The Living Planet Report 2026, published by the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF), reported a 73% decline in the average size of monitored wildlife populations between 1970 and 2022.
The report highlights the growing pressure on global biodiversity and the need to conserve ecosystems and wildlife populations.
The Living Planet Report is published biennially by the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF). It assesses trends in global biodiversity and the health of the planet.
The 2026 edition is the 16th edition of the report, according to the supplied source.
The report uses the Living Planet Index (LPI) to monitor changes in wildlife populations over time.
The LPI measures the average rate of change in population sizes across monitored vertebrate species from terrestrial, freshwater and marine ecosystems. It is an indicator of changes in wildlife populations and provides insights into the state of global biodiversity.
Important: The reported decline refers to the average size of monitored populations. It does not mean that 73% of all individual wild animals or 73% of all species have disappeared.
The average size of monitored vertebrate wildlife populations declined by 73% between 1970 and 2022, covering a period of 52 years.
The report identified substantial declines across all three major ecosystem categories.
|
Ecosystem |
Decline in average monitored population size |
|---|---|
|
Freshwater ecosystems |
85% |
|
Terrestrial ecosystems |
69% |
|
Marine ecosystems |
59% |
The steepest decline occurred in freshwater ecosystems, highlighting the vulnerability of rivers, lakes and wetlands to environmental pressures.
The report recorded significant regional differences in wildlife population trends.
|
Region |
Decline since 1970 |
|---|---|
|
Latin America and the Caribbean |
95% |
|
Africa |
80% |
|
Asia and the Pacific |
49% |
According to the supplied figures, Latin America and the Caribbean experienced the largest decline among the regions listed.
Despite the overall decline, the report highlighted recoveries in several wildlife populations, demonstrating that conservation measures can produce positive outcomes.
Examples include green turtles, bluefin tuna, tigers and southern African elephants.
The report also noted an increase in the global wild tiger population from approximately 3,200 in 2010 to around 5,700 in 2025.
The report identified several major drivers of changes in wildlife populations and ecosystems.
Habitat loss and degradation result from deforestation, agricultural expansion, urbanisation and infrastructure development, reducing the availability of suitable habitats.
Overexploitation of natural resources, including hunting, poaching and unsustainable fishing, directly reduces wildlife populations.
Climate change alters habitats, increases the frequency of extreme weather events and affects the distribution and survival of species.
Other significant drivers include invasive alien species, pollution and disease, which can disrupt ecosystems and threaten native wildlife.
The seventh Status of Coral Reefs of the World report, released by the Global Coral Reef Monitoring Network (GCRMN), highlighted that coral bleaching events are becoming more frequent and that recovery periods between events have shortened dramatically.
Coral bleaching occurs when corals experience environmental stress due to changes in ocean temperature, pollution, or ocean acidity. Under these conditions, corals lose the symbiotic algae responsible for providing much of their food and colour, causing them to appear pale or white.
Under stressful conditions, the zooxanthellae, or food-producing algae living inside coral polyps, can produce harmful reactive oxygen species (ROS).
In response, corals expel these algae from their tissues. This exposes the pale white calcium carbonate skeleton beneath the coral’s transparent tissues, giving the coral a bleached appearance.
The expulsion disrupts the symbiotic relationship between corals and zooxanthellae. As a result, corals lose a major source of food and become more vulnerable to disease and death if stressful conditions persist.
The rise in ocean temperature due to climate change is the leading cause of mass coral bleaching. Even a prolonged increase of a few degrees above the usual seasonal temperature can cause significant stress to corals.
Stormwater runoff can carry pollutants, sediments and agricultural chemicals into coastal waters. Changes in water salinity caused by heavy rainfall can also stress nearshore corals and contribute to bleaching.
During periods of high ocean temperatures, intense solar radiation can increase stress on corals, particularly those living in shallow waters.
During exceptionally low tides, shallow-water corals may become exposed to air. This exposure can cause temperature and desiccation stress, leading to bleaching.
