The population of wild animals on the planet has decreased by 69% since 1970
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Between 1970 and 2018, the world’s wildlife population has declined by almost 70% due to continued deforestation, growing consumption and human pollution. From 1970 to 2014, the population decline was 60%, from 1970 to 2016 – 68%. Such data are provided in a joint report published every two years by the Wildlife Fund (WWF) and the Zoological Society of London “living planet“.
As part of the preparation of the report, scientists from different countries analyzed the abundance of 5230 animal species to assess changes in their populations on different continents. Most significantly – by 94% – the population of wild animals has decreased in Latin America and the Caribbean. And this is the region where the most extensive tropical forests in the world are located – the Amazon rainforests with their unique biodiversity.
“The pace of deforestation is accelerating, depriving this unique ecosystem not only of trees but also of the wildlife that depend on them, and depriving the Amazon of being one of our most important allies in the fight against climate change,” said WWF UK Head Tanya Steele. . In second place in the reduction of the population of wild animals is Africa – 66%. This is followed by the Asia-Pacific region – 55%, North America – 20%, Europe and Central Asia – 18%.
Currently, the list of endangered species of animals, which is compiled by the International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources, includes 41 thousand species. The greatest threat looms over the Javan and black rhinos, the Amur leopard, the Sunda tiger, the mountain gorilla, the Tapanul and Sumatran orangutans, and the hawksbill sea turtle.
The authors of the report call on world leaders to develop and sign an agreement at the Summit (COP 15) of the countries-participants of the Convention on Biological Diversity, which will be held December 5-17 in Montreal. This agreement, according to experts, should stipulate the reduction of emissions in order to curb the pace of global warming and stop the destruction of nature.
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