Peter Valentine | Conservation Officer
Is there perhaps a sense of hope in the air? Have we turned the corner on wilful discounting of climate change impacts in favour of fossil fuel wealth-making? Is there new enthusiasm for biodiversity survival? Do we truly care about our children? Oh how I wish the answers were all affirmative. But before we dismiss hope, let’s consider some elements of context.
Despite the political and social confusion around climate change, many things are crystal clear. “The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change's (IPCC) Sixth Assessment Report (AR6) concluded that climate risks are appearing faster and will become more severe sooner than previously expected, and it will be harder to adapt with increased global heating.” (The World Health Organisation (WHO), October 2023)
The reasons for this apparent acceleration remain unclear to most scientists. Are some of the models too optimistic perhaps, or have we perhaps not fully understood some of the linkages between complex global components?
It is worrying indeed that well below the optimistic Paris target of “not more than 1.5 degrees C above pre-industrial levels”, both Antarctic and Arctic ice sheets are melting at a much faster rate than predicted. The melting of land-based ice sheets has serious implications for sea level rise, among other things.
“It further reveals that 3.6 billion people already live in areas highly susceptible to climate change. Despite contributing minimally to global emissions, low-income countries and small island developing states (SIDS) endure the harshest health impacts.” (WHO, 2023)
We find ourselves in a world where powerful people, national and business leaders, are well aware of the causes and consequences of climate change but are unable or unwilling to take action. Some may well believe they will be personally exempt from the impacts for various reasons, but the collective judgement of organisations like the United Nations (UN) and agencies like WHO identifies the magnitude of the impacts, and the people most at short term risk.
To all the other health issues people in poverty face, add the greatest burden from the impacts of climate change. It is equally clear that the sooner we act the more likely that our actions will have an effect. Postponed actions undermine outcomes: procrastination will be deadly.
In the meantime, global agencies continue to try and roll out appropriate actions to address both climate and biodiversity crises. A good example is the ongoing effort of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) to advance World Heritage as a mechanism to preserve and protect natural and cultural heritage.
The 2024 meeting of the World Heritage Committee had some good results for us in northern Queensland. Perhaps the obvious one was the Tentative Listing by the Australian Government of areas of Cape York Peninsula, and a dedicated process to lead to a nomination of those places agreed to by the land owners, including Indigenous people.
But in addition, a second stage expansion of a Chinese World Heritage Site is of critical interest to those of us who love birds. The Migratory Bird Sanctuaries along the Coast of Yellow Sea-Bohai Gulf of China is a serial extension of the property of the same name already inscribed on the World Heritage List (in 2019).
As part of the world’s largest intertidal wetland system, this area within the Yellow Sea Eco-region supports crucial habitats for birds migrating on the East Asian-Australasian Flyway (EAAF), which spans some 25 countries from the Arctic to South-East Asia and Australasia.
The sites are part of the delta of the magnificent Yellow River (present and prior channels) and are in a region heavily settled by people. The wetlands serve a unique ecological function as indispensable stopover sites for many millions of waterbirds, and represent a significant example of the shared natural heritage embodied in migratory birds.
Among the species that come to Cairns that will potentially be affected, are the Critically Endangered Far Eastern Curlew (some of which can be seen today on the Cairns Esplanade), the Endangered Great Knot, and a number of other species of our migrants.
Over 70% of the global Far Eastern Curlew population spends the Southern Hemisphere summer in Australia where a significant threat is from off-leash dogs in feeding and roosting areas. This is a matter that needs to be addressed in Cairns.
Only about 500 individuals of the Asian Dowitcher come to Australia, the vast majority (20,000) spending our Southern Hemisphere summer in Indonesia. The majority of Nordmann’s Greenshank refuel at one of China’s new World Heritage sites in the Yellow Sea. Many other species that come to Cairns also pass through the Yellow Sea on their migration.
Being added to the World Heritage List draws attention to the significance of the Yellow Sea-Bohai Gulf of China Migratory Bird Sanctuaries along the Coast, but it is now up to China to ensure protection.
Let us hope this happens. The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) remains unimpressed with the extent of ongoing damage to the habitat for these migratory birds, and the limited amount of such habitat as yet protected. The IUCN noted that the literature consistently singles out habitat loss due to large-scale land reclamation, i.e. conversion of coastal, shallow sea and intertidal areas to claim land for human use, in particular industrial projects, farming, aquaculture, industry, leisure and wind power development.
Some two-thirds of intertidal wetlands along the Yellow Sea have been lost in the past 50 years. The site Listed is a tiny part of the complex habitat used by migratory species. But each step is a promise for a better future for these birds.
All countries along the Flyway need to join together to give support for these amazing migratory birds, species that cannot survive in a single location.
Meanwhile there are many organisations, government and private, that continue great work to tackle climate change impacts and to help preserve biodiversity. One of these matters is the debate surrounding the intention of Australia’s Federal Government to reform our National Environmental Laws.
The claims by the Federal Government that it is committed to such reform are out of step with the draft actions and wording of the proposed legislation. It is very clear that the Nature Positive element is poorly expressed and quite inadequate. Luckily, many of our excellent national non-government bodies are working hard to get a better set of laws.
I watched and listened to the Senate submissions made by many of our conservation leaders, and it is absolutely clear that the Government has had clear and compelling advice from the community about what must be done.
BirdLife Australia CEO, Kate Millar, expressed the concerns succinctly and sharply, drawing attention to clear failures in the proposed legislation. In this she was well supported by the National Campaigns Director of The Wilderness Society (Amelia Young); the CEO of the Australian Conservation Foundation (Kelly O’Shannasy); CEO of the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) Australia (Dermot O’Gorman), and other members of the Places You Love Alliance (almost 70 organisations).
Sometimes, when we are thinking about our local bird conservation issues, or feeling concerned about the future and wondering how things might get better, it is easy to forget that we are not alone. There are many passionate and exceptional people who take on the role of working with and convincing our Governments to lift their game. To my way of thinking this is perhaps the most significant contribution from these national groups. It helps that they might have members throughout the nation who can provide additional input, including by supporting them through individual submissions on major issues.