The Australian Academy of Science has hosted the final of three expert roundtables on the likely impacts of climate change on the Great Barrier Reef.
The Academy was engaged in January 2023 by the Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water to convene experts for a series of roundtables and produce a synthesis report.
This report will be considered by the Reef 2050 Independent Expert Panel in their advice to government on the current and likely health and resilience of the Great Barrier Reef in the face of climate impacts and potential reef interventions.
The first roundtable focused on the health and functioning of the Great Barrier Reef in the face of current climate impacts and the climate impacts that may be anticipated in the medium-term future (2040 – 2060) under low and high emission scenarios.
The second roundtable explored the potential interactions, combined benefits and conflicts between reef intervention strategies and technologies, with focused discussion on understanding knowledge gaps and barriers to the deployment of technologies and interventions at scale.
The third roundtable challenged participants to consider whether we are doing all that we can for the Reef. Participants confirmed a need for integrity, honesty and leadership to communicate that the Reef is under real and imminent threat.
Participants also discussed where future research efforts may be required to explore what we do not know and how existing information could be better integrated and shared.
A 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.
