Hein et al., 2020

Coral reefs provide billions of dollars in ecosystem services every year globally but are in fast decline in the face of rising climate and anthropogenic disturbances. Urgent climate action is required along with bold local management to halt the declines and support coral reef resilience now and into the future.

Coral reef restoration is increasingly advocated for as a management strategy to combat dramatic declines in coral health and cover globally. It is also increasingly suggested as a mechanism to help countries deliver on national and international commitments under various multilateral environmental agreements.

Yet, there is still a limited understanding of the effectiveness of coral reef restoration efforts, particularly in supporting the maintenance of ecosystem services. In 2019, the United Nations Environment Assembly (UNEA) adopted Resolution 4/13 requesting the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) and the International Coral Reef Initiative (ICRI) to better define best practices for coral restoration for the maintenance of ecosystem services, including for coastal defence and restorationof fish nursery areas. The coming UN Decade on Ecosystem Restoration (2021-2030) and Ocean Science for Sustainable Development (2021-2030), provide an opportunity to highlight the work already underway and set out a path for future actions.