UNESCO/Ocean: World Heritage Coral Reef Resilience Emergency Plan

Faced with the risk that all the coral reefs inscribed on the World Heritage List will disappear by the end of the century, the Director-General of UNESCO, Audrey Azoulay, has announced an emergency plan to give these reefs the best chance of survival.

In this sense, the patron saint of UNESCO called “for international mobilization to prevent the disappearance of coral reefs. UNESCO is contributing through an emergency plan for the resilience of World Heritage coral reefs, particularly in developing countries”.

UNESCO will partner with the Global Fund for Coral Reefs to fund these actions, she said.

Half a million km2 of reefs of exceptional biodiversity undermined

Endowed with an exceptional biodiversity, the coral reefs of UNESCO World Heritage sites cover more than half a million km2 in the world, the equivalent of the area of ​​France.

They play a vital role in absorbing CO2 emissions and protecting coastlines from storms and erosion. More than a hundred indigenous communities depend on it for their livelihood. They also serve as benchmarks for assessing the impact of climate change on reefs around the world.

However, recent scientific data concerning these coral reefs is alarming. They whiten much faster than the initial predictions suggested.

These “bleached” corals are very vulnerable to nutritional deficiencies and diseases, their mortality rate is particularly high. This year, for the first time, massive coral bleaching even occurred during a traditionally cooler period, known as La Niña. Under the current emissions scenario, all World Heritage reefs are at risk of disappearing by the end of the century.

Reduce local pressures to give reefs the best chance of survival

Warming ocean temperatures due to global CO2 emissions are the primary threat to coral reefs. The latest data from the IPCC confirms that States must drastically reduce carbon emissions to meet the objectives of the Paris Agreement concluded in 2015.

But coral reefs also often face a combination of local pressures, such as pollution, overfishing or habitat destruction.

“Due to global warming, local reef conservation practices are no longer sufficient to protect the world’s most important reef ecosystems. Nevertheless, a healthy and resilient reef is better equipped to regenerate and survive following a bleaching event,” explains Fanny Douvere, marine program manager at the UNESCO World Heritage Centre.

The Organization intends to mobilize its resources and its partners to reduce these local pressures and offer coral reefs the best chance of survival.

The partnership between UNESCO and the Global Fund for Coral Reefs (GFCR), a public-private fund led by the United Nations, will enable investment in climate resilience strategies.

Actions will focus on reducing local factors of degradation, sustainable management of marine protected areas and support for local communities. World Heritage has 29 sites with coral reefs, including 19* sites in developing countries.

Proven initiatives of UNESCO Resilient Reefs

This new large-scale plan will build on the success of the Resilient Reefs initiative launched by UNESCO and its partners at the previous Our Ocean Summit in 2018.

Over the past four years they have worked on 4 World Heritage listed pilot reefs in Australia, Belize, France (New Caledonia) and Palau. This initiative has demonstrated that concrete actions can reduce local pressures while allowing local communities to continue to meet their needs.

In the southern lagoon of the Rock Islands (Palau), for example, the “Resilient Reefs” initiative trains site managers and communities in the latest scientific knowledge, fisheries management and adaptation and resilience issues. The establishment of a license and fishing quotas, as well as measures to protect the habitats and life cycles of species, contribute to the proper renewal of fish stocks.

On the Australian coast of Ningaloo, the “Resilient Reefs” initiative is developing solutions to facilitate the reproduction of corals. When a coral dies following a bleaching event, pieces break off and accumulate on the reef, creating a kind of “rubble” that prevents the growth of new corals. In order for fertilized eggs to settle and hatch on a reef, the surface must instead be clean and hard. The solution, which has been tested, consists of installing small star-shaped structures made of steel bars on the reef: they allow the fertilized eggs to settle and develop. The construction of these “stars” is entrusted to the indigenous populations, which creates local jobs.

At the heart of the United Nations Decade of Ocean Science

From the new World Heritage Reef Resilience Plan, to monitoring water quality to protect coral reefs in Tanzania, to deploying nanotechnology to make reefs more resilient in the Caribbean, conservation and Reef restoration is at the heart of the United Nations Decade of Ocean Science for Sustainable Development 2021-2030.

Launched in 2021 under the coordination of UNESCO, this Decade brings together scientists, ocean managers, members of local and indigenous communities, as well as public and private investors, to jointly develop solutions for the conservation and revitalization of ecosystems. reefs in the world.