A United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO) committee, recommended that the Great Barrier Reef (GBR) should be added to a list of ‘in danger’ World Heritage Sites, after observing the detrimental impact of climate change. This evoked an angry response from Australia which called it a result of political interference. While, the committee justified its move asserting that there is no iota of doubt that the network of colourful corals off Australia’s northeast coast was “facing ascertained danger.”
Australia said it will challenge UNESCO’s draft recommendation. “We have been singled out in a way that completely distorts the normal process; therefore, we are very strong about it. We will challenge this decision when it comes before the full committee later on in July” said the Australia’s environment minister Sussan Ley. Environmental groups, on the other hand, rejected Australia’s assertion that the recommendation had any political motives.
According to Australia’s Minister for the Environment, Sussan Ley, this decision was flawed and was backed by politics. An Australian government source accused China for this move because of sour relations between the two countries. Chinese officials enjoy strong sway on three UNESCO committees, while a Chinese lawmaker is chairman of the World Heritage Committee.
Australia’s Great Barrier Reef
The Great Barrier Reef in Queensland is an outstanding and significant entity, which was practically inscribed as World Heritage in 1981. It covers an area of 3,48,000 sq km and extends across a contiguous latitudinal range of 14° (10°S to 24°S). It includes extensive cross-shelf diversity, stretching from the low water mark along the mainland coast up to 250 kilometres offshore. This wide depth range includes vast shallow inshore areas, mid-shelf, and outer reefs, and beyond the continental shelf to oceanic waters over 2,000 metres deep. There are over 1,500 species of fish, about 400 species of coral, 4,000 species of mollusc, and some 240 species of birds, plus a great diversity of sponges, anemones, marine worms, crustaceans, and other species. There are some 2,500 individual reefs of varying sizes and shapes, and over 900 islands, ranging from small sandy cays and larger vegetated cays, to large rugged continental islands rising, in one instance, over 1,100 metres above sea level. Collectively, these landscapes and seascapes provide some of the most spectacular maritime scenery in the world. No other world heritage property contains such biodiversity.
Australia’s Great Barrier Reef is a major tourist attraction that supports thousands of jobs. Therefore, Australia has been battling to keep it off the ‘in danger’ list for years. In 2015 also, UNESCO noted that the outlook for the reef was poor but the site’s status was kept unchanged. Since then, it has suffered three major coral bleaching events—in 2016, 2017 and 2018 due to severe marine heatwaves.
Carbon Emission in Australia
Australia relies on coal-fired power, which makes it one of the world’s largest carbon emitters per capita, but its conservative government has steadfastly backed the country’s fossil fuel industries, arguing tougher action on emissions would cost jobs. Last year, relations between Canberra and Beijing had soured after Australia accused China of interfering in domestic affairs. The relations worsened when Prime Minister Scott Morrison sought an independent inquiry over the origins of the coronavirus pandemic. Since then, China has moved to limit imports of Australian barley, beef, cotton, and seafood.
About World Heritage Site
A World Heritage Site is any of various areas or objects inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List. These sites are designated as having ‘outstanding universal value’ under the Convention Concerning the Protection of the World Cultural and Natural Heritage. The convention was adopted by UNESCO in 1972 and formally took effect in 1975 after having been ratified by 20 countries. It provides a framework for international cooperation in preserving and protecting cultural treasures and natural areas throughout the world.
Designating a Site as World Heritage The sites which are designated as World Heritage are of three types: cultural, natural, and mixed.
Cultural heritage sites are historic buildings and town sites, important archaeological sites, and works of monumental sculpture or painting.
Natural heritage sites are restricted to those natural areas that furnish outstanding examples of Earth’s record of life or its geologic processes, or those that provide excellent examples of ongoing ecological and biological evolutionary processes, or those that contain natural phenomena—rare, unique, superlative, or of outstanding beauty, or those that furnish habitats for rare or endangered animals or plants or are sites of exceptional biodiversity.
Mixed heritage sites contain elements of both natural and cultural significance, and the ratio of cultural to natural sites is roughly 3 to 1. Several new sites are added to the list at the middle of each year.
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