The findings show that the steepest declines in monitored wildlife populations are in Latin America and the Caribbean, which experienced a 95 percent drop, followed by Africa at 76 percent and the Asia–Pacific region at 60 percent. Europe and North America recorded 39 percent and 35 percent declines, respectively, since 1970.
The most significant decline was observed in freshwater species, with an 85 percent reduction, followed by terrestrial populations at 69 percent and marine populations at 56 percent. Among the species mentioned in the report is the pink river dolphin, whose population in the Amazon fell by 65 percent.
Daudi Sumba, WWF International’s chief conservation officer, warned that the alarming findings are “not just about wildlife,” but “about the essential ecosystems that sustain human life.”
“The changes could be irreversible, with devastating consequences for humanity,” said Sumba, using the example of deforestation in the Amazon, which could “shift this critical ecosystem from a carbon sink to a carbon source”.
Humanity’s survival hinges on essential resources like clean air, water, and healthy soils for food. However, when ecosystems are damaged, these critical resources are compromised, making them increasingly susceptible to tipping points—the thresholds at which ecosystems undergo significant and potentially irreversible changes.
WWF says that global tipping points, such as the dieback of the Amazon rainforest and the mass die-off of coral reefs, would create shockwes far beyond the immediate area impacting food security and livelihoods.
“Nature provides the foundation for human health, a stable climate, the world's economy, and life on earth. The Living Planet Report updates fifty-year trend lines of how much we've lost and tipping points that lie ahead," said WWF-US President and CEO Carter Roberts. “It highlights the most powerful tools to stem the loss and match the scale of this slow-motion catastrophe. A wake-up call that we need to get going, and fast.”