MADRID, 14 (EUROPA PRESS)
UNESCO Director-General Aydrey Azoulav has announced a contingency plan to bolster resistance to coral reefs on the World Heritage List as they all risk disappearing by the end of the century.
As part of the “Our Ocean” conference in Palau, Azoulay, with the support of the Global Fund for Coral Reefs, announced an emergency plan to “give them the maximum chance of survival” and called for international mobilization to prevent extinction.
Declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO, the coral reefs worldwide cover more than half a million km2 – the size of France – and boast an exceptional biodiversity. UNESCO highlights their fundamental role in absorbing carbon emissions and protecting coasts from storms and erosion.
It is currently estimated that more than a hundred indigenous communities depend directly on them for their livelihood and they provide a reference point for the impacts of climate change. However, the institution cautions that the scientific data on these coral reefs is now very alarming as they are currently bleaching “much faster” than the original science suggested.
Bleached corals are highly susceptible to starvation and disease, and have an increasingly high mortality rate. This year saw the first massive coral bleaching event during a traditionally colder period, that of La Niña. With the current scenario of greenhouse gas emissions, all reefs that are on the World Heritage List are in danger of disappearing by the end of this century.
According to UNESCO, warming ocean temperatures due to global CO2 emissions are the biggest threat to coral reefs worldwide. Most coral reefs are also subject to a mix of local pressures such as pollution, overfishing or habitat destruction.
Therefore, under the plan announced by Azolav, UNESCO will mobilize its resources and partners to ease local pressures and give reefs a chance to survive in a rapidly changing environment.
“I call for international mobilization to prevent coral reef extinction and announce an important contribution from UNESCO: an emergency plan to strengthen the resistance of World Heritage-listed reefs, especially those of developing countries. UNESCO is partnering with the Global Coral Reef Fund to fund this commitment,” announced the Director-General.
The Resilient Reefs Initiative will continue through 2024 with a total budget of $10 million so far.
Actions focus on reducing local deterioration factors, strengthening sustainable management of marine protected areas and supporting local communities. The partnership will explore joint options to prioritize support for 19 of the 29 World Heritage-listed reefs that are located in developing countries.
Along those lines, UNESCO World Heritage Center Marine Program Director Fanny Douvere explained that global warming is causing local reef conservation practices to become inadequate to protect the world’s most important reef ecosystems. “After a bleaching event, a healthy and resilient reef can regenerate and survive,” he said.