CANBERRA, Aug. 15 (Xinhua) -- A new report warns of emerging threats to Antarctic conservation, calling for stronger coordinated governance.
The report by Securing Antarctica's Environmental Future (SAEF), funded by the Australian government, draws on 131 experts from over 40 countries to identify 10 emerging Antarctic conservation threats for the next decade, according to a statement released Friday by Australia's University of Adelaide.
These threats include more extreme snowfall and rainfall, reduced cooperation among the Antarctic Treaty Parties, the potential militarization of the region, and speculative risks such as iceberg harvesting and agricultural expansion.
The report also warns that global disruptions, such as pandemics and conflicts between Treaty Parties, can undermine scientific collaboration, environmental monitoring, and diplomatic engagement.
Published in Nature Ecology & Evolution in London, the report updates a 2012 assessment of Antarctic conservation issues and highlights growing challenges for the Antarctic Treaty System in tackling emerging environmental and geopolitical threats.
SAEF Research Fellow Zachary Carter from the University of Adelaide and Queensland University of Technology in Australia, who led the research, noted a "structural vulnerability" in Antarctic governance, worsened by many serious threats originating outside its current jurisdiction.
Without strengthening the Treaty System's capacity, Antarctica's management risks would become increasingly reactive rather than preventative, Carter said.
"We must remember, Antarctica is not just a remote wilderness; it plays a pivotal role in the Earth's climate system, ocean circulation, and global biodiversity," he said, urging governments to use the Treaty's international cooperation provisions to strengthen Antarctic protections before irreversible consequences occur.
"Because in the end, what happens in Antarctica doesn't stay in Antarctica," Carter said. ■
