turtles: A light of hope for wildlife conservation
AB Razzak
Biodiversity is declining at an alarming rate around the world. The size of various populations of observed wildlife has decreased by an average of 73 percent in the last 52 years. This information has been revealed in a Euro News report.
Researchers have identified habitat destruction, overhunting, climate change and pollution as the main causes of this crisis. However, the recovery of species such as tigers, sea turtles and Atlantic bluefin tuna with effective conservation initiatives is showing a light of hope.
These data have emerged in a new study by the World Wildlife Fund (WWF) and the Zoological Society of London (ZSL). The study, published in WWF's 'Living Planet Report 2026', analyzed the situation of wildlife from 1970 to 2022.
The study reviewed data on 35,803 populations of 5,790 species of amphibians, birds, fish, mammals and reptiles. It found that the size of these observed populations has declined by an average of 73 percent.
However, this does not mean that the total number of wild animals in the world has declined at the same rate. It is an indicator of the average change in the observed populations.
Habitat destruction and degradation are the biggest threats to wildlife. In addition, overhunting and harvesting, climate change, pollution, invasive species and diseases are also contributing to biodiversity loss.
The largest declines have been seen in Latin America and the Caribbean, Africa and the Asia-Pacific region.
The study also highlights the success of conservation efforts. In 2010, the number of wild tigers in the world was about 3,200. Last year, it increased to about 5,700. The condition of Atlantic bluefin tuna, which has been declining for a long time due to overfishing, has also improved.
Elephant numbers in various parts of southern Africa are stable or increasing thanks to land management led by local communities. Decades of conservation efforts have downgraded the green sea turtle from ‘endangered’ to ‘least concern’.
The report highlights the need to transform energy, food production and financial systems to protect biodiversity. In 2023, an estimated $7.3 trillion was invested in activities that harm nature, but only $220 billion was spent on conservation and restoration.
According to Dr. Carsten Schweitzer, Director General of WWF International, nature can be restored through sustained collective conservation efforts. However, fundamental changes to the industries and systems that are damaging biodiversity must be made.
