Based on the ecosystem-based adaptation approach, the project aims to reduce the vulnerability of coastal communities to climate change through the active coral reef restoration work. Focusing specifically on coral reefs, the project will support the up-scaling of coral propagation and transplantation of coral colonies onto degraded reefs, using best available science and knowledge gained in both countries from pilot initiatives and from research undertaken globally.

The Republics of Mauritius and Seychelles share the geographically common challenges and climate-induced threats of rising seawater temperatures, sea level rise, and ocean acidification. The focus of the project will thus be on consolidating and sharing best practices and expertise in coral restoration and the most cost-effective measures for this, between the two countries and more widely across the Western Indian Ocean region and beyond.

Existing international and regional platforms will be used, including those established specifically for ensuring the future survival of reefs (e.g. WIO Coral Reef Monitoring Network, International Coral Reef Initiative) and those established to ensure that information and knowledge related to climate change adaptation is widely available and shared. An important aspect of the project is that it will demonstrate south-south co-operation. Reef restoration has been trialled in a number of other countries in the WIO, notably in the Maldives. Presentations at the 13th International Coral Reef Symposium (ICRS) in June 2016 indicated that great strides have been taken around in the world in the development of reef restoration techniques and in understanding the obstacles, constraints and factors in success, particularly in developing countries which now have greater experience. Although a few developed countries are advanced in coral restoration (e.g. USA) this is not usually undertaken with the primary purpose of rehabilitating reefs as an adaptation measure, and so this project will be innovative at the global, as well as regional level.

The three project components will run in parallel and are closely interlinked. Components 1 and 2 address Mauritius and Seychelles respectively and concern the establishment of new, or expansion of existing, coral farming facilities and nurseries, and the restoration of selected degraded reefs. This measure, (rehabilitation of degraded reefs), if successfully implemented, will ultimately lead to both an increase in food security and to disaster risk reduction and so the project has been designed with a reef restoration component for each country. The activities will be broadly similar in each country but adapted to the different national environmental and socio-economic characteristics, and to the previous experiences in restoration and development of adaptation measures of each country. However, throughout implementation, there will need to be extensive regional networking and exchange, in order to use the knowledge generated in Component 3 which is entirely regional in nature and which will ensure sharing of knowledge, resources and the joint development of capacity. It will be important to allow for flexibility in planning and implementation so that the project can make full use of the rapidly accumulating new research on the most appropriate way to undertake reef restoration.