Wildlife Populations Down Over 70% as Governments Act Too Slowly, WWF Says at Armenia Summit

Wildlife populations have declined by more than 70% over the past 50 years, and governments are moving too slowly to stop the damage, World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) International President Adil Najam warned Friday at the COP17 Biodiversity Leaders Summit in Armenia.

Addressing the international gathering in Yerevan, Najam said environmental destruction is already putting pressure on food supplies, water resources and economies, with communities around the world facing growing threats to their livelihoods.

“We are meeting at a turning point for humanity and nature,” he said, adding that the world has been at this critical stage for far too long.

Najam cited the sharp decline in wildlife populations as evidence of the crisis but said the figures alone should not dominate the discussion. The solutions, he argued, are already known. What is missing is the political will and international cooperation needed to put them into practice.

“The question is no longer whether we know what needs to be done. We do. The question is whether we can act together at the speed and scale required,” Najam said.

He also questioned why countries had failed to act sooner, saying the summit in Armenia offers an opportunity to address that failure.

At the center of the discussions is the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework, adopted in 2022 by countries seeking to halt and reverse biodiversity loss by 2030.

The agreement includes commitments to protect at least 30% of the planet’s land and waters, restore damaged ecosystems and increase funding for conservation.

Najam said COP17 must demonstrate that governments are following through on those commitments with investment, practical measures and accountability.

His warning comes as countries face mounting pressure to show progress toward the global biodiversity targets, with fewer than five years remaining until the 2030 deadline.

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