Humans Wiped Out Two-Thirds Of the World’s Wildlife In 50 Years

Human activities have led to the extinction of numerous species, yet simple conservation efforts can halt further damage and even revive biodiversity.

Recent reports indicate that humans pose the greatest threat to our planet. The current situation is alarming, and immediate action is necessary to avert further harm. It begs the question: when did humanity cease to prioritize the future?

The World Wildlife Fund's Living Planet Report, released in September, verified that human actions have reduced wildlife populations by an average of 68 percent.

Researchers examined the population sizes of 4,393 mammal, fish, bird, reptile, and amphibian species, drawing on data spanning four decades (1970-2016).

Karin Brulliard of The Washington Post noted that populations in Latin America and the Caribbean experienced the most significant decline, with a staggering 94 percent reduction. These findings indicate a profoundly disrupted relationship between humans and nature.

The WWF report underscores that habitat destruction, driven by human activity, poses the greatest risk to these populations. Freshwater mammals, birds, amphibians, and reptiles have seen an average annual decline of 4% over the past forty years.

“You begin to see a picture of an unraveling of nature. That is alarming—and I think alarming, even by our own measures of alarming,” WWF chief scientist Rebecca Shaw told Amy Woodyatt from CNN. “… [W]e’re seeing very distinct declines in freshwater ecosystems, largely because of the way we dam rivers and also because of the use of freshwater resources for producing food to feed a growing population of people worldwide.”

The United Nations has published its Global Biodiversity Outlook Report, which details the progress of the 196 countries that committed to the Aichi Biodiversity Targets in 2010. This decade-long plan aims to halt the global decline in biodiversity.

According to the UN report, we have not achieved the goals set out in the plan. Catrin Einhorn of The New York Times has reported these findings.

However, there is still hope. Matthew Green of Reuters has highlighted that conservation efforts led by humans could lead to overall improvements. Experts have cited a Pakistani program that safeguards snow leopards and a campaign to preserve the Japanese crested ibis as critical to restoration efforts. Such conservation initiatives are vital in protecting endangered species from extinction.

Jessie Yeung of CNN has noted that some UN targets have been met by countries, particularly in preventing invasive species and maintaining protected areas.

"The rate of biodiversity loss is unparalleled in human history, and the pressures are escalating," stated Elizabeth Maruma Mrema, the executive secretary of the Convention on Biological Diversity for the UN.

“Earth’s living systems as a whole are being compromised. And the more humanity exploits nature in unsustainable ways and undermines its contributions to people, the more we undermine our own wellbeing, security, and prosperity.”

The WWF and the UN assert that the coronavirus pandemic has vividly illustrated the consequences of human actions. 

They argue that COVID-19 exemplifies the dangers that a loss of global biodiversity poses to humanity. A UN report from July indicates that the ongoing disruption of ecosystems increases the risk of zoonotic diseases transferring from animals to humans.

This data should motivate global citizens to urgently act and mitigate this damage. A study published in Nature recommends expanding land conservation and reforming global food production as viable solutions, utilizing WWF models to identify effective strategies to reverse biodiversity loss.

Regrettably, the growing human population is leading to an "ecological imbalance." As the demand for resources escalates, the Earth struggles to keep pace with the increasing consumption.

“The human enterprise currently demands 1.56 times more than the amount that Earth can regenerate.”

Source: edition.cnn.com