With population as a threat in Asia including India and the Pacific, recorded 60% average decline in wildlife writes Abhi Singhal
World Wide Fund’s 15th biennial edition of the ‘The Living Planet Report 2024’ (LPR) reveals that there has been a catastrophic 73% decline in the average size of monitored wildlife (mammals, birds, amphibians, reptiles and fish) populations over just 50 years (1970-2020). The Living Planet Report (LPR) is a study of trends in global biodiversity and the health of the planet.
There has been a strong decline seen, with the highest in the freshwater populations (85%), followed by terrestrial (69%) and marine (56%) populations.
Declines in wildlife populations can act as an early warning indicator of increasing extinction risk and the potential loss of healthy ecosystems. When ecosystems are damaged, they can become more vulnerable to tipping points - being pushed beyond a critical threshold resulting in substantial and potentially irreversible change.
There have been six global potential tipping points, such as the dieback of the Amazon rainforest and the mass die-off of coral reefs, could create shockwaves far beyond the immediate area impacting food security and livelihoods.
Commenting on the effect of adverse climate, Kirsten Schuijt, Director General of WWF International said, “The linked crisis of nature loss and climate change are pushing wildlife and ecosystems beyond their limits, with dangerous global tipping points threatening to damage Earth’s life-support systems and destabilize societies. The catastrophic consequences of losing some of our most precious ecosystems, like the Amazon rainforest and coral reefs, would be felt by people and nature around the world.”
The report also shows the alarming decline of the three vulture species in India i.e. the white-rumped vulture (Gyps bengalensis), Indian vulture (Gyps indicus), and slender-billed vulture (Gypstenuirostris) between 1992 and 2002.
The research tells that despite a decline in many wildlife populations in India, some populations have stabilised and shown recovery, largely due to proactive government initiatives, effective habitat management, and robust scientific monitoring, combined with community engagement and public support. It found that India is home to the largest population of wild tigers globally and the All-India Tiger Estimation 2022 recorded a minimum of 3,682 tigers, a significant increase from the 2,967 estimated in 2018.
On being asked if with such circumstances, we still have a chance of conserving the endangered wildlife species, the LPR panel said that it depends a lot on the species and the status of the species. They have seen it with some species like with the rhinos, tigers and if the action comes on the right time, at the right scale, and if the species itself is a species which can biologically recover, then we will see that change. The efforts need to be increased, and also some bit of scientific monitoring of this population. Long term monitoring is required, because currently, most of the monitoring that is happening there, they’re voluntary or NGO actions.
The LPR states that the only way to make progress on the global goals of halting and reversing nature loss by 2030 and addressing the drivers of climate change is by transforming our energy, food and finance systems. At the same time, we must scale-up effective and inclusive conservation action, taking account of the rights, needs and values of Indigenous Peoples and local communities. Ecosystem based adaptation (EbA) - approaches which benefit biodiversity, climate and human well-being at the same time - hold enormous potential.
