The International Coral Reef Initiative (ICRI): Global priorities for the conservation and management of coral reefs and the need for partnerships

The International Coral Reef Initiative (ICRI) is an international partnership, established to reverse the global degradation of coral reefs. In this paper, the ICRI process is outlined and placed within an international policy framework. The outcomes of five regional ICRI workshops are also summarized with respect to threats to coral reefs and needs for their conservation and management. One global priority is to develop and/or establish multi-stakeholder partnerships involving the public and private sectors, NGOs, the scientific community and, in particular, local communities. This reflects growing skepticism that governments alone can bear the responsibility for managing and protecting the environment. The theme of 'partnerships' is then discussed and a framework for their establishment is presented. This is followed by a synthesis of experiences and lessons learned in fostering the involvement of stakeholders in resource management. Finally, it is argued that much of the debate between 'top-down' versus 'bottom-up' approaches is misplaced and that attention should focus, instead, on the need to link local concerns, needs and actions to the national and international governance structures that have been developed to conserve and manage the global environment. © Springer-Verlag 1997.