Great Barrier Reef IUCN Classification is now Critical

Out of 18 critical sites, it is one of two sites to have a deteriorating outlook.

ICUN Program. Image — Wikimedia Commons.

The International Union for Conservation of Nature IUCN has moved it classification of the Great Barrier Reef to “critical”, in its November 2020 World Heritage Outlook 3 report, worse than the previous 2017 report classification of “significant concern”.

ICUN World Heritage Outlook 3 November 2020 https://portals.iucn.org/library/sites/library/files/documents/2020-035-En.pdf

The IUCN is comprised of government and civil society organizations, which advise government and non-government organizations with information to enable world environment conservation and protection.

The IUCN is a large environmental network and is the official advisor on nature to the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization UNESCO World Heritage Committee (IUCN, 2020).

Queensland coast and Great Barrier Reef. Image — Wikimedia Commons.

The IUCN uses the World Heritage Convention to enable protection of the world’s biological diversity and natural heritage.

Within the World Heritage Convention is the concept of Outstanding Universal Value and is defined as “cultural and/or natural significance which is so exceptional as to transcend national boundaries and to be of common importance for present and future generations of all humanity” (UNESCO, 2019).

World sites of Outstanding Universal Value are then classified as good, low concern, high or significant concern and critical.

World Heritage sites classifications. There are 252 sites. Image — IUCN 2020.

Sites with critical conservation status are severely threatened, by a range of threats, with loss of their values and require urgent, additional, large-scale conservation measures.

The Great Barrier Reef is among many sites that are classified “critical”.

These 18 sites have a “critical” conservation outlook. Image — IUCN 2020.

Sites with deteriorating conservation outlook. Image — IUCN 2020.

Threats to World Heritage sites in Oceania. Image — IUCN 2020.

The two most significant threats in most of the Oceania sites are ‘Invasive Non-Native/Alien Species’ and ‘Climate Change and Severe Weather’ among many other threats.

The ICUN World Heritage Outlook 3 November 2020 is yet another reminder of the urgent need to reduce our emissions of carbon dioxide.

References:

IUCN (2020) IUCN World Heritage Outlook 3 https://portals.iucn.org/library/sites/library/files/documents/2020-035-En.pdf

UNESCO (2019). The Operational Guidelines for the Implementation of the World Heritage Convention. Paris, France. UNESCO World Heritage Centre. https://whc.unesco.org/en/guidelines/