According to the latest WWF landmark assessment, wild populations of monitored animal species have decreased by over 70% in the past fifty years.
The WWF Living Planet Index, which includes data from 35,000 populations across more than 5,000 species of mammals, birds, amphibians, reptiles, and fish, illustrates alarming declines worldwide.
In biologically diverse areas like Latin America and the Caribbean, the loss of animal populations can reach as much as 95%.
This report focuses on trends in the abundance of numerous species rather than tracking individual animal numbers.
The index has evolved into an international benchmark and is released just before the upcoming UN summit on biodiversity, which will emphasize this issue starting later this month in Colombia.
“The scenario we are presenting is extremely troubling,” stated Kirsten Schuijt, Director General of WWF International, during a press conference.
Tipping points
“This issue extends beyond wildlife; it concerns the vital ecosystems that support human life,” remarked Daudi Sumba, WWF’s chief conservation officer.
The report highlights the urgent need to tackle the “interconnected” crises of climate change and biodiversity loss and warns of impending “tipping points” for certain ecosystems.
“These changes could be irreversible, with harmful repercussions for humanity,” he noted, citing deforestation in the Amazon as a potential risk that could transform this essential ecosystem from a carbon sink to a carbon source.
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According to the report, “Habitat degradation and loss, mainly driven by our food systems, is the most frequently reported threat in every region, followed by overexploitation, invasive species, and disease.”
Other significant threats include climate change, particularly in Latin America and the Caribbean, and pollution, especially in North America, Asia, and the Pacific.
‘Incredibly concerning’
Freshwater species populations exhibit the steepest decline, trailed by terrestrial and marine vertebrates.
“We have depleted the oceans of 40% of their biomass,” stated Yann Laurans from WWF France.
When viewed by continent, the average decline is an alarming 95% in Latin America and the Caribbean, followed by a 76% decline in Africa, and a 60% decline in Asia and the Pacific.
The reduction in populations is comparatively “less dramatic” in Europe, Central Asia, and North America.
Some species have stabilized or even increased due to conservation efforts and successful reintroduction initiatives, the report indicates.
For instance, the European bison, which vanished from the wild in 1927, reached a population of 6,800 by 2020 due to extensive breeding programs and successful reintroduction, primarily in protected areas.
While dubbing the overall situation as “extremely troubling,” Ms. Schuijt expressed that “we have not yet reached a point of no return.”
She pointed to global initiatives, including a groundbreaking agreement made at the last UN biodiversity meeting in 2022, aimed at protecting 30% of the planet from pollution, degradation, and climate change by 2030.
However, she cautioned that “all these agreements have checkpoints in 2030 that risk being overlooked.”
Several scientific studies published in the journal Nature have criticized WWF for potential methodological biases in its index, suggesting that it may exaggerate the extent of animal population declines.
“We remain highly confident in its accuracy,” responded Andrew Terry from the Zoological Society of London at a press briefing, emphasizing the use of “a range of indicators, assessing extinction risk, biodiversity, and ecosystem health to provide a comprehensive overview.”
