African forest elephants
Forest elephants in Gabon's Minkébé National Park lost 78 to 81% of their population between 2004 and 2014 due to poaching and the illegal ivory trade. Jean-Paul Boerekamps, CC0, via Wikimedia Commons)

WWF Living Planet Report 2024: Global Wildlife Populations Have Declined by 73%

The recently published WWF Living Planet Report 2024 highlights the alarming state of global biodiversity. The decline in animal populations is drastic and threatens the ecological balance. Vertebrate species such as mammals, birds, fish, amphibians, and reptiles have been particularly affected, with significant declines since the 1970s.

Shrinking vertebrate populations

The Living Planet Index (LPI) has recorded a 73% decline in monitored vertebrate populations worldwide since 1970. Freshwater ecosystems have been hit the hardest, with populations dropping by 85%. Land ecosystems have seen a 69% decline, while marine ecosystems have been reduced by 56%. The regions most affected are Latin America and the Caribbean, with a 95% decline, followed by Africa (76%) and the Asia-Pacific region (60%).

These developments mark a concerning trend, as we approach ecological tipping points – thresholds that, once crossed, could cause irreversible damage.

Causes of species decline: Human influences dominate

The primary causes of species decline are human-induced: habitat destruction – especially due to deforestation, agriculture, urban expansion – pollution, and the ongoing climate crisis threaten countless species worldwide. Climate change forces many species to leave their habitats and disrupts food sources and breeding cycles.

**WWF Living Planet Report 2024: Atlantic cod population plummets by 77%**
The Atlantic cod population declined by 77% between 2000 and 2023. (© Hans Hillewaert)

For example, the Atlantic cod (Gadus morhua) population in the North Atlantic and western Baltic Sea decreased by 77% between 2000 and 2023. This decline is attributed to overfishing and rising ocean temperatures, which significantly impact the cod’s ecosystem.

Similarly, Amazon river dolphins (Inia) and tucuxi dolphins (Sotalia fluviatilis) have suffered massive losses due to habitat destruction, pollution, and dams. In Brazil’s Mamirauá Reserve, dolphin populations decreased by 65% and 75% between 1996 and 2016, respectively. The Chinese river dolphin is already considered extinct since the 2000s. In 2023 alone, more than 330 dolphins died in just two lakes during a severe heatwave and drought. This loss sparked global attention in October 2023 and led to comprehensive international protection measures.

African forest elephants (Loxodonta cyclotis) are among the most endangered elephant species, and their dramatic decline in Gabon’s Minkébé National Park is particularly alarming. Between 2004 and 2014, their population dropped by 78–81% due to poaching and the illegal ivory trade. Since Gabon is home to nearly half of Central Africa’s forest elephants, this loss represents a major setback for the species’ conservation.

Conservation success stories

The WWF Living Planet Report 2024 also records some positive outcomes in the fight against species extinction. These examples demonstrate that targeted conservation efforts can have a positive impact on endangered species when sufficient resources and protected areas are made available:

Wisent or European bison
The European bison, or wisent, was once considered extinct in the wild; its population now numbers around 6,800 animals. (© Šimon Slávik, CC BY 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons)
  • The European bison (Bison bonasus), once extinct in the wild, has now grown to around 6,800 animals thanks to conservation efforts. Most of these animals now live in protected areas.
  • The mountain gorilla (Gorilla beringei beringei) population in the Virunga Mountains of Central Africa has seen a 3% annual increase. Intensive conservation measures have boosted their numbers to around 700 individuals.
  • The Eurasian beaver (Castor fiber), which was nearly extinct in the early 20th century, has rebounded thanks to intensive protection programs and reintroductions across Europe. Today, more than 1.2 million beavers inhabit rivers and streams in Europe.
  • Leatherback turtles (Dermochelys coriacea) in the Asia-Pacific have seen a 78% decline over the past two decades. The overharvesting of eggs and entanglement in fishing nets are the primary causes. However, local conservation projects have helped stabilize some populations in key nesting areas, offering hope for their recovery.

Tipping points and global responsibility

The WWF Living Planet Report 2024 not only serves as a warning but also as an early warning system for ecological tipping points that endanger entire ecosystems. The ongoing destruction of the Amazon rainforest and the global mass bleaching of coral reefs are examples of processes that indicate an approaching tipping point. If the destruction of the Amazon rainforest continues, the area could turn into a savannah—with catastrophic consequences for the global climate and biodiversity. Already, 17% of the Amazon has been destroyed.

Urgent action needed: Transformation of economy and society

The next five years are considered crucial to halting the loss of biodiversity. The WWF calls for sweeping changes in agriculture, the global energy system, and the financial sector. These transformations are necessary to prevent further declines in species diversity. However, faster and more decisive actions at political and global levels are needed to secure the sustainable protection of nature.

Recommendations:

  • Expand protected areas to slow down negative trends.
  • Make agriculture more sustainable to prevent habitat destruction.
  • Conservation efforts, such as reforestation and the protection of indigenous lands, are essential to avoid tipping points in vulnerable ecosystems.

The upcoming international conferences, such as the World Nature Conference in Colombia, the Climate Conference in Azerbaijan, and the UN Plastic Treaty negotiations in South Korea, offer opportunities to achieve global progress in species conservation. Germany also plays a key role in this process.

Background

The WWF (World Wide Fund for Nature) is an independent conservation organization that has been working with the Zoological Society of London for more than 50 years to monitor and analyze the populations of selected animal groups.

The Living Planet Report has been one of the most important studies on the state of global biodiversity since 1998 and is published every two years since 2000. The current 15th edition was produced jointly by WWF and the Zoological Society of London. It is based on an analysis of nearly 35,000 populations of 5,495 vertebrate species and documents the trends in global species extinction.

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