73% decline in wildlife populations in just 50 years: WWF report

New Delhi: There has been a steep 73 per cent decline in the average size of monitored wildlife populations in just 50 years (1970-2020), according to WWF’s Living Planet Report (LPR) 2024. 

The report, released globally, warns that, as the Earth approaches dangerous tipping points posing grave threats to humanity, a huge collective effort will be required over the next five years to tackle the dual climate and nature crises.

The Living Planet Index (LPI), provided by the Zoological Society of London, includes almost 35,000 population trends of 5,495 species from 1970-2020. 

The strongest decline is reported in freshwater ecosystems 85%, followed by terrestrial 69% and marine 56%. Habitat loss and degradation, driven primarily by our food systems, is the most reported threat to wildlife populations around the world, followed by overexploitation, invasive species and disease.

Pollution is an additional threat for wildlife populations in Asia and the Pacific, which have recorded a staggering 60% average decline.

The decline of the three vulture species in India—white-rumped vulture (Gyps bengalensis), Indian vulture (Gyps indicus), and slender-billed vulture (Gyps tenuirostris)—is alarming.

Research shows that these species have seen dramatic population decreases, particularly between 1992 and 2002. A 2022 nationwide vulture survey by BNHS highlights the extent of this decline: the white-rumped vulture population has dropped by 67%, the Indian vulture by 48%, and the slender-billed vulture by a staggering 89% compared to their populations in 2002. This situation underscores the urgent need for conservation measures to protect these critical scavengers and maintain ecological balance.

Despite a decline in many wildlife populations in India, some populations have stabilized and shown recovery, largely due to proactive government initiatives, effective habitat management,

and robust scientific monitoring, combined with community engagement and public support.

Indian White-rumped Vulture.

Tiger in Bhadra Tiger Reserve Forest.

Notably, India is home to the largest population of wild tigers globally. 

The All-India Tiger Estimation 2022 recorded a minimum of 3,682 tigers, a significant increase from the 2,967 estimated in 2018.

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. Potential global 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.

In a press statement, Kirsten Schuijt, Director General of WWF International, said: “Nature is issuing a distress call. The linked crises 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.”