Coral reefs are central to the economy and livelihoods of Palau while providing risk reduction benefits. However, climate change is posing a serious threat to the survival of corals. Rise in sea surface temperature and ocean acidification as a result of climate change is causing more frequent and severe coral bleaching events. Future projections also indicate that widespread coral bleaching will occur annually in Palau’s coral reefs by 2040.
The population of the Maldives (540,000) is dispersed over 188 islands that do not possess fresh surface water. The freshwater resources of the Maldives are scarce, both in temporal and spatial terms, and mainly available from groundwater aquifers that occur in the porous coral sand from rainfall.
