![]() ![]() The outlook is similarly grim, with scientists predicting that about 70% to 90% of all living coral around the world will disappear in the next 20 years. Last year, scientists found the global extent of living coral has declined by half since 1950 due to climate change, overfishing and pollution. Warming oceans and acidification caused by the climate crisis have led to widespread coral bleaching. It also contributes $4.8 billion annually to Australia’s economy and supports 64,000 jobs in tourism, fishing and research, according to the Great Barrier Reef Foundation.īut as the planet continues to warm, because of the growing amount of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere, the reef’s long-term survival has come into question. Spanning nearly 133,000 square miles and home to more than 1,500 species of fish and over 400 species of hard corals, the Great Barrier Reef is an extremely critical marine ecosystem on the Earth. Jumbo Aerial Photography/Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority/AP “There is no need to single the Great Barrier Reef out in this way.” “Yes, climate change is a risk to ecosystems like the Great Barrier Reef but that means it’s a risk to every reef globally,” Plibersek said. ![]() The recommendations include slashing greenhouse gas emissions, reassessing proposed projects and credit schemes, and scaling up financial resources to ultimately protect the reefs.Īustralia’s environment minister Tanya Plibersek argued in a press conference Tuesday that the UNESCO report unfairly puts the spotlight on the Great Barrier Reef. Originally scheduled to be released in May before UNESCO’s World Heritage Committee meeting in Russia, the report was postponed due to the ongoing war in Ukraine. The long-anticipated final mission report lays out key steps that the scientists say need to be taken urgently, though the report itself was published after a six-month delay. The 10-day monitoring mission by UNESCO scientists in March came months after the World Heritage Committee made an initial recommendation to list Australia’s Great Barrier Reef as “in danger” due to the accelerating impacts of human-caused climate change.Īt the time, the agency called on Australia to “urgently” address the worsening threats of the climate crisis, but received immediate pushback from the Australian government under former Prime Minister Scott Morrison. ![]() “The mission team concludes that the property is faced with major threats that could have deleterious effects on its inherent characteristics, and therefore meets the criteria for inscription on the list of World Heritage in danger,” the report said. (Photo by SAEED KHAN / AFP) (Photo by SAEED KHAN/AFP via Getty Images) Saeed Khan/AFP/Getty ImagesĪustralia will see more extreme weather events, putting strain on economy, report shows TOPSHOT - A family stays next to a flooded street in Lawrence, some 70 kms from the New South Wales town of Lismore, on March 1, 2022.
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