Healing the Scars of the Land
Restoring the connection between land and sea to preserve the Great Barrier Reef
Artwork by Melanie Hava, Mamu Aboriginal woman, Dugulbarra and Waribarra family groups, from the Johnstone River catchment of the Wet Tropics of Far North Queensland and the adjoining Great Barrier Reef sea country.
A Natural Wonder Under Threat
The Great Barrier Reef is one of the richest and most complex ecosystems on Earth. It's one of the seven natural wonders of the world and home to a quarter of all marine life including fish, dolphins and six of the world's seven species of marine turtle.
The impacts of climate change and poor water quality, caused by sediment run-off and pollution, are the biggest threats to the Reef's future...
We are Responsible
A long legacy of development and degradation have increased the amount of key pollutants entering the Reef by more than two-fold compared to pre-European conditions.
The most significant contributor of land-based pollution is agriculture.
This large gully system is a deepening scar on the landscape where water flushes large amounts of sediment into waterways that can carry it out to the Reef.
Tackling Pollution
While the world works towards reducing greenhouse gas emissions, our water quality team at the Great Barrier Reef Foundation, through the Reef Trust Partnership, has launched a vigorous program of action to achieve enduring reductions in key pollutants entering the Great Barrier Reef.
Working Where it Counts
We are working across an area the size of Ireland to reduce key pollutants in the highest-priority catchments through our ten on-ground regional programs.
Highlights of the Program
The Great Barrier Reef Foundation's water quality program is doing things differently. We work with local partners to make measurable improvements in the quality of water reaching the Great Barrier Reef by strengthening the relationship between rural communities and the ecosystem.
Together, we are on track to...
Our generation holds the Great Barrier Reef's future in its hands. The actions we take now will determine whether it thrives or collapses.' Anna Marsden, Great Barrier Reef Foundation Managing Director
The water quality program is funded by the partnership between the Australian Government's Reef Trust and the Great Barrier Reef Foundation.
