What Is The True Risk Level For The Great Barrier Reef? worldcrunch.com - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from worldcrunch.com Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.
Sponsored Articles
Is Australia Really Doing Enough For The Great Barrier Reef? Why Criticisms Of UNESCO’s ‘In Danger’ Recommendation Don’t Stack Up
Share
Published 13 hours ago:
July 2, 2021 at 12:00 pm
In case you missed it, last week the World Heritage Centre of UNESCO revealed its draft decision to list the Great Barrier Reef as “in danger” a decision that appeared to shock the Australian government.
In an opinion piece published yesterday in The Australian newspaper, Environment Minister Sussan Ley acknowledged climate change is the biggest threat to the Great Barrier Reef, and that it “has been through a few rough years”.
In case you missed it, last week the World Heritage Centre of UNESCO revealed its draft decision to list the Great Barrier Reef as “in danger” a decision that appeared to shock the Australian government.
In an opinion piece published yesterday in The Australian newspaper, Environment Minister Sussan Ley acknowledged climate change is the biggest threat to the Great Barrier Reef, and that it “has been through a few rough years”.
She has also suggested, however, UNESCO’s draft in-danger decision is a surprise and was politically motivated. Neither of these claims is credible.
So let’s look at Australia’s reaction so far, and why criticisms of UNESCO’s draft decision don’t stack up.
Jon C. Day Ove Hoegh-Guldberg Professor, The University of Queensland
In an opinion piece published yesterday in The Australian newspaper, Environment Minister Sussan Ley acknowledged climate change is the biggest threat to the Great Barrier Reef, and that it “has been through a few rough years”.
She has also suggested, however, UNESCO’s draft in-danger decision is a surprise and was politically motivated. Neither of these claims is credible.
So let’s look at Australia’s reaction so far, and why criticisms of UNESCO’s draft decision don’t stack up.
The poster child for climate change
An in-danger listing of a World Heritage property recognises a decline in the “outstanding universal value” that makes the site internationally significant. It sets off alarm bells to identify the underlying causes of decline, and triggers stronger interventions to prevent further damage.