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WWF’s Living Planet Report 2020, released Thursday, warns of an ongoing global natural crisis:
* 75 percent of the earth’s ice-free land area has already changed significantly.
* Most of the oceans are polluted.
* 85 percent of the world’s wetlands have been lost.
* 84 percent decline in freshwater animal populations.
* One million species (500,000 animals and plants and 500,000 insects) are in danger of extinction.
– The Living Planet Report reveals a huge human impact on the health of the planet. The dramatic decline in mammals, birds, insects, amphibians, reptiles and fish has a direct impact on our food security and the livelihoods of billions of people, says Karoline Andaur, Secretary General of WWF’s World Wide Fund for Nature.
– It is urgent to stop the loss of nature and launch a new global agreement for nature, says Andaur.
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Deforestation and loss of habitat are among the main drivers of the current natural crisis in the world. The image shows one of the thousands of fires recorded in the Amazon in recent years. The Amazon has now lost about 17 percent of its original area, and environmentalists fear that the rainforest will reach a tipping point in the next 15 to 30 years where it does not generate enough rain to survive. Photo: Andre Penner / AP
Great threat of climate change
The report shows that the main reason for the loss of nature in recent decades has been land change. Unspoiled nature has been plowed for agriculture or turned to pasture, and much of the oceans are overexploited. This leads to the disappearance of habitats.
Pollution, the spread of exotic species, climate change and the illegal trade in wild animals have also contributed to development.
Almost 200 million people depend on coral reefs to protect against storms and waves. The world has lost half of all tropical corals in just 30 years, according to a new report from WWF. Photo: Marit Hommedal / NTB scanpix
In the future, climate change is expected to be an equally powerful driver of the loss of nature. Climate change alone puts one fifth of species at risk of extinction this century.
– We are losing nature at a rate that has not happened in millions of years. Rising temperatures as a result of climate change and the way we use our natural resources are now pushing nature to the limit, says Karoline Andaur.
Need to change food production
WWF has released reports with other organizations showing that the economic consequences of nature’s decline will cost the world at least $ 479 billion a year.
According to the report, it is necessary to see nature conservation, production and consumption in context. A combination of nature conservation and modified food production will work best to stop natural losses.
– This must have consequences for food production and trade. People, businesses and politicians alike must prepare for major changes. We need to reduce food waste and we need to eat more sustainable food. We must have more nature. Everyone must contribute and the most powerful must do more, says Karoline Andaur.
Requires new nature agreement
– It is urgent to stop the loss of nature and launch a new global agreement for nature, as we have done for the climate. To ensure that everyone is moving in the same direction, we need nature care to be integrated into economic and political development, says Andau.
Calls on Norway to be a driving force in the work for the Nature Deal, New Deal for Nature and People:
The Living Planet Report is published every two years. It is a comprehensive study of developments in global biodiversity and the health of the planet. Provides an overview of the state of nature, the influences of human activity, and possible solutions.
