World Heritage Committee orders review of Great Barrier Reef management
UNESCO’s World Heritage Committee has ordered the management of the Great Barrier Reef to undergo a full review in 2026.
The review was ordered due to recent mass bleaching events, severe coastal floods and the lack of climate preparation.
The World Heritage Committee decided in its 47th session in Paris that Australia’s management of the Great Barrier Reef would need to undergo a full review.
Australia must submit a full State of Conservation report by February 2026, detailing plans to preserve and maintain the site.
The report must address how issues outlined by WHC will be rectified and how it will implement the recommendations of the 2022 UNESCO-IUCN Reactive Monitoring Mission. The Reef might qualify for the World Heritage In Danger list if authorities deem the progress plan inadequate.
The Australian Marine Conservation Society Great Barrier Reef Campaign Manager, Dr Lissa Schindler said the 2026 review will be a critical test for Australia.
“If Australia wants to protect the Reef and keep it off the World Heritage In Danger list, then the number one thing it must do is adopt reef-safe climate policies and cutting climate pollution by 90 per cent by 2035,” she said.
The World Heritage Committee’s Concerns
This year has seen six mass bleaching events on the Reef, as well as flooding which damaged more 700 kilometres of coral reefs.
The committee’s main concerns are Australia’s lack of progress in tackling issues of climate change, poor water quality, deforestation and unsuitable fisheries.
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The harvest and extraction of wild coral for aquariums is an ongoing practice in Australia. Last summer’s floods sent harmful contaminants more than 100 km offshore, harming already struggling coral reefs. The reduction of coastline deforestation, which contributes to water pollution, has not occurred.
A plea for action
Dr Schindler say that management of the Great Barrier Reef is the responsibility of both the Federal and Queensland Governments.
“This decision says that the world is still deeply concerned about the Great Barrier Reef… Australia has just six months to show real progress,” she said.
The Australian Marine Conservation Society is urging state and federal governments to commit to urgent conservation efforts to protect the Great Barrier Reef.
