Living Planet Report (“Report”) is a report which is published by the World Wildlife Foundation (“WWF”) every two years. Experts from all over the world use the Living Planet index to monitor the health of the Earth and the animals. It tracks the population sizes of vertebrates like mammals, birds, reptiles and fish. It also checks if the population of animals is increasing or decreasing, and tries to understand the reasons behind the same, along with giving solutions. The Living Planet Index 2024 has covered the period from 1970 to 2020 and included data on 34,836 populations of 5,495 vertebrate species.
Finding Of The Latest Report
- Average wildlife populations have fallen by 73% in 50 years!
- 85% drop has been reported for the population sizes of freshwater species.
- Animal species in Latin America and the Caribbean have seen even more extreme average declines of 95% since 1970.
- North America and Europe are responsible for nature loss in other countries because they import livestock that is grown in areas that were once wild.
- The biggest threat to wildlife is loss of habitats. Other threats include invasive species, disease, climate change, and pollution.
The Warning!
The Report has warned that due to the rate of decline of animal species, deforestation in the Amazon rainforest, and melting of the polar ice caps in Antarctica, the Earth is fast approaching a tipping point. This could impact food security and livelihoods across the world and even loss of healthy ecosystems across the world. The WWF has called the figures a “wake-up call” and warns in the report that “what happens in the next five years will determine the future of life on Earth”.
Word Check
Tipping points are points which, if reached, there’s no way of getting things back to the way they were.
Did You Know?
The Amazon rainforest is a very important habitat, as it is home to 10% of wildlife species on Earth. The Amazon rainforest converts carbon dioxide into oxygen and is therefore sometimes called the Earth’s Lungs. With respect to the Amazon rainforest, a tipping point could be reached if just 20–25% of the Amazon rainforest were destroyed! It is estimated 14–17% has already been deforested.
What Can Be Done?
The Report has given the following three important suggestions regarding what countries around the world need to do now:
- Transform food production – Currently, the food production INDIAMART system of the world uses 40% of the Earth’s habitable land. This is causing habitat loss, as forests and grasslands are being converted into farmland. The countries need to find more nature-friendly methods of farming nutritious food for the world to eat
- Transform finance – The Report has recommended that less money should be invested in environmentally-harmful activities and more into things that help restore nature.
- Moving to clean energy – We need to stop greenhouse emissions by stopping the use of fossil fuels. The countries need to use more renewable forms of energy like solar and wind.
The Living Planet Report On India
The Report states that keeping in mind the global demand for food production by 2050, India’s food consumption pattern is the most climate-friendly among G20 nations. The Report has highlighted that India’s diet is the least harmful to the environment. If all countries adopted India’s consumption patterns, the world would require less than one Earth to support food production by 2050, making it a model for sustainability. On the other hand, the Report has also stated that countries like Argentina, Australia, and the US have the least sustainable pattern, with respect to their diet and food choices.
The Report has recommended that people should eat a more sustainable diet, which would reduce the amount of land needed to produce food. The researchers have said that achieving a healthy and nutritious diet will be heavily influenced by local cultural traditions, individual choice, and available food. The Report has praised India’s National Millet Campaign for promoting climate-resilient grains, such as millets, “In some countries, promoting traditional foods will be an important lever to shift diets. For example, the National Millett Campaign in India is designed to increase national consumption of this ancient grain, which is good for health and highly resilient in the face of climate change”.
Word Check
G20 is a club of countries who meet every year to discuss plans for the world economy. G20 is made up of 19 of the world’s largest economies plus a representative from the European Union.