbsp;archipelago. Across the South Asia region almost all the 31% of coral reefs in&nbsp;marine protected areas are in&nbsp;a single&nbsp;“Fully or Highly Protected”&nbsp;area – the&nbsp;British&nbsp;Indian&nbsp;Ocean Territory Marine Protected Area (Chagos).&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; For more detail on the South Asia region and its subregions see the GCRMN global report&nbsp;<a href=\"https://gcrmn.net/2020-report/\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" target=\"_blank\" style=\"color: inherit;\">Status of Coral Reefs of the World: 2020</a>.&nbsp;"

The South Asia region includes Bangladesh, India, Maldives, Myanmar, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, and the Chagos archipelago. 

Resource Watch

Coral Reefs: South Asia

Importance, status and outlook for coral reefs in the South Asia region

Data

Dashboards

Blog

About

Get Involved