It is the most biodiversity-rich World Heritage Site, yet it faces many threats. For this reason, the Australian government is choosing to invest in the Great Barrier Reef and in experiments on coral resilience.
The Great Barrier Reef is the largest living organism on Earth, visible even from space. Located in Australia, it is one of the country's major tourist attractions and provides 64,000 jobs. The government has decided to allocate almost 60 million Australian dollars (approximately 39 million euros) to protect it and to reduce the phenomenon of coral bleaching, which in 2016 and 2017 was particularly severe due to ocean acidification.
The Great Barrier Reef "is a vibrant and resilient ecosystem. We want to secure its future for the benefit of all Australians," reads the statement from Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull. The government funds will be distributed as follows:
The government's decision forms part of a plan of broader measures to be carried out by 2050. Greenpeace activists believe it is not sufficient: "Coal-fuelled climate change is killing the reef, but instead of moving away from fossil fuels and withdrawing support for the Carmichael mine, the Prime Minister and the Environment Minister are once again only addressing the symptoms of the problem," said Greenpeace climate and energy campaign head Nikola Casule.
According to the United Nations, the Great Barrier Reef is the most biodiverse World Heritage Site on the planet. It is home to several species of sharks and sea turtles, as well as an extraordinary variety of fish and molluscs. Malcolm Turnbull has urged against pessimism and called for the challenge to be embraced in a positive spirit. Working on international strategies for the gradual phase-out of fossil fuels is undoubtedly essential, but intervening at a local level to protect ecosystems is an equally necessary step.