Status of Coral Reefs of the World 2000

6. STATUS OF CORAL REEFS IN SOUTH ASIA:
BANGLADESH, INDIA, MALDIVES AND SRI LANKA
ARJAN RAJASURIYA, HUSSEIN ZAHIR, E.V. MULEY, B.R. SUBRAMANIAN,
K. VENKATARAMAN, M.V.M. WAFAR, S.M. MUNJURUL HANNAN KHAN
AND EMMA WHITTINGHAM
ABSTRACT
The major coral reefs in South Asia surround the oceanic islands of Lakshadweep, Maldives,
Chagos and the high islands of Andaman and Nicobar. Other extensive reefs are in the Gulf
of Mannar region. There are also numerous fringing and patch reefs in India and Sri Lanka. In
Bangladesh, the only coral reefs are around St. Martin’s Island, and there are only scattered
reef communities in Pakistan and little available information. Recent surveys indicate that
recovery of corals bleached during high water temperatures associated with the 1998 El
Niño event is poor. Natural and human disturbances, such as the crown-of-thorns starfish,
coral mining, destructive and unmanaged resource harvesting, sedimentation and pollution
continue to cause much damage to coral reefs in South Asia and reduce their capacity to
recover from the 1998 bleaching event. Capacity for monitoring coral reefs has improved
with donor assistance, however there is limited application of monitoring data due to a lack
of management mechanisms. In the absence of proper management, the condition of
marine protected areas in South Asia has degraded. Several new protected reef areas have
recently been declared in the Maldives and another in the Andaman-Nicobar area. This
report highlights the increasing population pressures on reef resources, lack of awareness
and inadequate capacity for management. Regional and country-specific recommendations
towards improved management, conservation and sustainable use of coral reefs in South
Asia are identified.
INTRODUCTION
This status report focuses on the coral reefs of India, Maldives, and Sri Lanka, with
additional information on the small coral resources of Bangladesh and Pakistan, and a brief
status report on the vast Chagos Archipelago. The first summary report for this region was
presented at the International Coral Reef Initiative, South Asia workshop held in the
Maldives in December, 1995. This was updated at the International Tropical Marine
Ecosystems Symposium in Townsville Australia in November 1998 and published in the first
1998 Status of Coral Reefs of the World. India, Maldives and Sri Lanka together form the
‘South Asia Node’ of the Global Coral Reef Monitoring Network (GCRMN), supported
financially by the UK Department for International Development (DFID). This regional report
addresses regional perspectives as well as summaries from country reports of India,
Maldives and Sri Lanka.
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