2030 Biodiversity extinction: a documented collapse
According to the latest report from IPBES, up to a million animal and plant species are at risk of extinction in the coming decades, a significant portion before 2030. The WWF’s Living Planet Report 2022 indicates that populations of wild vertebrates have fallen by an average of 69% since 1970. Pollinating insects, essential to global food production, are experiencing an alarming decline: nearly 40% of species are on the verge of extinction. On the ground, deforestation in the Amazon continues at a rate of 10,000 km² each year, endangering jaguars, macaws, and giant trees. Coral reefs, the lungs of the oceans, could disappear within ten years due to the combined effects of warming and acidification of the seas.
This rapid decline is not just a number: it is embodied in the gradual disappearance of iconic species. The golden frog of Panama, the orangutan of Borneo, or the vaquita, rarer than the giant panda, are now on the brink of extinction. Scientists now speak of a “sixth mass extinction,” a crisis comparable to the one that wiped out the dinosaurs, but this time caused by humans. Habitat destruction, intensification of agriculture, plastic pollution, and overexploitation are all mechanisms that accelerate this spiral.
Threatened species and biological mechanisms of collapse
The decline does not only affect visible or charismatic species. Researchers observe the massive collapse of insect populations, essential links in food chains and pollination. According to a study published in Nature, the domino effect on trophic networks weakens the resilience of ecosystems: the disappearance of a pollinator can lead to that of dozens of plants, then birds and mammals that depend on them. Coral reefs, already halved since the 1980s, still shelter a quarter of marine biodiversity.
The loss of biodiversity also has direct consequences for humanity. It calls into question food security, threatening crops dependent on pollinating insects. Many molecules used in medicine come from wild species – their disappearance limits pharmaceutical innovation. Finally, ecosystems regulate the climate, absorbing CO2 and limiting natural disasters. Their collapse thus exacerbates climate change, creating a vicious circle.
Field testimonials
On the Amazonian front, biologist Lucía Alvarez describes a forest where “silence sets in, where thousands of species used to buzz”. In the Alps, entomologists note a dramatic scarcity of butterflies, even in protected areas. The voices of living defenders remind us of the urgency to act, not only for species, but for the future of human societies.
Curbing the 2030 biodiversity extinction: hopes, innovations, and mobilizations
Faced with the magnitude of the challenge, initiatives are emerging at all scales. Ecological corridors, connecting fragments of habitats, allow species to migrate and ensure their survival. International reforestation and wetland restoration campaigns bring degraded ecosystems back to life. New technologies transform surveillance: satellite tracking detects deforestation in real time, while environmental DNA analysis allows for the census of discreet or threatened fauna.
From local NGOs to large international coalitions, mobilization is intensifying. Biologists call for strengthening protected areas and supporting the agroecological transition, involving farmers and indigenous communities. For each species saved, an entire section of planetary resilience is preserved. The challenge now is to move from awareness to global and coordinated action, so that the 2030 biodiversity extinction is not a fait accompli, but the beginning of a rebound.
Sources
https://www.ipbes.net/global-assessment
https://www.worldwildlife.org/publications/living-planet-report-2022
https://www.nature.com/articles/s41586-023-06178-6
https://www.ipbes.net/global-assessment
https://www.worldwildlife.org/publications/living-planet-report-2022
https://www.nature.com/articles/s41586-023-06178-6
