Prelims:Current events of National and International Importance| Environment
Why in News?
All 13 South Asian coral reef ecoregions have been classified as Critically Endangered under the IUCN Red List of Ecosystems.
Unveiled at the UN Biodiversity Conference (COP17) in Yerevan, Armenia, the assessment titled "Red List of Ecosystems Assessment of South Asian Coral Reefs" was co-authored by scientists from the Zoological Survey of India (ZSI).
Coverage – Spans about 8,282.6 square kilometers across India, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, the Maldives, and the Chagos Archipelago—accounting for roughly 4% of the world’s coral reefs.
Historical vs. Future Risk–
Based on the past 50 years alone, the ecoregions were categorized as 7 Vulnerable, 4 Endangered, and 2 Critically Endangered (Northern Bay of Bengal – Bangladesh and Sri Lanka South).
When factoring in projected marine heat stress and ocean warming over the next 50 years under IPCC climate scenarios, all 13 ecoregions jump to Critically Endangered.
Indian Ecoregions (All 4 Classified Critically Endangered)–
Andaman and Nicobar Islands
Lakshadweep Islands
South coast (Gulf of Mannar and Palk Bay)
West coast (Gulf of Kutch)
Global Context– Globally, 96% of assessed coral reef units (representing 99.8% of total assessed reef area) face this same Critically Endangered designation under future climate projections.
