Human activity continues to drive a devastating loss of species, which the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) has described as “catastrophic.” A global assessment of wildlife populations, highlighted in the Living Planet Report, reveals a shocking 73% decline in species populations over the past 50 years. From elephants in tropical forests to hawksbill turtles off the Great Barrier Reef, many populations are in freefall due to habitat loss and other human-induced pressures.

Tanya Steele, head of WWF UK, warns that ecosystems from the Amazon to coral reefs are nearing dangerous tipping points, with human actions such as deforestation and pollution threatening to push many environments beyond recovery. For example, 60% of Amazon pink river dolphins have been lost due to pollution, mining, and civil unrest.

However, there are some conservation success stories. A sub-population of mountain gorillas in East Africa has increased by 3% annually between 2010 and 2016, but WWF emphasizes that isolated successes are not enough to counter widespread habitat destruction. Experts like Professor Tom Oliver of the University of Reading caution that biodiversity loss, when combined with insect declines, paints a bleak picture of global ecosystem collapse.

The primary threats identified in the report are habitat degradation, overexploitation, invasive species, disease, climate change, and pollution. Mike Barrett, WWF’s chief scientific adviser, emphasizes that how humanity produces and consumes food is accelerating habitat loss and pushing the world toward irreversible climate tipping points, such as the potential collapse of the Amazon rainforest. Barrett urges immediate action to prevent further loss, while other conservation experts call for urgent global cooperation to reverse this dangerous trend.