strategy
strategy
unlocking potential
The growth of Wakatobi’s conservation footprint over the last 30 years shows what’s possible when communities derive real value from maintaining their underwater assets. After more than a quarter-century of self-funded conservation, efficiency is built into every step of the process. With external support, Reefonomics can now scale this proven model — across Wakatobi’s operational area and far beyond the resort’s reach.
wakatobi’s footprint
Conservation began in 1996 with the first reef lease agreement: one village agreed to stop fishing a short stretch of reef directly in front of the resort, in exchange for a monthly lease payment — a simple shift that created a foundation for long-term protection.
From that first step, by the end of 2024, the initiative had grown to include 18 villages and 35 kilometres of protected reef, actively managed and patrolled by local communities under local leadership.
ongoing expansion
This year, progress is underway to expand the protected area to over 60 km of reef.
Previously, the northern edge of Lintea atoll was protected from fishing, with fishing still permitted in the southern part of the atoll and lagoon.
The goal now is to protect the entirety of Lintea atoll, making it a zero-take zone.
This will protect not just the fringing reef habitats, but also the seagrass nurseries that sustain the surrounding ecosystem.
a growing team
The reef patrol team, now over 100 strong and made up of former fishermen, has been expanded to cover the larger area.
New patrol routes have been mapped across the atoll, and floating bases have been constructed to support 24-hour monitoring.
The protection of the full atoll reflects community investment in thoroughly safeguarding a network of productive habitats.
Reef-Linked income
This expansion does more than protect biodiversity — scaling protection means scaling participation. More reef protection means more income flowing to local communities and more livelihoods linked to healthy ecosystems,
In much of the region, reefs are heavily exploited for minimal short-term gain. Reefonomics flips the equation: reefs become high-value assets for the communities that protect them, delivering long-term, stable income that far outpaces the returns of extraction.
maximising wakatobi’s reach
Reefonomics has charted a course to the next stage of this expansion: 185 km of protected reef within Wakatobi’s operational area.
A total reef length comparable to Singapore’s 193 km coastline.
Growth is no small feat. Every kilometre of reef protected involves community agreements, ecological mapping, continuous monitoring, and around-the-clock patrolling — all coordinated through a conservation model that is efficient, deeply embedded in the local economy, and proven to deliver results.
Our strategy
This is Reefonomics’ strategy: a scalable, efficient, and community-rooted system for reef preservation — delivering real benefits to biodiversity, to coastal communities, and to the companies that help make it possible.
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