NAIROBI, Kenya— It’s now emerging that the world’s biodiversity is under threat as WWF’s Living Planet Report 2024 reveals significant declines in the average size of wildlife populations across the globe and Africa.
According to the report seen by Y News, the size of monitored vertebrate wildlife populations worldwide declined by 73pc, with Africa’s at 76pc, between 1970 and 2020, driven primarily by habitat loss, overexploitation, pollution, and the impacts of climate change.
This alarming trend highlights the urgent need for transformative action to safeguard Africa’s natural ecosystems and the livelihoods that depend on them.
Despite the alarming overall decline in species population shown in the Living Planet Index, the population of priority species in Kenya, such as the African lion, the African elephant, and the black rhino, has stabilised or increased due to practical conservation efforts.
The rebounding of the black rhino in Kenya, from the 400s individuals recorded in the 1980s to the current 1,004 in 2023, is a huge milestone for this critically endangered species.
What WWF’s Living Planet Report 2024 is warning about
However, the report warns that environmental degradation could push the continent past critical tipping points without immediate intervention.
As ecosystems cross these thresholds, their ability to support both wildlife and sustainable development becomes compromised, with severe consequences for food security, water availability, and climate resilience.
Based on an examination of the science, the report underlines the urgency of meeting global goals on nature, climate, and sustainable development by 2030.
To achieve this, it presents proven solutions to transform conservation, energy, food, and financial systems fairly and inclusively.
How Kenya is mitigating the devastating effects of climate change
Against this backdrop, Mohamed Awer, Chief Executive Officer of WWF-Kenya, told Y News that Kenya contributes significantly to fighting climate change and restoring nature.
Kenya has committed to the Global Biodiversity Framework and the Paris Agreement, among other global and national commitments.
“The country’s National Biodiversity Strategies and Action Plans (NBSAPS) make ambitious targets present a unique opportunity to mobilise capacity and financial resources in a coordinated manner to help restore ecosystems, enhance sustainable use of biological diversity and champion fair and equitable benefits sharing,” Awer said.
The redoubling of the nation’s ambition to the Bonn Challenge through the 15 billion commitment to restore 10.6 million hectares of degraded landscapes is a step in the right direction.
On his part, Jackson Kiplagat, Head of Conservation Programmes at WWF-Kenya, stated that the flagship species, such as the African lion, the African elephant, and the black rhino, remain endangered. Still, there is hope that the continued interventions by stakeholders will stop the decline and stabilise their populations.
“The rebounding of the black rhino in Kenya, from the 400s individuals recorded in the 1980s to the current 1,004 in 2023, is a huge milestone for this critically endangered species. This is a clear testament to the power of concerted and consistent efforts by all stakeholders, from the global to the local level,” said Kiplagat.
How Mazingira Day was marked in Kajiado County
According to Kiplagat, implementing targeted recovery and action plans will ensure that these species do not become extinct but thrive.
The report was launched on Thursday, October 10, in Ngong Forest, Kajiado County. Various stakeholders, led by WWF-Kenya and the Kenya Forest Service (KFS), led a tree-planting initiative to mark this year’s Mazingira Day.
Y News understands that WWF-Kenya has partnered with the KFS to adopt 25 hectares to restore Ngong Hills Forest.
This is part of WWF-Kenya’s Safe for People, Safe for Nature Initiative to contribute to large-scale landscape restoration and the National Government’s 15 billion trees initiative by 2030.
