The Political Ecology of Community-Based Management of Coral Reefs in the Caribbean

Coral reefs provide numerous benefits to coastal ecosystems and communities in the Caribbean as a source of food and subsistence, as well as shoreline protection against extreme weather events and land erosion. In recent decades, corals of the Caribbean have suffered vast declines due to the increased prevalence of natural disasters and human-induced pressures. Coral cover loss has severe implications for coastal and rural communities of small island developing states (SIDS) in the Caribbean. The rapid decline of coral may be mitigated if effective management strategies are employed. The majority of the literature that informs coral reef restoration tends to focus on the ecological rather than human dimensions of reefs, creating a "nature-culture" split. Restoration projects need to be approached using a framework that links social system structural traits, human activities, ecosystem services and human well-being. This paper uses political ecology as a theoretical framework through which to understand the current social, cultural, political and economic factors impacting community-based management of coral reefs in the Caribbean region, taking a specific look at Grenada's Coastal Ecosystem-based Adaptation (EbA) program for SIDS. This project is explored and evaluated using theories in political ecology, specifically Tighe Geoghegan and Yves Renard?s four key lessons of direct relevance to the relationship between protected areas and local communities in the Caribbean. Understanding how these factors affect the success of conservation management is crucial, not only during the project design and planning stages, but also during the implementation and evaluation phases, and will ensure that coral reef conservation is sustainable in the long-term.