Australia pledges $700 million to protect Great Barrier Reef

Canberra, Jan 28 (Agency) The Australian government announced on Friday that it will be sanctioning 1 billion Australian dollars ($700 million) to protect the Great Barrier Reef, from the threat of climate change. Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison unveiled the decade-long conservation package days ahead of a February 1 deadline set by UNESCO to submit a report on the reef’s state of conservation and months after it narrowly avoided being placed on the UN’s cultural agency’s “danger” list. “We are backing the health of the reef and the economic future of tourism operators, hospitality providers and Queensland communities that are at the heart of the reef economy,” Morrison said in a statement.

The funds will be used to support new climate adaptation technology, investment in water quality programs, and protect key species in the biodiverse reef, Morrison added. The move was backed by 13 public figures including actors, former politicians and journalists who in a letter published last July, urged leaders to act fast and “save” the reef. In July, UNESCO had debated whether the Great Barrier Reef was “in danger” — a designation which meant a site is under threat and if action wasn’t taken, it stood the risk of losing its World Heritage status, the UN agency had warned.

This announcement also comes ahead of a general election expected in May. However, the Australian Climate Council, an independent body, dismissed Morrison’s pledge, calling it “a band-aid on a broken leg” in a statement.