Great Barrier Reef Climate Change Action Plan

Climate change has emerged as the most significant long-term threat to the Great Barrier Reef. In response, the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority, in partnership with the Department of Climate Change, is implementing the Great Barrier Reef Climate Change Action Plan. The Action Plan is funded with an $8.9 million 5-year allocation under the Council of Australian Governments (COAG) National Climate Change Adaptation Framework.

The Great Barrier Reef Climate Change Action Plan outlines a five-year program designed to develop and test strategies that will give the Reef, and those who depend upon it, the best chance of coping with climate change. The plan identifies strategies for direct actions and partnerships that will increase the resilience of the Great Barrier Reef to climate change. It focuses on actions that can be taken to help minimise impacts on the Great Barrier Reef ecosystem, on Reef industries such as tourism, commercial and recreational fishing and on regional communities.

The Action Plan is built on the comprehensive knowledge base compiled in Climate Change and the Great Barrier Reef: A Vulnerability Assessment. It is being implemented in collaboration with stakeholders and other partners, to help minimise the impacts of climate change. The Action Plan is designed to coordinate with other relevant science and adaptation initiatives, including the National Climate Change Adaptation Framework and research programs funded by the Marine and Tropical Sciences Research Science Facility (MTSRF) and the Australian Research Council. The Action Plan also complements climate change response strategies of the Queensland government and the Great Barrier Reef marine tourism Industry. 

The Action Plan is organised around four objectives: targeted science, a resilient Great Barrier Reef ecosystem, adaptation of industries and regional communities, and reduced climate footprints. While filling key information gaps identified in the Vulnerability Assessment remains an important objective, the major focus of the Action Plan is supporting adaptation activities through policy analysis and review, testing adaptation actions through case studies and inspiring adaptation measures through awareness-raising and partnerships.