Ocean coastlines are crucial hubs of life and biodiversity, essential for our planet’s health. But overfishing, pollution and rising temperatures threaten to destroy these vital ecosystems and the livelihoods of coastal communities.
Coastal waters represent only six percent of the ocean’s surface, but they are home to roughly 70% of all ocean biodiversity. A vast array of animals live among coral reefs, kelp, mangroves and sea grasses. These shores are also home to millions of people, whose villages, towns and cities flourish on the adjacent land, nourished by the sea.
But coastal threats abound. Sewage, plastic, and industrial chemicals pollute the water. Ocean acidification bleaches coral reefs a ghostly white, and unsustainable fishing decimates fish populations. Each of these elements further contributes to the climate crisis. If we lose coastal habitats, we not only lose their capacity to absorb CO2, but also the livelihoods of coastal populations, whose fishers return home with empty nets.
Launched by non-profit Rare, and led by Rocky Sanchez Tirona, Coastal 500 is a global network of mayors and local leaders who have come together to protect the world’s coastlines. Its 164 members represent eight developing countries and 1.6 million people living near coastlines across the tropics, including some of the communities most at risk from climate change worldwide. Since its inception in 2021, the quickly growing group has become a vital forum for sharing ideas, enforcing conservation policies, and advocating for coastal protection nationally and globally.
Members of Coastal 500 all take a pledge to encourage healthy fishing communities by empowering their people with clear access rights to fisheries and supporting good local governance and leadership. And their efforts are working! Marine life is recovering, and local fishing activity is once again on the rise, with mayors reporting an 80% increase in local fish catches from sustainable, community-managed fisheries in areas with Coastal 500 representation. But it’s vital that the movement continues to grow. Together, members of Coastal 500 can have a greater impact than any one city or nation alone.
By 2030, we choose to ensure that, for the first time in human history, the natural world is growing – not shrinking – on our planet.
This Earthshot focuses on three main areas of interest:
By 2030 we choose to ensure that everyone in the world breathes clean, healthy air – at World Health Organization standard or better.
This Earthshot focuses on three main areas of interest:
By 2030, we choose to repair and preserve our oceans for future generations.
This Earthshot focuses on three main areas of interest:
By 2030, we choose to build a world where nothing goes to waste, where the leftovers of one process become the raw materials of the next – just like they do in nature.
This Earthshot focuses on three main areas of interest:
We choose to fix the world’s climate by cutting out carbon: building a carbon neutral economy that lets every culture, community and country thrive.
This Earthshot focuses on three main areas of interest:
