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Too Important to Fail! “Are the criticisms of coral restoration a form of colonial science?”

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A new scientific paper entitled, “The Critical Role of Coral Reef Restoration in a Changing World,” published in the prestigious journal Nature Climate Change has pleaded for a more practical approach to this subject. 

Dr Nirmal Shah, Nature Seychelles Chief Executive who is one of the co-authors of this seminal paper, says that recent criticisms of coral reef restoration as “a distraction” by a handful of scientists from the Global North prompted a group of eminent coral reef scientists and restoration professionals, including himself, to write an alternative view.

“We argue that coral reef restoration is a crucial weapon in the battle against climate change and other threats to these vital ecosystems,” says Dr Shah, who is the only expert from Sub-Saharan Africa amongst the co-authors of the paper.

In fact, the field of coral reef restoration has made significant strides in recent years, with growing evidence of its effectiveness, states the paper.

The narrative that restoration is an alternative to – and a convenient distraction from – tackling climate change, is an oversimplified one. It’s not one or the other. Both are needed to secure a future for reefs and the millions of people worldwide who depend on them.

“We advocate for a comprehensive coral conservation strategy encompassing three pillars: mitigating local impacts, reducing global climate threats, and actively restoring reefs,” says the group.

“We warn against inaction – the risks of action must be weighed against the potential consequences of doing nothing,” the group continues.

Shah is concerned about the inequality and lack of power and resources in the Global South as compared to the rich North, particularly in small island states. He asks the question: “Are criticisms of coral reef restoration just another form of colonial science?

Shah’s opinion on the subject is his own and not attributed to his co-authors but it slots into a huge discussion going on in the Global South on “colonial science” including the domination of paradigms by Western scientists and paternalistic attitudes of “We know best.”

He says there are two ways to combat climate change: mitigation and adaptation.

 “In Small Island States we can’t do much except try adaptation. We can’t do mitigation because our emissions are microscopic in comparison to the big polluters. Restoration is indeed adaptation! What else are we expected to do? Once again leave our fate in the hands of the rich nations and expect them to do the right thing? But they keep letting us down! The scientists from the Global North criticising coral reef restoration come from countries that are the largest emitters of Green House Gases that cause Climate Change and they have the gall to tell us in the Global South to simply wait for those countries to reduce emissions whilst we are being destroyed! In every Climate COP those countries have reneged on pledges and agreements. As a result climate change roars on unabated.”

Nature Seychelles has been involved in coral reef restoration since 2010, and was a pioneer of large-scale coral reef restoration, taking experimental techniques developed in other countries and trialling them in the Cousin Island Special Reserve. The project is now in a third phase funded by the Adaptation Fund through UNDP and the Government of Seychelles.

The NGO was a proud participant of the unique Reef Futures 2024 international symposium in Mexico in December 2024. This is the only global symposium focused solely on the interventions and actions necessary to allow coral reefs to thrive in the future. Over 820 participants from 64 countries comprising of restoration practitioners, researchers, community leaders, managers, engineers, private sector partners, and others came together to share knowledge, celebrate successes, and confront challenges head-on. The NGO showcased many of its achievements and challenges, and introduced its upcoming Assisted Recovery of Corals (ARC) facility – the first land-based coral aquaculture facility dedicated to climate adaptation in Africa – set to become operational in 2025”.