Protect the Tasmanian wilderness

Tasmanian Wilderness World Heritage Area (TWWHA), spanning 1.6 million hectares, is one of the largest remaining temperate wilderness regions in the Southern Hemisphere and a critical global biodiversity hotspot. A 2014 proposal by the Australian federal government to remove 74,039 hectares for economic development was rejected by UNESCO, yet state-backed projects continue to threaten its integrity. The World Heritage Committee has explicitly urged Australia to halt such developments, but compliance remains uncertain, leaving the TWWHA's pristine wilderness values at risk. This study highlights the urgent need for federal leadership in upholding the World Heritage Convention and emphasizes the role of local communities in advocating for the protection of this irreplaceable ecosystem.

Yu, X. (2016). Protect the Tasmanian wilderness. Science, 351(6275), 824–825. https://doi.org/10.1126/science.351.6275.824-b