Story at a glance
- The report says the Great Barrier Reef has suffered from coral bleaching caused by warm ocean temperatures over the past several years.
- “There is no possible doubt that the property is facing ascertained danger,” the report states.
- Australia strongly opposes the designation.
The Australian government and the United Nations (U.N.) are at odds over the state of the Great Barrier Reef as the international body said the country wasn’t doing enough to protect it from the effects of climate change.
In a report released Monday, the U.N. Educational Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) recommended the largest coral reef system in the world be added to its list of World Heritage sites that are “in danger.”
The report said the reef that stretches more than 1,400 miles off the coast of Queensland and its marine life have significantly suffered from coral bleaching caused by warm ocean temperatures over the past several years.
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“There is no possible doubt that the property is facing ascertained danger,” the report states.
The downgrade of the reef’s World Heritage status could damage Australia’s tourism industry and increase international pressure on the country to take tougher measures to curb greenhouse gas emissions.
The World Heritage Committee, which is made up of 21 countries, will consider the question in China next month.
Australia plans to “strongly” oppose the listing, arguing the country has made a $3-billion investment to protect the reef after UNESCO debated it’s “in danger” status several years ago. Australian officials said the move was a deviation from the normal process of assessing the status of World Heritage sites.
“The Great Barrier Reef is the best managed reef in the world and this draft recommendation has been made without examining the Reef first hand, and without the latest information,” Australia’s Minister for the Environment Sussan Ley said in a statement.
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“I agree that global climate change is the single biggest threat to the world’s reefs but it is wrong, in our view, to single out the best managed reef in the world for an ‘in danger’ listing” Ley said.
The U.N. recommendation, however, was applauded by environmentalists.
Richard Leck, head of oceans for the World Wildlife Fund, said the UNESCO recommendation shows the Australian government isn’t doing enough to protect the reef.
“The prospect of losing the World Heritage status of our Reef will be a huge shock for many Australians, but it is a powerful message that our Government needs to urgently lift its ambition on the threats to its existence – climate change and water quality,” Leck said in a statement.
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