The Great Barrier Reef

Recently, a joint report by the IUCN and UNESCO's World Heritage Centre recommended that the Great Barrier Reef be added to the List of World Heritage in Danger, which Australia has opposed.
The reef is not currently listed as endangered.

What is the Great Barrier Reef?

It is located in Australia, off the coast of Queensland.
With over 2,900 individual reefs, 900 islands, and an area of approximately 344,400 square kilometres, it is the world's largest coral reef system.
It is one of the world's most important biodiversity hotspots as well as one of its largest carbon sinks.
It is managed as a multi-use zone, with a variety of commercial and tourism activities permitted.

What does the IUCN-WHC report say?

It is adversely and significantly impacted by climate change factors affecting its resilience to sustain and regenerate itself.
Frequent bleaching events have made many reefs sterile.
Degraded water quality poses a particular threat to marine life and corals.
Pollutants from agricultural and construction activities have been damaging and other proposed developments around the Queensland coast are matters of concern.

What does putting GBR on the List of World Heritage in Danger entail?

The List of World Heritage in Danger is designed to inform the international community of conditions which threaten the characteristics for which a property was inscribed on the World Heritage List and to encourage corrective action.
Under the 1972 World Heritage Convention: inscribing a site on the List allows the WHC to allocate immediate assistance from the World Heritage Fund to the endangered property.
It will invite greater scrutiny of the site.

Source: The Economic Times

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