GFCR Gulf of Aqaba Programme

Funded by the Global Fund for Coral Reefs, the Gulf of Aqaba Resilient Reefs Programme, led by the UNDP Jordan Country Office, aims to catalyze greater private investment into reef-positive enterprises for the benefit of Aqaba’s marine life and communities. Given their unique resilience to anthropogenic warming, coral reefs in the Northern Red Sea and Gulf of Aqaba may hold the key to preserving these ecosystems globally as ocean temperatures continue to warm. However, the future of this region is under threat not only from a changing climate, but also from pollution, coastal development, and over-fishing. The programme will work through a blended finance approach to protect Aqaba’s coral reef climate refugia, advance science on reef resilience and restoration, and establish sustainable finance mechanisms for Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) and area-based conservation measures. The initiative will also support the establishment of a Centre for Sustainable Blue Economy Innovation to accelerate the development of reef-positive business models, especially in the ecotourism, aquaculture, and waste management sectors. With the additional finance for conservation and investment from the private sector, the programme is expected to leverage up to an additional USD 30 million to support coral reef conservation in the Gulf of Aqaba.