AndA team of United Nations experts has recommended the inclusion of the Great Barrier Reef off the east coast of Australia on the list of World Heritage in Danger.
In March, the delegation spent ten days touring the threatened natural wonder and examining its condition in detail. The world’s largest barrier reef, a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1981, is “gravely threatened” by the effects of climate change and meets the criteria for classification as endangered, the team concluded.
The Great Barrier Reef is increasingly exposed to severe coral bleaching, he said. Four major bleaching events have occurred since 2016 alone. “Re-mass bleaching occurred during the team visit,” she said. It was the first time the mass phenomenon occurred during a so-called La Niña phase, which is associated with cooler temperatures in the Pacific.
Unesco had already threatened to put the reef on the Red List of World Heritage Sites in Danger in 2021. The Australian government was only able to avert this serious damage to its prestige through political pressure. It won’t be talked about again until 2023.
