The United Nation’s cultural and scientific body, UNESCO, has warned Australia must do more on land clearing and climate change if it wants to save the Great Barrier Reef.
While the World-Heritage-listed reef has been left off the in-danger list for now, UNESCO says the Reef faces its fifth mass bleaching event in eight years.
“The state party should be urged to set more ambitious emission reduction targets consistent with limiting global temperature to 1.5 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels,” UNESCO said in a draft decision on June 25.
“It is clear that the property remains under serious threat, and urgent and sustained action is of utmost priority in order to improve the resilience of the property in a rapidly changing climate.”
Yet Australian reef researcher Peter Ridd was sceptical of the claim, saying it was “scaremongering.”
“Given that the Great Barrier Reef has more coral in the last two years than at any stage since records began in 1985, it is hard to see that the reef is under great threat and needs saving,” he told The Epoch Times.
“This despite supposedly suffering catastrophic bleaching five times since 2016.
Mr. Ridd said the reef had a record amount of coral in 2022/23—twice as much as than in 2012.
Even the fastest growing coral takes five to 10 years to grow, Mr. Ridd said.
Yet environmental groups still say the UNESCO move was ominous.
In a statement, the Australian Marine Conservation Society (AMCS) said there was nothing to celebrate in being put on “probation” for the reef’s management.
AMCS Great Barrier Reef campaign manager Lissa Schindler said Australia must provide an update on reef health in just seven months, meaning the reef was far from safe.
“Over the past 10 years the World Heritage Committee has been clear on what Australia needs to do to better protect the reef and avoid an ‘in danger’ listing,” she said.
“The Albanese government has made more commitments than the previous government, but Australia still needs to do more to tackle climate change and cut water pollution in reef waters.
“Requesting a report back next year really emphasises UNESCO’s concern on this.”
