Living Planet Report 2022

22 Oct 2022 Living Planet Report 2022

Source: The Indian Express

News: Report shows that biodiversity populations  shrinks to 69% in nearly 5 decades.

About Living Planet Report

• Report is flagship World Wildlife Fund (WWF).
• This is a biennial report that is published after every 2 years.
• Report is a comprehensive study of trends in global biodiversity and the health of the planet. 
• Living Planet Report 2022 reveals an average decline of 69% in species populations since 1970. 
• Along with conservation efforts urgent actions are required to reverse nature loss.
• It also measures species response to environmental pressure due to loss of biodiversity and climate change.

Key findings of Living Planet Report 2022:

• Addition of just over 11, 000 new populations after tracking 32,000 species populations of 5,230 species, with 838 species.
• Percentage of monitored wildlife populations (mammals, birds, amphibians, reptiles and fish) dropped by 69 percent between 1970 and 2018.
• India has seen a decline in honeybees and 17 species of freshwater turtles population in between 1970 and 2018 period. 
• Most vulnerable regions in the country in terms of biodiversity losses are Himalayan region and Western Ghats.
• Expectations of the future biodiversity loss with increase in temperature. 
• Significant increase in the number of fish species (481).
• Largest decline of monitored wildlife populations is seen in Latin America and the Caribbean regions. Average decline of 94% is seen in Latin America and the Caribbean regions between 1970 and 2018. 
• Monitored populations in Africa and Asia Pacific plummeted by 66% and 55% respectively.
• Most decline is seen in freshwater populations with an average 83% decline between 1970 and 2018. 
• According to threat perception Cycads (an ancient group of seed plants) are the most threatened species, while decline in corals are the fastest, followed by amphibians.
• Main drivers of decline in wildlife population: Loss of habitat and degradation and exploitation of land, introduction of invasive species, pollution, climate change and disease. 
• Biggest threat to nature is Land Use Change i.e. destruction or fragmentation of natural habitats of many plant and animal species on land, in freshwater and in the sea. 
• Climate Change may emerge as the dominant cause of biodiversity loss if nations are unable to limit warming to 1.5°C.
• Every degree of warming is expected to increase mass mortality events, as well as the first extinction of an entire species and will negatively impact people.  
• Around 50% of warm water corals have already become extinct.Further,1.5 degrees Celsius warming may lead to loss of 70-90% of warm water corals. Due to sea level rise Bramble Cay melomys (small Australian rodent) became extinct after sea-level rise.
• Continued deforestation of mangroves through aquaculture, agriculture and coastal development at annual rate of 0.13%.
• Degradation of mangrove is due to overexploitation and pollution along with natural stressors such as storms and coastal erosion. Myanmar remains hotspots of mangrove loss.
• Migration of fish is threatened as only 37% of rivers that are over 1,000 km long remain in their natural state.
• Most prevalent threats to amphibians (animals that live both on land and in water) are agriculture and for birds and mammals hunting and trapping remains the most prominent threats.
• The Southeast Asia region is facing a significant level of threat. Impact probabilities for climate change are highest in Polar regions and the east coast of Australia and South Africa driven particularly by impact on birds.

Initiatives to promote conservation of species

• Recent project of Cheetah translocation that will create an umbrella effect for preservation or conservation  of other species.
• Success of projects such as Project Tiger or One-horned rhino and lions.

Article: Shrinking biodiversity: 69% drop in wildlife populations in nearly 5 decades, shows report

Article Link:

https://indianexpress.com/article/india/shrinking-biodiversity-69-drop-in-wildlife-populations-8205379/

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