The World Wide Fund for Nature has released a report that showed the world’s wildlife populations fell by 69% between 1970 and 2018.
This report shows that between 1970 and 2018, the organization has tracked around 32,000 populations of 5,230 vertebrate species, according to CNN. The Living Planet Index was used to help discover the decrease, along with work put forward by the Zoological Society of London.
What does the World Wide Fund for Nature report say?
The report showed that Latin America and the Caribbean had the most significant average decline in wildlife populations (94%), and freshwater species had the biggest decline globally (84%).
The report, which was authored by 89 scientists, found that the main causes for the decline stems from climate change and changes in biodiversity, according to CNN.
The Guardian reported that in 2020 the population was down 68% compared to 1970. In 2018, it was down 60%.
Why people should care
Axios reported that one million plants and animals globally are currently at risk for extinction.
“The world is waking up to the fact that our future depends on reversing the loss of nature just as much as it depends on addressing climate change. And you can’t solve one without solving the other,” president of World Wide Fund for Nature-U.S., Carter Roberts, said in a statement.
Roberts added that everyone has a part to play in helping to combat these numbers.
“In the U.S., Congress should finalize this year’s funding bills with significant increases for global conservation programs. Doing so would empower the federal government to drive greater progress in conserving and restoring nature and send a signal to other countries that it expects other actors to do the same,” Roberts said.
The Deseret News previously reported that Utah is already joining in the conversation by creating projects that help maintain and restore wildlife habitats that have been damaged.