Our world protected by you
Our world protected by you
A commitment to protecting our planet has never been more important. It’s a commitment shared by millions around the world – from the Indigenous peoples and local communities living alongside endangered wildlife, to those working tirelessly to transform business practices and government policies. In the UK and globally, there’s a growing movement to stop the destruction of our planet and build a world where there’s more nature tomorrow than today.
The latest issue of our Living Planet Report, released in October 2024, shows how high the stakes are. In just 50 years, there’s been a catastrophic 73% fall in the average size of wildlife populations globally. As wildlife disappears, we’re losing the benefits nature provides us with – like clean air, water and fertile soils. And biodiversity loss coupled with climate chaos is pushing us towards dangerous tipping points.
The threat of tipping points
The threat of tipping points
In the Amazon, for example, we’re already seeing how deforestation and climate change are combining to create a drier environment. About 17% of the Amazon has been deforested already, and scientists fear that if just 20-25% is destroyed, it could trigger a tipping point where the region is no longer suitable for tropical forest. The consequences for people, wildlife and the global climate are unthinkable – which is why protecting the Amazon is one of our top priorities.
Tipping points may be close, but we can still avoid them. Stopping the destruction of nature and putting the brakes on climate change couldn’t be more urgent. But it’s only the start. Restoring nature and building a world where people and wildlife can thrive together is a long-term mission. Thanks to you, it’s one we’re ready for.
A message from the Amazon
Mike Barrett, Chief Scientific Officer, shares a message of urgency, and hope, filmed in the Amazon in 2024, during his time as Executive Director of Science and Conservation.
Our successes in 2024
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© Sascha Fonseca / WWF-UKMore Spotting snow leopards
The snow leopard population in India is 718, according to the results of the first ever national survey released this year. Counting these elusive big cats in the rugged and remote Himalayan landscape is no mean feat. The survey, supported by WWF, lasted nearly five years. Survey teams trekked over 13,450km and trawled through footage from 1,971 camera traps to record and identify individual snow leopards. Knowing how many snow leopards there are and where, as well as gathering information on their prey populations, will help guide more effective conservation strategies – critically important as these cats are increasingly threatened by habitat loss, prey decline, and human wildlife conflict.
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© Marcus Westberg / WWF-USMore Rhino on the charge
Amazing news from Kenya, where the black rhino population has more than doubled in 40 years. Back in the 1980s, numbers of critically endangered black rhinos in the country had fallen below 400. But today, thanks to successful conservation efforts, there are more than 1,000, out of a global population of around 6,500. WWF has supported rhino conservation in East Africa since the organisation was founded back in the 1960s, and we’re continuing to work with Kenya on its black rhino strategy – the long-term goal is to reach a stable population of 2,000 black rhinos by 2037.
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© Filmico / WWF-UKMore Securing Colombia's natural heritage
We helped create a new national park in Colombia that forms part of a critical wildlife corridor linking the Andes mountains and the Orinoquia savannah with the Amazon rainforest. At 68,000 hectares, the Serranía de Mancacías National Park is about the size of Exmoor, and its savannahs, forests, wetlands, rivers and lagoons hold some of the world’s richest biodiversity. It’s the 61st national park in Colombia, which is home to one in every ten species on Earth. We’ve been working closely with the Colombian government and other partners to protect this incredible natural heritage by securing the lasting protection of 30% of the country’s territory by 2030.
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© Emanuel MoshiMore Caring for the Mara wetlands
In Tanzania, we’ve supported local people to take the lead in conserving the Mara wetlands – a vitally important ecosystem rich in wildlife. The floodplain wetlands, where the Mara River drains into Lake Victoria, are Africa’s largest inland fishery, providing food and livelihoods for thousands of people. But overfishing and pollution threaten their future. With funding from the UK government’s Biodiversity Challenge Fund Darwin Initiative, we’ve helped train 39 local people to monitor water quality. And we’ve trained 327 women in sustainable fishing practices and techniques like sun-drying to preserve fish, reducing food waste and bolstering food security.
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© Andy Rouse / naturepl.com / WWFMore Billion-dollar boost for Tigers
In April, governments and donors pledged to raise US$1 billion over the next decade to secure the future of tigers in the wild. The pledge was the culmination of a conference held in Bhutan, which we were closely involved in as part of the Tiger Conservation Coalition. It will help extend and enhance habitat for tigers while benefiting the communities and other wildlife that share the same landscapes. Thanks to the efforts of WWF and many others, tiger populations are expanding in many countries: from just 3,200 wild tigers in 2010, there are now at least 5,574.
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© Luis Barreto / WWF-UKMore Helping to curb environmental crimes
Environmental crimes like illegal deforestation and wildlife trafficking aren’t just a threat to biodiversity – they’re also some of the world’s most lucrative illegal activities, with links to corruption, money laundering and other criminal activities. Yet many financial institutions often unknowingly enable these activities through their lending and investments, or don’t understand the related risks. Our new Environmental Crimes Financial Toolkit, for the first time, aims to change this by helping financial institutions detect high risks of environmental crimes in their portfolios, reducing finance for crimes against our planet.
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© naturepl.com / Andy Rouse / WWFMore AI for the Arctic
As the Arctic warms, we’ve been using AI to help protect species. Working with the British Antarctic Survey and the Alan Turing Institute, we developed IceNet – a tool which can predict likely sea ice conditions across the Arctic up to three months in advance, based on past satellite data and GPS tracks. We’ve already used it to forecast the movements of endangered caribou so that migration routes can be protected at key times. Now researchers are looking into how IceNet can predict when regional sea ice will melt, causing polar bears to return to land and look for food near communities. If the trials are successful, this could help people prepare for the bears’ arrival and take action to reduce the risk of conflict.
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© Naturepl.com / Luiz Claudio Marigo / WWFMore Deforestation drops in the Amazon
Deforestation in the Brazilian Amazon fell by 30% compared to last year, reaching the lowest level in nine years. Between August 2023 and July 2024, according to government, 6,288km2 of forest was destroyed in the Amazon. And there was 25% reduction in land conversion in the Cerrado, the world’s most biodiverse savannah. While this decline is a positive step, deforestation remains high in both biomes. Through our work with governments, industry and local communities, we’re determined to end the destruction of these precious ecosystems.
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How you helped make a difference in 2024
Despite the perilous threats that our planet faces, we’re full of hope for the future. We know what can be achieved when people come together to protect and restore our world. On this page, you can watch videos and read just some of our success stories from the past year. Thanks to supporters like you, we know we can do even more in the years to come.
Thank you
If you have any questions about your gift in your Will, our work, or anything else on this webpage, we are available to help. Call us on 01483 412153 or email us at stewardship@wwf.org.uk.