WWF Living Planet Report 2026: 73 per cent wildlife decline in 52 years, conservation can reverse losses

The average size of monitored wildlife populations around the world has fallen by 73 per cent over the past 52 years but the recovery of several key species shows that conservation efforts can reverse the decline according to WWFrsquos Living Planet Report 2026The report based on the Living Planet Index LPI produced by the Zoological Society of London ZSL analysed 35803 population trends covering 5790 vertebrate species between 1970 and 2022The sharp decline in wildlife populations highlights the scale of the global biodiversity crisis while the recovery of species such as tigers green turtles bluefin tuna and southern African elephants provides evidence that targeted and sustained conservation action can workFreshwater wildlife sees steepest declineThe report found that freshwater ecosystems recorded the largest decline with monitored populations falling by 85 per centTerrestrial wildlife populations declined by 69 per cent while marine populations recorded a 59 per cent fallHabitat loss and degradation were identified as the most frequently reported threats to monitored wildlife populations Other major threats include overexploitation climate change pollution invasive species and diseaseThese pressures are linked to wider problems in the food energy and finance systems which the report identifies as key drivers of nature lossDespite the overall decline half of the populations included in the Living Planet Index were found to be stable or increasingTiger recovery offers grounds for hopeThe recovery of tiger populations is highlighted as an example of how longterm conservation programmes can produce resultsGlobal wild tiger numbers increased from about 3200 in 2010 to around 5700 in 2025The report attributes the recovery to coordinated action involving governments indigenous people local communities NGOs donors and other partnersMeasures have included national tiger recovery plans international commitments professional ranger units expansion of protected areas community participation and crossborder action against wildlife traffickingIndia recorded 3682 tigers in its All India Tiger Estimation conducted in 2022Other wildlife species in India have also shown positive trends The country has more than 3300 greater onehorned rhinos while the 2025 Asiatic lion population stood at 891 up from 674 in 2020 Indias snow leopard population has been estimated at 718 while the common leopard population stands at 13874India records 6324 Ganges river dolphinsIndias efforts to monitor and conserve aquatic biodiversity have also expandedThe countrys first rangewide river dolphin population assessment was conducted between 2021 and 2023 and covered 8507 kilometres across 28 riversThe assessment produced Indias first sciencebased rangewide population estimate for Ganges river dolphins putting their number at 6324The report said such systematic assessments can help governments and conservation agencies identify threats and plan targeted measures to protect aquatic speciesThe report says conservation alone will not be enough to reverse global biodiversity loss It calls for major changes in the food energy and finance systems that drive pressure on natureThe energy system produces around threequarters of global greenhouse gas emissions making the shift from fossil fuels to renewable energy important for tackling both climate change and nature lossThe report points to rapid changes in transport particularly the growing use of electric two and threewheelers India East Africa Southeast Asia and China are among the regions seeing particularly rapid growthIt also says India and China appear to be approaching a point where economic growth can become decoupled from increasing fossil fuel consumptionIndia achieved its updated target of having 50 per cent of installed electricity capacity from nonfossil fuel sources by 2030 five years ahead of schedule As of August 31 2026 nonfossil sources accounted for 5488 per cent of Indias installed electricity capacityRegenerative farming can help nature and farmersThe food and agriculture system is another major area where the report sees potential for positive changeRegenerative agriculture can help make farming more naturepositive while improving farmers livelihoods Practices include using organic manure recycling agricultural waste biobased inputs intercropping crop rotation and planting treesWWFIndia is supporting more than 25000 farmers across key landscapes in India in adopting such practicesAccording to sciencebased assessments by CGIAR institutes for the 2021ndash25 cropping period these practices resulted in a 34 per cent increase in soil organic carbon and 57 per cent lower greenhouse gas emissions compared with conventional farmsThe assessments also estimated that around 93781 metric tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent had been sequestered while farmers recorded an average 15 per cent increase in net incomeFinance system needs major shiftThe report said the financial sector remains at an early stage of moving towards a positive tipping pointIt called for an end to financing activities that harm nature greater recognition of nature and climate risks stronger regulatory certainty and efforts to close an estimated annual biodiversity financing gap of US dollar 13 trillionResearchers from the University of Exeter cited in the report said positive tipping points can occur when a system crosses a threshold towards a healthier state and the change becomes selfreinforcingWWFIndia calls for wider actionRavi Singh Secretary General and CEO of WWFIndia said the report was both a reminder of the scale of the biodiversity crisis and a message of hopeHe said the recovery of species including tigers in India and globally showed that sustained conservation action collaboration and longterm commitment could produce resultsHowever Singh said isolated conservation successes would not be enoughHe stressed the need to transform the systems and practices that continue to drive nature loss and to expand solutions that allow both people and nature to thrive