The Australian Academy of Science has hosted the second of three expert roundtables to inform advice to government on the likely impacts of climate change on the Great Barrier Reef and potential interventions under plausible climate futures.
The Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water engaged the Academy in January to convene the roundtables and deliver a synthesis report to support the Reef 2050 Independent Expert Panel‘s advice to government.
The second roundtable expanded on discussions from the first roundtable.
Thirty-one experts discussed the interventions and technologies that could sustain or improve the health and functioning of the Great Barrier Reef in the face of current and future climate impacts that may be anticipated in the medium-term future (2040-60) under both low and high emission scenarios.
The potential interactions, combined benefits and conflicts between these intervention strategies and technologies were explored, with focused discussion on understanding knowledge gaps and barriers for deployment of technologies and interventions at scale.
Diverse expertise from scientists, engineers, Traditional Owners, policy and regulatory experts was presented in the discussion, reinforcing the holistic approach that is required to understand and maintain the complex Great Barrier Reef ecosystem.
Topics including climate mitigation, greenhouse gas emission reductions and cost benefit assessments are not within the remit of these roundtables.
The final roundtable, to be held on 2 May, will build on the findings of roundtables one and two and integrate these with additional social and cultural context.
The final report to be delivered later this year will present the outcomes of the roundtable process to the Independent Expert Panel for its consideration. Following this, the report will be made publicly available as a resource for governments and the non-government sector.
