Key Points: What does WWF’s 2024 Living Planet Report say?
Video Credit: The Hindu
The World Wildlife Fund’s 2024 Living Planet Report shows a decline in every indicator used to track nature globally.
The report uses the Living Planet Index, which tracks the size of animal populations and how they are changing. It can be used as an indicator for early warning risks related to species extinction and ecosystem loss.
According to the Living Planet Index, the average size of monitored wildlife populations has decreased by 73% over the past 50 years. The worst trends were seen in freshwater populations, which declined by 85%. Latin America and the Caribbean were among the worst affected regions, and climate change is the leading cause of biodiversity loss in these regions.
The report uses the Living Planet Index to highlight that nature is disappearing at an alarming rate. The study also identified five critical points, crossing which would have disastrous consequences for Earth.
Then we see important updates on Hurricane Milton, which was even more intense than Hurricane Helen in its formation. According to the US government, Milton has become the most powerful hurricane in the Gulf of Mexico based on wind speed since Hurricane Rita in 2005. It was also the fifth most intense hurricane in the Atlantic basin based on pressure. Pressure is inversely proportional to the strength of the storm.
This week’s Climate Hope is about protecting corals in Indonesia.
Presentation: Priyali Prakash
Video & Production: Zeeshan Akhtar
published – October 14, 2024 04:48 PM IST