Average size of wildlife population Deforestation and over-consumption have led to a two-thirds decline in 50 years. Experts said on Thursday that the warning was to protect nature in order to save itself.

According to the World Wildlife Fund (WWF) annual Living Planet report, human activity has severely damaged one-third of the earth and 40 percent of the earth, and the rapid destruction of nature could have unpredictable consequences for health and livelihoods. .

The Living Planet Index, which finds more than 4,000 species of vertebrates, warns that an average of 68 percent of the population will fall between 1970 and 2016.

“This is a rapid decline that we have been observing for 30 years and it continues in the wrong direction.” WWF International Director General Marco Lambertini told AFP News Agency.

“In 2016, we had a 60 percent decline, and now we have a 70 percent decline.

“All of this is eye-popping compared to the millions of years that have lived on this planet for millions of years,” Lambertini added.

The report, in collaboration with the WWF International and the Zoological Society of London, warned that damage to natural habitats could increase the risk of future epidemics.

‘Surprising’ fall

Unprecedented economic growth in the last half decade has led to an explosion in the global consumption of natural resources.

Until the 1970s, mankind’s ecological footprint was smaller than its ability to regenerate Earth’s resources, but the WWF now estimates that man is using more than half of the planet’s capacity.

With the contributions of about 125 experts, the report says that of the more than 4,000 vertebrates studied, those living in freshwater fell by 84 percent.

Gorillas in the eastern lowlands of the Democratic Republic of the Congo and the African sparrow in Ghana are other wildlife that have been badly affected.

Scientists say deforestation is also a major factor in the spread of zoonotic diseases transmitted from animals to humans, including the new corona virus.

“Deforestation, increased wildlife and livestock-human interventions increase the likelihood of the spread of animal diseases such as Ebola, such as Kovid-19,” Fran Wris Thomson, head of global forest training at the WWF, told the Reuters Foundation.

“Forests really act as buffers to keep these diseases away from humans – and as they are destroyed, we are likely to unleash something that is detrimental to humanity.”

If the world continues to do business as usual in the next decade, it will take decades to reverse the loss of wildlife, and the likelihood of some species being revived will be reduced, Price said.

They called for the courageous commitments and efforts of governments and corporations to make global supply chains more sustainable.

She said consumers need to understand the impact of their buying habits and buy more responsibly.

Reducing the impact of climate change

Researchers at the University of Oxford said on Thursday that restoration of forests and mangroves was important – a natural solution to mitigate climate change.

If they cite the first planned review of nature-based solutions around the world, they have found that 60 percent of such ventures address climate-related pressures such as floods, erosion, and food production losses.

“It’s not just about tree planting and greenhouse gas removal,” said study author Alexander Chassen.

“In most cases, nature-based interventions will help communities adapt to the impact of climate change we have seen in recent months, from record-breaking heat waves to wildfires and hurricanes,” she said in a statement.

The WWF report includes 20 articles from young activists, writers, academics, business leaders, journalists, and local leaders from China to Mexico.

Among them was the esteemed British naturalist David Attenborough, who urged people to “work rather than oppose nature.”

Experts urge people to rethink their way of life to reduce the impact on wildlife [Gernot Hensel/EPA]