Warning !: massive wildlife deaths in Africa as a result of climate change.

Broken Relationship with Nature Discovered as Wildlife Populations Decline in Africa.

Kenya's status as a biodiversity hotspot has never been in question. It is home to a range of iconic and rare animal and plant species, freshwater lakes, rivers, waterfalls, and the vast Indian Ocean coastline.

However, the first National Wildlife Census report, which was completed in August 2021, identified warning indications. For instance, up to five animal species are in grave danger of going extinct in the near future. There were only 1,650 Tana River Mangabey, 897 black rhinos, 497 Hirolas, 51 Sable antelopes, and 15 Roan antelopes, according to the study.

According to John Mwangi Gicheha, a biodiversity researcher, the recently released Living Planet Report 2022 has confirmed the fall in species population abundance.

One million plants and creatures are in danger of being extinct, according to trends in the number of mammals, fish, reptiles, birds, and amphibians worldwide since 1970.

Even worse, 1-2.5% of fish, mammals, amphibians, birds, and reptiles have become extinct.

There has been an alarming 83 percent loss in freshwater populations under observation over the past 50 years, more than any other species category, according to key results.

The loss of habitat and obstructions to migration routes, which constitute an estimated 50% of the threat to these species, are the major causes of the fall in the freshwater population. In addition, just 37% of rivers longer than 1,000 km continue to flow freely in their native condition.

In light of this, the research emphasizes that the worldwide effects of two crises are being felt by the community, which demonstrates how "interlinked emergencies of human-induced climate change and the loss of biodiversity are jeopardizing the well-being of present and future generations."

The region of Latin America and the Caribbean has had the biggest regional reduction in the animal population, with an average population abundance decline of 94%.

The poor and disenfranchised continue to be extremely susceptible and are most impacted by the loss across the board, with Africa coming in second with a 66 percent decline in its animal populations over the previous 52 years.

The drop in animal populations was 18% in Europe and Central Asia and 55% in the Asia-Pacific region.

More research demonstrates that mangroves, which are the only woods of the sea, still continue to be under significant risk as coastal development, aquaculture, and agriculture continue to take a 0.13 percent annual loss from them. Gicheha elaborates, "We are not only witnessing a fall in the world species population, but also a decline in their genetic diversity and a loss of species climatically dictated habitats.

This groundbreaking study on the status of the world's vertebrate animal populations was conducted by the World Wildlife Fund for Nature (WWF), an independent conservation organization, and it delivers the surprising discovery that wildlife numbers have decreased globally by 69 percent since 1970.

The 2022 Living Planet Index examined almost 32,000 vertebrate species from terrestrial, freshwater, and marine ecosystems to gauge the condition of the world's biological diversity among population trends.

5,230 species have populations worldwide.

The research underlines that the loss of mangroves results not only in a loss of habitat for biodiversity but also in a loss of ecosystem services for coastal people.

Furthermore, warm-water corals have already lost almost 50% of their population. Even worse, warm water corals would disappear by 70 to 90 percent if global temperatures rise by 5 degrees Celsius.

Since 1970, the worldwide abundance of 18 of the 31 marine sharks and rays has decreased by 71%. Seventy-five percent of sharks and rays faced a high danger of extinction by 2020. According to the National Wildlife Census, Kenya is now home to 9 whale sharks, 2 blue whales, and 17 tiger sharks.

The research emphasizes that recklessly controlling nature, taking it for granted, and abusing it is The World Bank predicted in June 2022 that Kenya's development will decrease that year and into 2023–2024 as a result of the protracted, devastating drought and other external factors, such as the conflict in Ukraine.

"Human activities, notably our changing patterns of land use and interactions with lake and ocean ecosystems, have greatly contributed to and maintained the current crises in climate and biodiversity. Nature is being overused significantly, and the results are occurring faster and with greater severity than anticipated, says Ouya.

While continuous conservation efforts are helpful, WWF concludes that immediate action is necessary if the world community is to stop the loss of wildlife. Experts like Ouya underline that a damaged relationship with nature affects all facets of human existence and will have a big negative influence.

Overall, the index reveals that too much nature has been lost at a rate that calls for higher ambitions to effectively, efficiently, and sustainably address the six main threats to biodiversity loss, which include pollution, invasive species introduction, habitat degradation, and loss, exploitation, climate change, disease, and pollution.

As they serve as "the compass to guide us towards a safe future for humanity, to shift to a sustainable development model, and to support the delivery of the 2030 SDGs," the complementary goals of net-zero emissions by 2050 and net-positive biodiversity by 2030 are being worked towards with higher aspirations.

The study predicts a bright future if the international community collaborates to accomplish these objectives and because nature can recover, after a decade that will close out better than it began, with more natural forests, fish in the oceans and rivers, pollinators in our farms, and biodiversity all throughout the planet. According to Judy Ouya, a government representative from the Ministry of Environment and Forestry, these repercussions can no longer be disregarded since they are too serious and frequent. They include severe food and water insecurity brought on by droughts, loss of life and financial assets due to extreme weather, and a worsening of poverty.

For instance, the Maasai community in Amboseli, Kenya, which depends on the sale of cattle, is heavily impacted by the severe protracted dry period.