Why is clean water integral to our mission? To save coral reefs, we must address two major threats: poor water quality from land-based pollution and unsustainable fishing practices. By tackling these issues and implementing climate-smart planning, we can help coral reefs adapt to climate change. Our research shows that this is not only possible but that solutions are available right now.
The future of coral reefs is promising. By now you may have seen our BBC mini-documentary featuring a community working alongside CORAL to secure a vibrant future for their reef. This collaboration ensures the reef can continue to sustain the livelihoods that depend on it, showcasing a model for successful conservation efforts.
How Your Donations Support
In the Honduran community of West End, we successfully implemented a community-supported wastewater treatment plant, connecting 36 restaurants, 333 homes, and 63 businesses, including 11 dive shops. It may not be the most glamorous work, but it has the biggest impact on these delicate ecosystems!
The West End project alone is keeping 30 million gallons of raw sewage annually off what was once a dying reef and a beach unsafe for families to swim. Now, we are focusing on a wastewater project in Coxen Hole.
This summer, we’re launching a campaign to raise $250,000 to connect another 800 homes to the wastewater plant in Coxen Hole; this will result in 49 MILLION more gallons of sewage being properly treated before entering the island’s waters. Our goal beyond this is to replicate our successes in three more communities. Your donation to our Clean Water for Reefs Campaign will help tackle wastewater issues in priority coral reef areas with significant tourism impacts, including Cozumel, Mexico; Coxen Hole, Roatan; and Caye Caulker, Belize.
Why These Locations?
These locations have what we call “enabling conditions”, the conditions that set us up for success:
- Community and government participation and will: Strong local support and commitment to the project.
- Reefs integral to our adaptive approach: Large networks of reefs that support each other through the movement of coral larvae.
- High impacts of tourism: These areas face significant tourism pressure, providing an opportunity for us to have an outsized impact on reef conservation.
Your donation to our Clean Water for Reefs campaign will connect another 800 homes to the wastewater system, resulting in 49 MILLION gallons of sewage being properly treated before entering the ocean. We have communities willing and ready to implement these solutions and now we need everyone to do their part to make it happen!
