Guwahati: There has been an estimated 69% decrease in the world’s wildlife population since 1970.
The World Wildlife Fund’s (WWF) Living Planet Report 2022 made this claim.
With an average decrease of 94%, populations in Latin America and the Caribbean have fared the worst. Freshwater species around the world have also suffered disproportionately, with average declines of 83 percent.
Freshwater species have had the greatest reduction over this time among all species. India-inclusive Asia-Pacific has experienced a loss of 55%.
Even if the research concludes that the natural world is on the verge of a catastrophe, it also reaffirms that quick transformational action can mitigate or even reverse these disastrous effects.
According to the research, habitat loss, species overexploitation, invasive species, pollution, climate change, and illnesses are some of the major causes of biodiversity decrease. Moreover, it urges governments to change economies so that natural resources are valued fairly.
Actions that alter food production and consumption, drastically reduce emissions, and make investments in conservation help lessen the twin crises of biodiversity loss and climate change because they share many of the same fundamental causes.
The majority of India’s river systems are not free flowing, which has resulted in a reduction in biodiversity, according to WWF India officials who spoke at the event. According to the International Union for Conservation of Nature’s (IUCN) “red list,” 394 Indian species were listed as “vulnerable” in 2019 and 205 species from India were listed as “endangered,” “critically endangered,” and “vulnerable,” respectively.
Only 37% of the rivers longer than 1000 km in length are still completely free flowing globally. The existence of dams and reservoirs poses a threat to the survival of some fish species that migrate along these swim-ways.