The Sunday Review
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The Great Barrier Reef should be Additional to the List of world heritage sites “in danger”After completing a mission, scientists came to the conclusion that the world’s largest coral reef system.
In a fresh UN-backed report Published on Monday, the According to scientists, the Reef is under major threat due to the Climate crisis and the actions needed to address it be taken “with upmost urgency.”
“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.
Months later, UNESCO scientists conducted a 10-day monitoring mission in March. the The World Heritage Committee has made an initial recommendation to list Australia’s Great Barrier Reef As “in danger” due to the Accelerating effects of human-caused climate changes
At the time, the Agency called on Australia “urgently” Address the There are increasing threats to the security of the Climate crisis received immediate pushback the Australian government.
The long-awaited last mission report This document outlines key steps to follow the Scientists agree that scientists must be It is urgent that you act immediately, however the report It was finally published six months later than originally planned. Originally planned to be released in May before UNESCO’s World Heritage Committee meeting in Russia, the report was postponed aufgrund of the ongoing war in Ukraine.
These recommendations include reducing greenhouse gas emissions, revising credit schemes and projects, and increasing financial resources to protect the environment. the reefs.
Covering nearly 133,000 miles, the area is home to more that 1,500 species and 400 species of hard corals. the Great Barrier Reef It is a very important marine ecosystem on the Earth.
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.
But, the The planet continues to heat, due to the Increasing amount of greenhouse gases the atmosphere, the reef’s long-term survival has come into question. The effects of acidification and warming oceans have been questioned. the Climate change has led to coral bleaching. Last year, scientists found the The global amount of coral reefs has fallen by half in the last 50 years due to overfishing, climate change and pollution.
Scientists are predicting that coral will disappear from the oceans by 2030. the world will disappear in the In the next 20 Years. The Great Barrier ReefParticularly, the United States has been affected by many mass bleaching events that have occurred since 2015 due to extremely warm ocean temperatures. the Burning of fossil fuels, such as oil, coal and gas.
During the UNESCO monitor missions and reef managers discovered that the Great Barrier Reef It is in distress sixth mass bleaching event Due to climate change-caused heat stress. Aerial surveys of approximately 750 reefs have shown widespread bleaching. the Reef, with the The areas with the most severe bleaching are those in the northern and central regions.
When stressed coral is starved, it can lead to bleaching. Worsening conditions can lead to bleaching. the Corals can starve to death and turn white when their carbonate skeleton becomes exposed.
“Even the most robust corals require nearly a decade to recover,” Jodie Rummer is an associate professor of Marine Biology at James Cook University, Townsville. She previously spoke to The Sunday Review. “So we’re really losing that window of recovery. We’re getting back-to-back bleaching events, back-to-back heat waves. And, and the corals just aren’t adapting to these new conditions.”
Weeks before the Mission, global scientists the UN Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change has been declared alarming report Conclusion: With every extreme warming event, the planet’s vital ecosystems like the Great Barrier Reef are being pushed further towards tipping points beyond the point at which irreversible change can occur.
Researchers on the Mission assessment the One of the worst states of humankind the world’s seven natural wonders, they witnessed how the Climate crisis has dramatically changed the Coral reef system.
A decision on Whichever the reef should be Officially designated as “in danger” Will be made by the The World Heritage Committee will be established next year after UNESCO has completed a thorough review. report This will include responses from the Australian federal and state government.
