Ningaloo Coast Resilience Strategy released
In a world-first for any World Heritage Marine Site, the Great Barrier Reef Foundation (GBRF) have developed a Resilience Strategy to help another incredible reef, and the largest fringing reef in the world, face the impacts of climate change and local threats.
The development of the strategy was a rigorous process informed by unprecedent engagement across local stakeholders—community members, business operators, Traditional Owners, scientists and managers—as well as global partners. As the first ever resilience strategy for a UNESCO reef site it is an excellent illustration of what a local roadmap for climate adaptation for reef and community can look like.
Importantly, the strategy and its development process are already guiding a coordinated approach to actions, including:
- Traditional Owners were supported to document their aspirations for healing sea country and to map their values and sites of significance so they can be protected into the future.
- The economic contribution of the reef has been quantified to support decision makers in the tough decisions they have to make every day.
- A framework for decision-making on reef restoration was developed to coordinate research, mitigate risks, and ensure that trials are designed in partnership with Traditional Owners, tourism operators, and community members.
- A local school is working with scientists and managers to understand data gaps and help to fill these through their field trips to the coast.
- Tourism operators are researching the behaviors that are driving increases in the number of vessel strikes on manta rays.
Read more: https://www.barrierreef.org/news/news/helping-the-ningaloo-coast-adapt-to-climate-change