(Sydney) Australia must take “urgent” action to protect the Great Barrier Reef, including more ambitious climate targets, UNESCO warned on Monday.
The world’s largest coral ecosystem “remains seriously threatened” and “urgent and sustained action is of the highest priority”, the institution said in a report, citing the problem of bleaching of the barrier.
UNESCO has asked Australia to submit an update in early 2025 on its coral protection and preservation efforts, but is not recommending placement of the site on its list of World Heritage in Danger.
The request from the United Nations body was welcomed by Australian Environment Minister Tanya Plibersek.
It’s “a big win for Queensland, a big win for the thousands of people who rely on the reef for work, and a big win for all the plants and animals that call it home,” she said. said in a statement Monday.
Environmental groups, however, say UNESCO’s decision should ring a “wake-up call.”
“UNESCO has asked Australia to set more ambitious climate targets, and has given us a deadline of February 2025 to submit a progress report,” recalled David Ritter, Greenpeace Australia Managing Director. -Pacific, stating that “the clock is ticking.”
The Great Barrier Reef, northeast of Australia, is suffering the worst bleaching episode ever observed under the effect of global warming, with 73% of its reefs damaged, the Marine Park Authority announced in April. Great Barrier Reef, which depends on and manages the Australian federal government.
This new episode, due to the rise in water temperature, is the fifth in eight years.
This phenomenon of dieback leads to the expulsion of symbiotic algae giving the coral its bright color. If high temperatures persist, the coral turns white and dies.