TASHI DEKI | Thimphu
A new global report found that monitored wildlife populations have declined by an average of 73 percent since 1970, raising concerns about accelerating biodiversity loss. However, recovery stories from several parts of the world show that sustained conservation efforts can help reverse the trend.
The Living Planet Report 2026, WWF’s biennial flagship publication produced in collaboration with the Zoological Society of London (ZSL), highlights these findings.
The report is based on the Living Planet Index, which tracks changes in the sizes of monitored wildlife populations across the world. The latest index includes 35,803 population trends covering 5,790 vertebrate species between 1970 and 2022.
The 73 percent decline represents the average change in the size of monitored wildlife populations and does not mean that 73 percent of all individual animals or species have disappeared.
Freshwater ecosystems recorded the steepest decline, with monitored populations falling by an average of 85 percent. Terrestrial populations declined by 69 percent, while marine populations recorded a 59 percent decline.
Regionally, Latin America and the Caribbean recorded the highest decline at 95 percent, followed by Africa at 80 percent and Asia-Pacific at 49 percent. North America recorded a 28 percent decline, while Europe and Central Asia registered a 23 percent decline.
The report attributes the continuing decline to habitat loss and degradation, which remain the most frequently reported threats to monitored wildlife populations. Other major threats include overexploitation, climate change, pollution, invasive species and disease.
Despite the overall decline, the report highlights signs of recovery, with half of the monitored populations either stable or increasing. Seven percent of the populations remained stable, while 43 percent showed an increase.
The recovery of species such as tigers, green sea turtles, bluefin tuna and southern African elephants demonstrates that targeted conservation interventions can produce positive results.
Global wild tiger numbers, for instance, increased by more than 70 percent between 2010 and 2025, rising from an estimated 3,200 to around 5,700 individuals.
The recovery has been supported by national tiger recovery plans, expansion of protected areas, professionalised ranger units, cross-border efforts to combat wildlife trafficking and cooperation among governments, local communities and conservation organisations.
Similarly, the green sea turtle became the first marine turtle to be downgraded from Endangered to Least Concern on the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List in 2025.
The improvement reflects around five decades of conservation efforts across approximately 80 nesting countries, including protection of nesting females and eggs, improved beach management and measures to reduce accidental capture in fishing gear.
Bluefin tuna populations have also recovered following years of overfishing. By 2010, Atlantic bluefin tuna populations had declined by 80 percent, while Pacific bluefin tuna had fallen to two percent of their unfished levels.
Reduced fishing quotas, improved monitoring and campaigns promoting sustainably sourced fish have contributed to their recovery. Today, neither population is considered overfished or a species of major concern.
The report, however, warns that conservation efforts alone will not be enough to reverse biodiversity loss. It identifies food, energy and finance systems as the major drivers that need to be transformed.
The food system is identified as the leading cause of habitat loss, while the energy system contributes to climate change through the burning of fossil fuels. The financial system also directs substantial investments towards activities that harm nature.
In 2023, around USD 7.3 trillion flowed into activities harmful to nature, compared with only USD 220 billion invested in activities that protect or restore it.
The report highlights the need to close an annual biodiversity financing gap of USD 1.3 trillion and redirect investments towards nature-positive activities.
It also points to positive changes already taking place in some sectors. Solar power has become the cheapest source of new electricity generation in most countries, while sustainable food production, responsible consumption and efforts to reduce food loss and waste are creating opportunities for change.
WWF International Director General Dr Kirsten Schuijt said the report provides evidence that nature can recover despite the continuing decline in biodiversity.
“The Living Planet Report 2026 highlights evidence that many species populations are stable or recovering, alongside inspiring stories that show nature can rebound and change is possible,” she said.
She said the recovery of species such as tigers, bluefin tuna and green turtles demonstrates what years of sustained collective conservation efforts can achieve.
For Bhutan, the findings reinforce the importance of its commitment to environmental conservation and sustainable development. The country is internationally recognised for its environmental stewardship and has a constitutional mandate to maintain at least 60 percent forest cover.
According to the WWF-Bhutan , the report’s findings align with Bhutan’s vision of living in harmony with nature and highlight the importance of investing in conservation while supporting human wellbeing and economic resilience.
The report also calls on countries to accelerate the implementation of commitments under the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework and the Paris Agreement.
Achieving the 2030 biodiversity targets, including halting and reversing biodiversity loss, will require stronger political leadership, greater investment and coordinated action across different sectors of society.
Daudi Sumba, Chief Conservation Officer at WWF International, said the opportunity to secure a different future remains open, but countries must act with greater urgency.
“The sooner we act, the greater the benefits are for people and nature,” he said.
The report’s central message is that biodiversity loss is not inevitable. While the scale of wildlife population decline remains alarming, successful conservation efforts show that ecosystems and species can recover when threats are reduced and action is sustained.
