Australia’s unique flora and fauna are at greater risk than ever from bushfires, drought, human activity and global warming, says a “shocking” government report published on Tuesday.
The picture of damage drawn by the scientific report is considerable. Since the early 20th century, Australia’s average land temperature has increased by 1.4 degrees Celsius due to global warming, accelerating the decline of flora and fauna.
Environment Minister Tanya Plibersek described a “shocking document”. “It tells a story of crisis and decline in Australia’s environment,” she said.
Millions of hectares of virgin forest destroyed
The 2019-2020 wildfires burned more than eight million hectares of vegetation and killed or displaced between 1 and 3 billion animals in the country, according to the report’s key findings.
Oceanic heat waves caused massive coral bleaching on the Great Barrier Reef in 2016, 2017 and 2020. Since then, a government report published in March found that the reef had suffered massive bleaching again. Millions of hectares of virgin forest have also been destroyed since 1990.
The same is true of more than seven million hectares of habitat for endangered species between 2000 and 2017, the report continues.
“Australia has lost more mammal species than any other continent,” the report says, with the number of new species listed as threatened rising 8% in five years.
Koalas under threat
“The findings of this report are heartbreaking, and the governance failures that led to losses of this magnitude are devastating,” said Rachel Lowry, Acting Executive Director of WWF-Australia.
“If we ignore the warnings in this report, iconic species like the koalas of eastern Australia or our largest gliding mammal, the great glider, will be gone forever,” he warned.
WWF says the report should be a “tipping point” leading to more investment and stronger laws to protect Australia’s wildlife.
Source: BFM TV
