According to Reef Check and others, one of the "services" that coral reefs provide to society is coastal protection. One estimate I have seen suggests that reefs protect up to 20% of our coasts from erosion.
In Tekek, large parts (but not all) of the reef have been degraded. Perhaps this is a contributing factor to the erosion. So dumping sand (which is a large component of the project) might be only part of the solution. Perhaps we should be advocating a more comprehensive approach, including, for example, artificial reef structures, which will create reefs into the future as well as protect the coast from erosion.
The project does have some great benefits for the local population. Part of the project involves widening and deepening the river in Tekek, creating mooring areas for the local's boats. So they can at least store them safely.
The impact of the project is being monitored at Pirate Reef, in the middle of Tekek bay, so there should hopefully be some good data on the impact of the project.
