Dhaka, Bangladesh: A global assessment has revealed a drastic 73% decline in wildlife populations over the past 50 years, underscoring humanity’s profound impact on biodiversity. The Living Planet Report, published by WWF and the Zoological Society of London (ZSL), highlights severe losses with certain regions teetering on the edge of irreparable ecological damage.
The decline is sharpest in Latin America and the Caribbean, which have seen a staggering 95% drop in wildlife populations, followed by Africa with 76% and Asia and the Pacific at 60%. Europe and North America, which previously experienced significant wildlife declines, reported comparatively lower losses of 35% and 39%, respectively.
Matthew Gould, CEO of ZSL, stressed the urgency of reversing this trend, warning that humanity is “dangerously close to tipping points for nature loss and climate change.” Despite the grim numbers, Gould noted that recovery is possible if global action is taken to halt biodiversity loss.
The report’s findings are drawn from nearly 35,000 wildlife population trends spanning 5,495 species, forming the basis of the Living Planet Index—one of the world’s key biodiversity indicators. However, some critics argue that the Index might overstate declines due to its emphasis on African and Latin American data, where ecosystems are experiencing profound losses.
Dr. Hannah Wauchope, an ecologist at Edinburgh University, acknowledges this weighting issue, but emphasized, “As habitat destruction and other threats to biodiversity continue, there will continue to be declines.”
Further research from the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) reinforces these concerns, with nearly a third of assessed species facing extinction. This includes 41% of amphibians, 26% of mammals, and 34% of conifer trees. Recent critiques in Springer Nature also questioned the Living Planet Index’s methodology, suggesting a potential bias toward decline, though researchers affirm that wildlife populations are indeed under severe strain in the current Anthropocene epoch.
With the upcoming COP16 biodiversity summit in Colombia, governments are urged to tackle these concerns head-on. Colombia’s environment minister and COP16 president, Susana Muhamad, warned, “We must listen to science and take action to avoid collapse. The world is witnessing the effects of deforestation, ecosystem transformation, intensive land use, and climate change.”
Land-use change, predominantly due to agricultural expansion, remains a principal driver of wildlife loss. Mike Barrett, WWF-UK’s Director of Science and Conservation, highlighted that the demand for food and livestock feed is fueling habitat fragmentation and placing additional pressures on already vulnerable ecosystems. “Our ecosystems are losing resilience to external shocks and change. Climate change now compounds the stresses on these degraded habitats,” Barrett noted.
The report arrives at a critical moment, reminding the global community that the future of biodiversity—and by extension, human survival—depends on immediate and unified action. As the summit approaches, conservationists and leaders worldwide must push for effective policies and commitments to safeguard the planet’s remaining life systems.
