On the occasion of the Our Ocean Conference, Audrey Azoulay, UNESCO Director-General, announced an emergency plan to give reefs the best chance of survival, with the support of the Global Fund for Coral Reefs. She also called for an international mobilization to prevent coral reef extinction. 

UNESCO World Heritage coral reefs cover over half a million square kilometers worldwide, exhibiting exceptional biodiversity. They play a critical role in absorbing carbon emissions and protect coastlines from storms and erosion. Over a hundred indigenous communities are directly dependent on them for their subsistence. Moreover, they serve as reference points on the impacts of climate change on reefs everywhere.

But the scientific data concerning these coral reefs is now very alarming. Reefs are bleaching far more rapidly than the initial science suggested. These “bleached” corals are highly vulnerable to starvation and disease and have an increasingly high mortality rate. This year, for the first time, mass coral bleaching also occurred in a traditionally cooler, La Niña period. Under the current emissions scenario, all World Heritage-listed reefs are at risk of disappearing by the end of this century.

It is reported that this plan will build on the Resilient Reefs  Initiative launched by UNESCO and partners at the previous Our Ocean Summit in 2018. The Resilient Reefs Initiative demonstrates that local pressures can be reduced through active intervention and that empowering local communities helps them to adapt their income and livelihoods to the changing realities.

Reef conservation and recovery are among key actions endorsed by UNESCO as part of the UN Decade of Ocean Science for Sustainable Development 2021-2030 (The “Ocean Decade”). The Resilient Reefs Initiative continues until 2024, with a total of USD$ 10 million mobilized.

The partnership between UNESCO and the Global Fund for Coral Reefs will step up investment for climate resilience strategies across World Heritage-listed reefs in developing countries. The partnership will explore joint opportunities for prioritization of support to the 19 out of 29 World Heritage-listed reefs that are located in developing countries.

Source:  UNESCO