Climate change pressure on the Great Barrier Reef World Heritage Area

Key Finding

Climate change is the most significant threat to the Great Barrier Reef’s ecosystem and heritage values, and therefore its outstanding universal value.

The rate and magnitude of climate change is increasing due to the continual rise in global carbon dioxide concentrations in the atmosphere directly linked to the burning of fossil fuels. The strongest and fastest possible action on climate change is critical to slowing deterioration of the Reef’s ecosystem and heritage values and supporting recovery.

Climate change continues to negatively affect all 4 World Heritage natural criteria.

A diverse range of habitats are under pressure. Components of natural phenomena, such as turtle breeding, whale migration and coral spawning, continue but these elements are being increasingly challenged by climate change.

Climate change has contributed to many ecological processes deteriorating and an altered disturbance regime due to climate change has impaired the resilience of the ecosystem. The Reef’s ability to regenerate and grow is being compromised due to alterations in processes that influence reef formation and maintain sediment accumulation on reefs and islands. This alteration is intensifying in a negative way due to climate change.

While the property remains whole and intact, ecosystem resilience is deteriorating and the property’s size is becoming less effective as a buffer to disturbance, particularly the broad scale impacts of climate change.

More information:

• Great Barrier Reef Outlook Report 2019, and references therein

Relevant Sustainable Development Goals’ targets

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