US and Indonesia agree $35m coral reef ‘debt-for-nature’ deal

The US is to forgive $35m of Indonesian debt over the next nine years, in exchange for the Southeast Asian country reporting and preserving coral reefs, the US Treasury has confirmed. The corals are located in the “Coral Triangle,” believed to be the world’s most biodiverse area of ocean. Coral reefs are at risk due to rising sea temperatures caused by climate change. Nearly two-thirds of reefs have experienced heat stress bad enough to cause “bleaching” over the past year. The latest agreement is the fourth “debt-for-nature” swap between the two countries since 2009 and is expected to fund 15 years of conservation work. (Reuters)