How the CCC Trust can help
Whats at risk?
Biodiversity
Rainforests support over half of the earth's estimated 10 million species; coral reefs are home to a third of all known fish species
Food
Coral reefs provide the main source of protein for one billion people in Asia alone; rainforests are a crucial source of food for indigenous communities - and beyond
Health
Rainforests provide ingredients for over 120 prescription drugs, while coral reefs are a source of cancer treatment compounds
Protection
Coral reefs shelter over 100,000km of coastline from storms and floods; rainforests protect watersheds and nourish agriculture
Livelihoods
If well managed, rainforests are a renewable source of valuable products, while coral reefs boost revenue in some of the world's poorest nations, through tourism etc.
Climate
Coral reefs absorb and 'fix' carbon dioxide, while rainforests are the lungs of the planet convertising carbon dioxide into oxygen.
Protected areas
Effective conservation stems from scientific research and understanding. One of the Trust's objectives is to support the work of the CCC Expeditions in collecting data that can be used to create protected areas and sustainably manage threatened coral reefs and tropical forests.
Raising awareness
The future of coral reefs and tropical forests relies to a large extent on maintaining awareness of what's at stake, both at a global and local level.
Alternative livelihoods
By helping local communities to use their natural resources in a sustainable way, highly productive ecosystems like coral reefs and rainforests can provide long-term ecological and economic benefits. The CCC Trust has supported several alternative livelihood schemes. In the Philippines, for example, communities now make a living from nature based tourism.
Conservation scholarships
The CCC Trust has awarded scholarships to hundreds of local people around the world. Marine Scholarships are currently available in the Philippines, Fiji, Honduras, and Malaysia.
Courses are provided on diving, marine biology and survey techniques - essential skills for monitoring the long-term health of their coral reefs. Recipients have included teachers, students and fisherman. A similar Forest Scholarship Programme has been launched in Malaysia and the Philippines.
Educational resources
Establishing training and monitoring projects enable local people to gauge the health of their reefs and forests and make the right decisions on managing them. Educational programmes targeting audiences from school children to government officials are another of the Trust's priorities. With CCC Trust funding a series of educational posters depicting life above and below the waves in regions throughout the world have been produced.
The posters not only show the incredible range of species that inhabit coral reefs and tropical forests, but also the importance of these environments to local communities. Along with other educational resources, the posters have been distributed worldwide.
Other education projects funded by the CCC Trust have included a reef conservation display at the London Aquarium and an environmental exhibition at the Museo Pambata in Manila.
