Nature ‘in steep decline’

The ways in which humans feed, fuel and finance societies and economies are pushing our planet’s natural systems – which support all life on Earth – to the edge, according to WWF’s Living Planet Report 2018, released today (30 October).

A comprehensive overview of the state of our natural world, the Living Planet Report 2018 presents a sobering analysis of the impact of humans on the world’s wildlife, forests, oceans, rivers and climate, and the implications for vital services Nature provides.

The Living Planet Index (LPI) indicates that global populations of fish, birds, mammals, amphibians and reptiles declined, on average, by 60% between 1970 and 2014, with freshwater species hit hardest.

The top threats to species are directly linked to human activities, including habitat loss and degradation, and overexploitation of wildlife.

A closing window for action

The findings also demonstrate that the window for action is closing rapidly, and underline the urgent need for the global community to collectively rethink and redefine how we value, protect and restore Nature.

‘We cannot build a prosperous future for Europe and its citizens on a depleted planet, so economic and environmental agendas must converge if we are to build a sustainable Europe for all’, said Ester Asin, director of WWF’s European Policy Office.

‘With the upcoming EU elections and the resulting renewal of key decision-making bodies, Europe has the opportunity to revive its global leadership on climate change and Nature conservation, by taking decisive actions at home and driving a new global deal for nature and people’, Ester continued. ‘Europe must lead by example by adopting an ambitious post-2020 EU biodiversity strategy, and integrating biodiversity and climate protection into all relevant sectoral policies.’

Rivers, lakes and wetlands

Freshwater ecosystems, such as rivers, lakes and wetlands, are continuing to deteriorate at breakneck speed, with species abundance declined by 83% since 1970.

Lakes, rivers and wetlands are critical for people, Nature and economies, yet they are under growing pressure from pollution, dam development and soaring demand for water to irrigate farms and fuel hydropower plants.