– We have had a meeting with Unesco where we expressed our disappointment and surprise. This is what Australia’s Minister of the Environment Sussan Ley says, who says the country will fight against the known coral reef ending up on the danger list.
She believes that there are political reasons behind the UN’s position. Ley claims that China may be behind a change in the assessment of the UNESCO World Heritage Committee.
Do not think Australia is doing enough
According to a UNESCO report, the negative development in the sea continues, despite Australia’s efforts to improve conditions
– But our information shows that the reef is on the road to recovery, says Ley.
The UN, for its part, has called on Australians to take swift action to slow down global warming. In recent years, there have been many reports of the devastation of the fascinating natural phenomenon.
“The recommendation from the UN clearly states that the Australian government is not doing enough to protect this great natural resource, especially against climate change,” Richard Leck told Reuters. He is the head of Oceans for the World Wide Fund.
The corals on the Great Barrier Reef are bleached
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Can be the first
If the coral reef is put on the danger list, it is the first time a World Heritage Site ends up there due to climate change, reports BBC.
Places that end up on this list can receive financial support from the World Heritage Fund. But it will also be able to limit access to the reef. And it is a popular tourism destination that provides Australia with many thousands of jobs.
I 2017 The UN also considered putting the reef on the danger list, but ended up adopting a requirement for the Australian Government to take action to improve water quality and limit the impact of coastal developments on the environment. The temperature in the sea has risen so much in recent years that the corals have bleached and large amounts have been lost.
Researchers believe that the phenomenon is a result of global warming. Australia’s handling of coral reefs has received much criticism, especially due to the country’s use of fossil fuels such as coal, the country’s second largest export commodity.
Die in hot water
The coral reef on Australia’s east coast consists of more than 3,000 reefs and 600 islands. It is 2300 km long and houses around 10 percent of the world’s fish species.
– The corals get their colors from algae that supply food to the corals against protection. The algae on the Great Barrier Reef can withstand up to 30 degrees in the water. This year, the sea on Australia’s east coast has been above 30 degrees for a long time. Then the algae disappear and the corals lose their color and dish. This was explained by Trond Amundsen, professor at the Department of Biology at NTNU to NRK one of the many times the destruction of the reef has been warned.
The UN recommendation will be discussed at a Unesco meeting in China in July.
The coral reef is a popular tourist destination.
Photo: Lucas Jackson / Reuters
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