Living Planet Report: WWF finds 73% global wildlife decline; India shows recovery gains
The WWF's Living Planet Report indicates a 73% decline in global wildlife populations since 1970. However, India is highlighted as a success story for its efforts in recovering populations of tigers, rhinos, and dolphins.
Why it matters
The report underscores the severity of the global biodiversity crisis while offering a case study on how targeted conservation policies can yield positive results.
NEW DELHI: There was a stark 73% decline in the “average size of monitored wildlife populations” globally over a 52-year period (1970-2022), whereas India became one of the most important countries that were successfully involved in wildlife recovery by turning around the populations of certain animals, including tigers, one-horned rhino and Ganga river dolphins, according to WWF’s biennial Living Planet Report (LPR) released on Thursday.Though the LPR remains silent on country-specific data, experts explaining certain points ahead of the release noted “significant changes” in biodiversity in India where nine species of mammals figured in the “critically endangered” list, 39% of 942 bird species reported “clear decline” and 32% (136 species) of the amphibians have been “threatened” by a combination of factors including agricultural practices and climate change.Nine mammals classified as critically endangered (CR) in India under International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) criteria are Kashmir Stag/Hangul, Malabar Large-spotted Civet,…
Get smarter about the news
Sign up free for a feed built around what you actually care about, Dive Deeper research on any story, and the full text of every article.
Create free accountAlready have an account? Sign in