Nearly 70% of the world’s wildlife disappeared in just 50 years

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The World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) warned in its report published on Thursday (13) that the planet has lost, on average, almost 70% of its wildlife populations in about 50 years. The organization also points to the relationship between the loss of biodiversity and climate warming, and draws attention to the situation in Latin America.

Between 1970 and 2018, an average of 69% of wildlife populations —birds, fish, mammals, amphibians and reptiles—disappeared, according to the Living Planet index, a reference instrument published every two years by the WWF.

According to the document, the destruction of habitats, mainly to develop agriculture, is the main cause. Hunting appears as the second reason, followed by climate change.

However, the role of global warming in this context “has been increasing very, very fast”, points out Marco Lambertini, director general of the WWF. The other causes of the disappearance of wild species are air, water and soil pollution, in addition to the spread by humans of invasive species.

This report is a “red flag for the planet and humanity as we begin to really understand that durable ecosystems, rich biodiversity and a stable climate are necessary to ensure a prosperous but equitable and safer future for us.” , for our children and grandchildren,” Lambertini insisted during an online press conference.

As the world prepares for the international summit of COP15 Biodiversity, scheduled for December in Montréal, WWF “urges governments to seize this last opportunity by adopting an ambitious global agreement to save wildlife”, similar to the 2015 Paris agreement on climate change.

To “reverse the curve of biodiversity loss” and “mitigate climate change”, the report calls for the scaling up of conservation and restoration efforts, the production and consumption of more sustainable food and the rapid decarbonization of all economic sectors.

94% of extinctions in Latin America

According to Mark Wright, Scientific Director of the WWF, the situation in Latin America is one of the most worrying. He points out that 94% of extinctions occur in this region of the globe and recalls that this area of ​​the planet, “known for its biodiversity”, is “decisive for climate regulation”.

Europe has also seen its wild animal population decline by 18% on average. “But this number hides extreme historic losses of biodiversity” recorded before the period analyzed, says Andrew Terry, director of conservation at the Zoological Society of London, a partner of WWF in the research.

In Africa, the index assesses the loss of fauna at 66%, on average. “A glaring example is Kahuzi Biega National Park in the Democratic Republic of Congo, where the number of eastern lowland gorillas has dropped by 80%,” mainly because of hunting, said Alice Ruhweza, director of WWF Africa.

The Living Planet index takes into account 5,230 species of vertebrates, divided into around 32,000 animal populations worldwide. Some species of turtle, lynx, sharks, corals and tree frogs are also among the most threatened “biodiversity icons”, according to the report.

(With information from AFP)

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