The Climate Change Development Authority staff paid a visit to the Corals they planted in August at Bootless Bay in Central Province over the weekend.
According to CCDA General Manager Jacob Ekinye, Corals provide an ecosystem for life underwater. They protect coastlines from the damaging effects of wave action and tropical storms. Corals are source of nitrogen and other essential nutrients for marine food chains.
“In Climate Change, Adaption and Projects division we have nine (9) priority areas like landslides, sea level rise, coastal flooding, inland flooding and one of them is coral reef bleaching so this is one of our priority we really want to get out and do things like this,” Ekinye said.
“We are only discussing without getting out to the field. Where coral is, there is fish and it benefits our coastal villages and for our maritime provinces. They depend on the sea for survival. What we are doing is not a small thing. This is a small initiative but we are fighting climate change globally,” he added.
Mr Ekinye also acknowledged the efforts of Kokoda track Development & Livelihoods Association Inc and Lakwaharu Coral group for their initiative in rehabilitating the marine ecosystem through the activity of coral planting.
A representative of Lakwaharu Kevin Egu said that it is important to maintain and monitor Corals by cleaning and removing Algae so they grow well.
The Coral gardening in Bootless Bay is sponsored by the Kyeema Foundation of Brisbane, Australia and maintained by Kevin Egu and his uncle Koivi Egu and the Tubuserea community members of Central Province to address climate change issues affecting the Coral Reefs in PNG.
