10.1 Background

Chapters 2 to 9 of this Outlook Report provide the evidence to inform an assessment of the long-term outlook for the Region’s ecosystem and heritage values. Specifically, the long-term outlook discussed below is built from an understanding of the: 

  • current condition (and trend in condition) of the ecological (natural heritage), economic, social and heritage (Indigenous, world and historic) values of Region (Chapters 2, 3, 4 and 5)
  • factors influencing those values (Chapter 6)
  • effectiveness of protection and management measures (Chapter 7)
  • resilience of the Region’s ecosystem and its heritage values (Chapter 8)
  • threats to the ecosystem and heritage values (Chapter 9).

Chapters 2 to 9 inform the assessment of the Region's long-term outlook

Figure 10.1 summarises key findings from these chapters. The main influences on the long-term outlook for the Region include human-induced climate change, population growth, land-based runoff and direct use of the Region (Chapters 5 and 6). These drivers and pressures interact, resulting in cumulative effects on the condition (and trend in condition) of values.

Figure 10.1
Summary of the findings underpinning the long-term outlook for the Region’s ecosystem and heritage values
A table describing all key findings for each chapter. These results feed into the assessment of the overall long-term outlook for the Reef