Wildlife populations around the world have plummeted by over 70% in the last half-century, according to a landmark assessment by the World Wildlife Fund (WWF) published on Thursday.
The WWF Living Planet Index, featuring data from 35,000 populations of more than 5,000 species of mammals, birds, amphibians, reptiles, and fish, shows accelerating declines across the globe. In biodiversity-rich regions such as Latin America and the Caribbean, the figure for animal population loss is as high as 95%.
The report tracks trends in the abundance of a large number of species, not individual animal numbers. It found that populations under review had fallen 73% since 1970, mostly due to human pressures.
The index, which has become an international reference, arrives just ahead of the next UN summit on biodiversity, set to open in Colombia later this month.
\"The picture we are painting is incredibly concerning,\" said Kirsten Schuijt, Director General of WWF International, during a press briefing.
\"This is not just about wildlife; it's about the essential ecosystems that sustain human life,\" emphasized Daudi Sumba, Chief Conservation Officer at WWF.
The report reiterates the need to simultaneously confront the \"interconnected\" crises of climate change and nature destruction, warning of major \"tipping points\" approaching in certain ecosystems. \"The changes could be irreversible, with devastating consequences for humanity,\" Sumba warned, highlighting deforestation in the Amazon as an example that could \"shift this critical ecosystem from a carbon sink to a carbon source.\"
\"Habitat degradation and loss, driven primarily by our food system, is the most reported threat in each region, followed by overexploitation, invasive species, and disease,\" the report stated.
Other threats include climate change, particularly in Latin America and the Caribbean, and pollution, notably in North America, Asia, and the Pacific.
The biggest decline is found in populations of freshwater species, followed by terrestrial and marine vertebrates. \"We have emptied the oceans of 40% of their biomass,\" said Yann Laurans of WWF France.
The alarming findings of the WWF report underscore the urgent need for global action to preserve biodiversity and protect the ecosystems that are vital to both wildlife and human survival.
Reference(s):
cgtn.com
