Funds for Wetland Restoration Crucial for Reef’s Safety
The Australian Marine Conservation Society (AMCS) welcomes the Australian Government’s $50 million funding allocation from its $1.2 billion Reef commitment, targeted at restoring wetland ecosystems and reducing water pollution in the Great Barrier Reef. While this an important step to help address nitrogen pollution, a longer-term commitment to larger-scale restoration will be needed to reduce pollution to levels that protect the Reef in the future.
The Australian and Queensland governments have fallen behind on their commitments to reduce water pollution on the Great Barrier Reef. Wetland restoration is a cost-effective way to meet water quality targets and increase the resilience of our Reef in the face of increasingly frequent and severe mass bleaching, cyclone and flood events turbocharged by climate change.
Dr. Max Hirschfeld, AMCS Water Quality Manager, said: “This is very welcome funding to address water pollution on the Great Barrier Reef. Water pollution is the most pressing local threat facing the Reef, undermining its resilience to climate impacts like coral bleaching”.
“Wetlands link the land to the Reef and play a critical role in filtering pollution before it ends up in our ocean. But, over 50% of wetlands have been lost in Reef catchments due to land clearing and modification for agricultural, industrial, and urban development. Until recently, government investments have focused on changing farming practices, while catchment ecosystems continued to degrade.
“Recent flooding in north Queensland has again demonstrated that water pollution can reach coral reefs up to a hundred kilometers offshore, following heavy rainfall events.
“The funding commitment to restore wetlands is a significant step in the right direction but to effectively reduce the amount of nitrogen entering the Reef restoration projects need to target hotspots, areas with the highest nitrogen pollution.
“Wetland restoration will require substantial long-term commitments. What’s needed is identification of the most effective locations for wetland restoration and supporting projects at the scale required to substantially reduce water pollution to provide a critical boost to the resilience and health of our Reef.”
https://www.marineconservation.org.au/wetland-restoration-funding-the-key-to-protect-the-great-barrier-reef-from-water-pollution/