Corals are marine invertebrates belonging to the phylum Cnidaria. Individual corals are called polyps, which are small, soft-bodied organisms. Thousands of polyps may live together in a colony, and colonies grow as polyps reproduce and build calcium carbonate skeletons.
Corals share a mutually beneficial relationship with single-celled algae known as zooxanthellae.
Benefits to corals: Zooxanthellae use sunlight for photosynthesis and provide corals with food and nutrients, supporting their growth and survival.
Benefits to algae: Corals provide the algae with shelter and access to nutrients.
Colouration: Zooxanthellae contribute to the bright colours of many corals.
When this relationship breaks down during bleaching, corals lose a major source of energy and may struggle to survive.
Singaporean lawyer and diplomat Tommy Koh, Myanmar activist Bo Kyi, and Bangladeshi social worker Runa Khan have recently been named winners of this year’s Ramon Magsaysay Award.
The Ramon Magsaysay Award is regarded as Asia’s premier prize and highest honour. It recognises greatness of spirit and transformative leadership in Asia, particularly contributions that address social challenges and promote the public good.
The award was first presented in 1958 and is named after Ramon Magsaysay, the former President of the Philippines.
The award is presented annually by the Ramon Magsaysay Award Foundation (RMAF). Awardees are selected by the Foundation’s Board of Trustees.
The award ceremony is traditionally held in Manila, Philippines, on 31 August, the birth anniversary of Ramon Magsaysay.
Recipients receive a certificate and a medallion bearing an embossed profile image of Ramon Magsaysay.
From 1958 to 2008, the award was presented in six categories.
This category recognised outstanding service in the public interest in any branch of government, including the executive, judicial, legislative and military branches.
This category recognised outstanding contributions to the public good by private citizens.
This category honoured leaders who helped disadvantaged communities access better opportunities and improved living conditions.
This category recognised effective writing, publishing, photography, broadcasting, cinema and performing arts used to promote the public good.
This category recognised contributions to friendship, tolerance, peace and solidarity within and across countries.
This category recognised individuals aged 40 or younger for outstanding work on social change within their communities, particularly when their leadership had not yet gained broad recognition.
The Emergent Leadership category was introduced in 2000 and was supported by a grant from the Ford Foundation.
Beginning in 2009, the Ramon Magsaysay Award discontinued its fixed award categories, with the exception of Emergent Leadership, according to the supplied source.
The award now recognises individuals and organisations for their contributions to society without following the earlier fixed-category structure.
A team of researchers recently discovered and formally described a new scorpion species, Liocheles gracilipalpus, from the Shivalik Hills of Reasi district in Jammu and Kashmir.
Liocheles gracilipalpus is a newly described scorpion species belonging to the Hormuridae family. It was discovered in the Shivalik Hills of Reasi district, Jammu and Kashmir, at an elevation of approximately 1,655 metres above sea level.
The name gracilipalpus reflects its distinctive anatomy. The term “gracilis” means slender, while “palpus” refers to the pedipalp, the pincer-like appendage characteristic of scorpions.
The species is relatively large for its genus, measuring approximately 34.8–43.2 mm in total length. Its body ranges from greyish brown to dark brown, while its legs and tail are lighter in colour.
Researchers observed pronounced sexual dimorphism, meaning differences in physical characteristics between males and females. These differences are particularly evident in the structure of the pedipalps.
The species was found beneath flat rocks near a man-made wall at the type locality. Researchers reported that it appeared relatively abundant in the area.
Its recorded distribution extends from approximately 1,655 metres above sea level to Reasi town, at around 600 metres. Interestingly, the species is not restricted to undisturbed natural habitats, as individuals were also observed in human-inhabited areas, including wood-storage sheds.
Before this discovery, species of the genus Liocheles recorded in India included Liocheles australasiae, Liocheles nigripes and Liocheles schalleri.
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