<p class="wp-block-paragraph"><em>This story was originally published by </em><a href="https://insideclimatenews.org/news/08102026/wildlife-populations-plunge-globally/">Inside Climate News</a> <em>and is reproduced here as part of the </em><a href="http://www.climatedesk.org/" rel="noopener" target="_blank">Climate Desk</a> <em>collaboration.</em></p>
<p class="wp-block-paragraph"><span class="section-lead">A new report</span> presents a concerning overview of global wildlife populations while also identifying some positive trends in specific species. </p>
<p class="wp-block-paragraph">According to the <a href="https://wwflpr.awsassets.panda.org/downloads/living-planet-report-2026-english.pdf" rel="noopener" target="_blank">“Living Planet” report</a> released on October 12, 2026, by the World Wildlife Fund and the Zoological Society of London, populations of thousands of vertebrate species have declined by an average of 73 percent over the past 50 years. Factors contributing to this decline include habitat loss, overexploitation, and climate change. </p>
<p class="wp-block-paragraph">However, the report also notes that approximately half of the populations studied are stable or increasing. Lead author Rebecca Shaw, chief scientist at the World Wildlife Fund, stated that these gains, while overshadowed by overall losses, demonstrate the effectiveness of conservation efforts for species such as green sea turtles and bluefin tuna. </p>
<p class="wp-block-paragraph">“The report focuses on hope because even though the headline statistic is really stark…what we see underlying the statistic is some real movement in some species,” Shaw said. </p>
<p class="wp-block-paragraph">Despite these positive developments, the report emphasizes the need for global action to address biodiversity loss by reforming the food, energy, and finance systems that drive extinction. </p>
<p class="wp-block-paragraph"><span class="section-lead">The “Living Planet”</span> reports are published approximately every two years. The latest report analyzes data from tens of thousands of populations of 5,790 vertebrate species, ranging from Laysan albatross to ring-tailed lemurs. </p>
<p class="wp-block-paragraph">Instead of counting total animal numbers, researchers assessed changes in relative abundance, allowing for comparisons across different populations. For example, a small population of monkeys that decreased from 200 to 100 would show a 50 percent loss, similar to a larger colony of bats that dropped from 20,000 to 10,000. This methodology provides a clearer picture of environmental health, according to Louise McRae, a research fellow at the Zoological Society of London. </p>
<p class="wp-block-paragraph">The report indicates that monitored species populations have experienced the most significant declines in Latin America and the Caribbean, with an average decrease of 95 percent from 1970 to 2022. In contrast, North America and Europe/Central Asia have seen declines of about 25 percent. Africa and the Asia-Pacific region experienced declines of 80 percent and 49 percent, respectively. </p>
<p class="wp-block-paragraph">Freshwater species have been particularly affected, with an overall decline of 85 percent. This decline is attributed to pollution, overharvesting, and habitat loss due to infrastructure such as hydropower dams. Species impacted include migratory fish like Chinook salmon and the Amazon pink river dolphin, which saw a 65 percent decline from 1994 to 2016 in the Mamirauá Sustainable Development Reserve in Brazil. </p>
<p class="wp-block-paragraph">For terrestrial species, habitat loss and degradation are primary drivers of biodiversity decline, while marine species face significant threats from overfishing. Viorel Popescu, an associate research scientist at Columbia University, noted that the report may underestimate total biodiversity losses, as it focuses solely on vertebrate species. He highlighted the declines in insect populations, which constitute a significant portion of global biodiversity. </p>
<p class="wp-block-paragraph"><span class="section-lead">The report also</span> identifies success stories, such as the green sea turtle, which was downlisted by the International Union for Conservation of Nature in 2025 due to population increases. This recovery resulted from a coordinated conservation effort spanning over 80 countries that focused on protecting nesting females and eggs, managing beaches, and implementing regulations to reduce bycatch. </p>
<p class="wp-block-paragraph">Researchers have documented population increases for species like tigers, Southern African elephants, and Atlantic and Pacific bluefin tuna due to conservation initiatives and stricter regulations. However, experts warn that funding for conservation efforts remains inadequate in light of the accelerating extinction crisis. The Trump administration's cuts to conservation programs have had significant impacts on both domestic and international efforts. </p>
<p class="wp-block-paragraph">Andrew Terry, chief conservation officer at the Zoological Society of London, stated that development aid budgets have historically supported global conservation funding, but recent cuts have adversely affected both people and nature. </p>
<p class="wp-block-paragraph">The report argues that ensuring the long-term future of biodiversity requires fundamental changes in society, particularly in the food, energy, and finance sectors. Agriculture is identified as a leading cause of habitat loss and a major contributor to greenhouse gas emissions. </p>
<p class="wp-block-paragraph">The report highlights that accelerating solar energy adoption can reduce emissions impacting biodiversity. However, financial systems continue to fund activities detrimental to nature, with estimates suggesting $7.3 trillion flowed into harmful activities in 2023, compared to only a fraction spent on conservation efforts. </p>
<p class="wp-block-paragraph">Shaw emphasized the need for countries to increase conservation funding while simultaneously reducing investments in harmful activities. “Go after the root causes, don’t do this species by species,” she said. “Focus on the food system, the energy system, and the finance system, and the connections between the three. That’s a recipe for really turning around the loss of wildlife and the loss of species that we’re seeing at a global scale.”</p>