Costa Maya, Q.R. — A group of locals from Costa Maya have been trained by the National Commission of Protected Natural Areas (Conanp) on coral reef repair. A brigade of six women and nine men from Banco Chinchorro and Arrecifes de Xcalak received the specialized training.
According to Conanp (Comisión Nacional de Áreas Naturales Protegidas), the skills acquired include damage classification, debris and waste clearance, reef first aid, coral fragment fixation, and the use of specialized tools.
With the aim of strengthening local capacity to protect and repair coral reefs following the impact of storms and hurricanes, the training course “Post-Storm Response Brigades for Early Attention to Coral Reefs in the Banco Chinchorro Biosphere Reserve and Arrecifes de Xcalak National Park” was presented in Mahahual.
The training, organized by Conanp, was financially supported by MAR Fund, through the Reef Rescue Initiative (RRI) with funding from the Adaptation Fund’s Climate Innovation Accelerator (AFCIA/AF-EU-UNDP).
Participants trained based on the Early Warning and Immediate Response Protocol, developed by The Nature Conservancy (TNC), which guides actions to follow before, during, and after a tropical cyclone.
Local community residents, tourism service providers, fishing cooperatives, park rangers and civil society organizations participated in the five day course. A total of 15 new brigade members were trained in theoretical and practical knowledge to respond quickly and effectively to these types of contingencies.
The course also certified three new trainers for Mexico, who will strengthen the region’s response capacity through the ongoing training of new brigade members.
A key element that enhances the work of the brigades is the parametric insurance coverage implemented by the Mesoamerican Reef System Fund. This mechanism guarantees the immediate availability of technical and financial resources after a hurricane strikes, enabling timely action to reduce reef damage and accelerate their recovery.
The Banco Chinchorro Reserve and the Arrecifes de Xcalak National Park are two of the seven sites covered by this insurance in the Mesoamerican Reef, selected for their high ecological and social value. Thanks to this model, coastal communities can activate a rapid response to protect the environmental services provided by reefs, such as wave protection, fishing and tourism.
These actions strengthen the resilience of marine ecosystems and the communities that depend on them, demonstrating that local coordination, technical knowledge, and the incorporation of innovative financial mechanisms are key to addressing the effects of climate change.
