08 October,2026 02:11 PM IST | Mumbai | Ranjeet Jadhav
India recorded 3,682 tigers in its All India Tiger Estimation conducted in 2022. Representational Pic/File/iStock
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 WWF's Living Planet Report 2026.
The report, based on the Living Planet Index (LPI) produced by the Zoological Society of London (ZSL), analysed 35,803 population trends covering 5,790 vertebrate species between 1970 and 2022.
The 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 work.
The report found that freshwater ecosystems recorded the largest decline, with monitored populations falling by 85 per cent.
Terrestrial wildlife populations declined by 69 per cent, while marine populations recorded a 59 per cent fall.
Habitat 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 disease.
These pressures are linked to wider problems in the food, energy and finance systems, which the report identifies as key drivers of nature loss.
Despite the overall decline, half of the populations included in the Living Planet Index were found to be stable or increasing.
The recovery of tiger populations is highlighted as an example of how long-term conservation programmes can produce results.
Global wild tiger numbers increased from about 3,200 in 2010 to around 5,700 in 2025.
The report attributes the recovery to coordinated action involving governments, indigenous people, local communities, NGOs, donors and other partners.
Measures have included national tiger recovery plans, international commitments, professional ranger units, expansion of protected areas, community participation and cross-border action against wildlife trafficking.
India recorded 3,682 tigers in its All India Tiger Estimation conducted in 2022.
Other wildlife species in India have also shown positive trends. The country has more than 3,300 greater one-horned rhinos, while the 2025 Asiatic lion population stood at 891, up from 674 in 2020. India's snow leopard population has been estimated at 718, while the common leopard population stands at 13,874.
India's efforts to monitor and conserve aquatic biodiversity have also expanded.
The country's first range-wide river dolphin population assessment was conducted between 2021 and 2023 and covered 8,507 kilometres across 28 rivers.
The assessment produced India's first science-based range-wide population estimate for Ganges river dolphins, putting their number at 6,324.
The report said such systematic assessments can help governments and conservation agencies identify threats and plan targeted measures to protect aquatic species.
The 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 nature.
The energy system produces around three-quarters of global greenhouse gas emissions, making the shift from fossil fuels to renewable energy important for tackling both climate change and nature loss.
The report points to rapid changes in transport, particularly the growing use of electric two- and three-wheelers. India, East Africa, Southeast Asia and China are among the regions seeing particularly rapid growth.
It also says India and China appear to be approaching a point where economic growth can become decoupled from increasing fossil fuel consumption.
India achieved its updated target of having 50 per cent of installed electricity capacity from non-fossil fuel sources by 2030 five years ahead of schedule. As of August 31, 2026, non-fossil sources accounted for 54.88 per cent of India's installed electricity capacity.
The food and agriculture system is another major area where the report sees potential for positive change.
Regenerative agriculture can help make farming more nature-positive while improving farmers' livelihoods. Practices include using organic manure, recycling agricultural waste, bio-based inputs, intercropping, crop rotation and planting trees.
WWF-India is supporting more than 25,000 farmers across key landscapes in India in adopting such practices.
According to science-based assessments by CGIAR institutes for the 2021-25 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 farms.
The assessments also estimated that around 93,781 metric tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent had been sequestered, while farmers recorded an average 15 per cent increase in net income.
The report said the financial sector remains at an early stage of moving towards a positive tipping point.
It 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 1.3 trillion.
Researchers 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 self-reinforcing.
Ravi Singh, Secretary General and CEO of WWF-India, said the report was both a reminder of the scale of the biodiversity crisis and a message of hope.
He said the recovery of species, including tigers in India and globally, showed that sustained conservation action, collaboration and long-term commitment could produce results.
However, Singh said isolated conservation successes would not be enough.
He 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.
