The bleaching of mass corals forces the revision of the reef protection plan



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Calendar: Why was this report purchased?

  • 2015 – The Australian and Queensland governments published the Reef 2050 Long-Term Sustainability Plan
  • 2016 – There were major problems with Barrier Reef coral bleaching
  • 2017 – There was more incidents of coral bleaching along the Great Barrier Reef. The coral bleaching cycle is linked to the warming of the oceans
  • March-April 2017 – Additional damage was caused by cyclone Debbie
  • September 2017 and May 2018 – Studies have shown "significant coral coral bleaching, cyclones -thorns starfish "
  • July 2018 – The Ministerial Forum of the Great Barrier Reef decided to present a revised plan for the long-term sustainability of the 2050 reef

What is it? who has changed in the policy and direction of this new report? focus on climate change in the revised report.

1. New actions to adapt to climate have been added. A new policy is to develop a reef resilience network and work on localized restoration activities to build this network.

2. Research will begin on climate change trajectories to judge their impact on the Great Barrier Reef. These climate change pathways will be examined in 2020 in the first comprehensive review of the revised plan.

3. The water quality objectives have been updated

What is the major problem?

Increases in water temperature around the Great Barrier Reef must be less than 1.5 degrees, according to peer-reviewed scientists. coral bleaching, says the report. A concerted international effort is needed

What are the main projects currently underway?

This three-page table shows that $ 600 million of fertilizer and sediment control projects are currently funded by Australia and Queensland.

Includes $ 8.5 million for two sediment erosion control and restoration projects led by Greening Australia to prevent silt from flowing along rivers and into reefs.

  Sediment flowing along the Burdekin River to Upstart Bay near Bowen

Sediment flowing along the Burdekin River to Upstart Bay near Bowen

Photo: Tony Moore

D & Where does the money come from?

Australian Government Invests $ 500 Million in 2018-1919 Budget

The Queensland Government spends $ 500 million on a land restoration fund in its 2018-19 budget.

The Clean Energy Finance Corporation It has $ 1 billion "on a commercial basis" for clean energy projects near the reef.

In December 2017, it invested $ 345 million in more than 280 projects, including seven solar farms in central and northern Queensland. Past funding pledges

In 2016, $ 1.28 billion was committed to protect the Great Barrier Reef. This included $ 716 million from the Australian Government, $ 409 million from the Queensland Government and $ 161 million from other sources.

What does the Great Barrier Reef contribute to the economy?

  1. More than two million visitors each year
  2. Generates an economic activity of $ 6.4 billion each year, mainly through tourism
  3. This is a "labyrinth" of 1050 islands and 3000 reefs extending over 2300 kilometers along the Queensland coast

How will the results be verified? are annual reports to the environment ministers of Queensland and Australia and updated in five-year outlook reports, independently controlled by the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority

Great Barrier Reef in 2020.

The Great Barrier Reef has been a UNESCO protected site since 1981.

What do the observers say about the revised reef plan? Dr. Martin Rice said that the revised plan did not recognize Australia's low greenhouse gas pollution reduction targets and was relying heavily on $ 500 million to improve the quality of greenhouse gas emissions in Australia. WWF ocean fighter, Richard Leck, said the plan indicated that more effort was needed to keep global warming at less than 2 degrees Centigrade. He also asked why farmers did not update their practices to stop fertilizer runoff.

Tony Moore is a senior reporter at Brisbane Times

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