PurposeThe purpose of the study is to reviewing community empowerment in ecological conservation through the Coral Reef Rehabilitation and Management Program (COREMAP). This research is under a governance perspective, namely transparency, accountability and community participation in Bahari Village, South Buton District, Indonesia.Design/methodology/approachData were collected in three ways: they are interviews, observation and documentation. Data were analyzed using qualitative descriptive methods.FindingsThe empowerment of coastal village communities through the COREMAP program is not fully managed properly referring to the principles of transparency, accountability and participatory. In addition, the role of stakeholders is not maximal, where the government and the companion are not able to provide solutions to the problem of community empowerment while the apathetic community in the implementation of empowerment program. So that empowerment does not fully have a positive impact on coastal communities. While the sustainability of the empowerment program is threatened with failure, which has an impact on COREMAP's environmental damage and coastal communities.Originality/valueThe originality of this research is that the study was conducted on coastal communities in ecological conservation through the COREMAP program in Bahari Village, South Buton Regency.

Role of stakeholders is very important in society empowerment process especially in coral reef conservation. This research studied role of stakeholder in society empowerment through coral reef rehabilitation and management program. Role of society in empowerment to conserve coral reef was more to participate in planning process however in implementation process the participation of people were still low and apathies. Role of laborers in society empowerment for coral reef conservation as facilitator, trainer and educator was maximal.