From July 7-9 2025, the Coral Triangle Center (CTC) hosted the Climate Change Adaptation (CCA) Round-table and 8th CCA Technical Working Group (TWG) Meeting at its Center for Marine Conservation in Sanur, Bali. Convened by the Coral Triangle Initiative on Coral Reefs, Fisheries, and Food Security (CTI-CFF) Regional Secretariat, this regional event gathered national focal points from the six Coral Triangle (CT6) countries and strategic partners to advance shared strategies in building climate-resilient coastal and marine communities.

Supported by CTC through the SOMACORE Project, the meeting facilitated cross-country dialogue on the CTI=CFF National Plans of Action (NPOAs), aligned with the Regional Plan of Action (RPOA) 2.0. It also served as a forum to review CCA TWG documents, including the Joint Communique, and Policy Guidelines on Gender and Climate Change.  

CTC played an active role throughout the meeting. CTC’s GIS and Knowledge Management Lead Nyoman Suardana also presented on the CTI-CFF Capacity Building Roadmap and Repository, which supports knowledge sharing and regional learning across the Coral Triangle. CTC Executive Director Rili Djohani delivered a presentation on the importance of establishing effective Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) in a changing climate. MPAs play a vital role in enhancing climate resilience by providing natural defense for coastal areas and offering refuge for marine life to adapt. However, they are increasingly vulnerable to threats such as sea level rise, acidification, and coral bleaching. 

She highlighted a new report from the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) World Commission on Protected Areas (WCPA), which provides guidance on integrating climate considerations into MPA design and implementation. The report provides four guiding principles to ensure that climate-adaptive MPAs can meet ecological and socio economic goals. The guiding principles are to understand change, strengthen adaptation and resilience, ensure equity and inclusivity, and generate holistic co-benefits.

Photos: Gerald Wenur/CTI-CFF Regional Secretariat.