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G20 Commits to Global Coral Reef Conservation

Saudi Environment Deputy Minister Osama Faqeeha
Saudi Environment Deputy Minister Osama Faqeeha
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G20 Commits to Global Coral Reef Conservation

Saudi Environment Deputy Minister Osama Faqeeha
Saudi Environment Deputy Minister Osama Faqeeha

G20 Environment Deputies have discussed global environmental challenges and the importance of protecting the environment even in times of crisis.

Saudi Environment Deputy Minister Osama Faqeeha reaffirmed the commitment to the Saudi G20 Presidency aim of Safeguarding the Planet and the G20’s commitment to contribute to land and coral reef conservation.

“The G20 recognizes the fundamental role of critical land and marine ecosystems in nature and in society. Together, we are committed to continue working in a spirit of cooperation to promote sustainable conservation of terrestrial and ocean ecosystems,” the Saudi G20 Secretariat on Thursday quoted him as saying in a statement.

During the International Workshop on Coral Reef Conservation that preceded the meeting, G20 members, invited guests and regional and international organizations addressed the causes of coral reef degradation, its impact, and potential solutions, said the statement.

Participants noted that coral reefs possess ecological and socioeconomic value that benefits more than 1 billion people, with a global economic value that exceeds $1 trillion, it said.

The Environment Deputies are scheduled to hold a third round of talks ahead of the G20 Environment Ministers Meeting in September 2020, it added.

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Wild Weather Hits Australia: Woman Dead, 120,000 without Power 

Anglers retreat from a pier on Port Phillip Bay in Melbourne on September 2, 2024, as winds of more than 110 kilometers (68 miles) per hour lash the region, leaving about 150,000 people without power. (AFP)
Anglers retreat from a pier on Port Phillip Bay in Melbourne on September 2, 2024, as winds of more than 110 kilometers (68 miles) per hour lash the region, leaving about 150,000 people without power. (AFP)
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Wild Weather Hits Australia: Woman Dead, 120,000 without Power 

Anglers retreat from a pier on Port Phillip Bay in Melbourne on September 2, 2024, as winds of more than 110 kilometers (68 miles) per hour lash the region, leaving about 150,000 people without power. (AFP)
Anglers retreat from a pier on Port Phillip Bay in Melbourne on September 2, 2024, as winds of more than 110 kilometers (68 miles) per hour lash the region, leaving about 150,000 people without power. (AFP)

A woman has died and more than 120,000 were left without power after high winds and heavy rain hit southern Australia, authorities said on Monday.

There was widespread damage in the states of Victoria and Tasmania, while a 63-year-old woman was killed after a tree fell on a cabin at a holiday park on the border between Victoria and New South Wales, emergency services said.

"It's a sad and tragic set of circumstances for the woman's family and my thoughts and sympathy go out to her and the emergency services who responded to that incident," Victoria Premier Jacinta Allan told a news conference.

Victoria's State Emergency Services received over 2,800 call outs overnight, mostly for fallen trees and building damage, she added.

At least 121,000 remained without power on Monday, Allan said, down from as many as 180,000 in the early hours of the morning.

Weather warnings remain in place for much of the state's southeast coast, as winds of almost 150 km per hour (93 mph) lashed the state overnight.

A Victoria state government advisory on Monday told people to avoid coastal areas because of dangerous waves, unstable land in cliff areas, and flooding in low-lying areas. The southern island state of Tasmania has also been hit by wild weather, with thousands left without power on Sunday.

"We've seen another wild night of weather across the state with extensive destruction," Mick Lowe, executive director of Tasmania's State Emergency Services, told a news conference on Monday.

Extreme weather events are common for many Australians.

The storms across the south of the country follow days of unseasonably high winter temperatures of almost 30 degrees Celsius (86 degrees Fahrenheit) in New South Wales' capital Sydney.