These are the last years before the era of extinction starts: Valmik Thapar

A recent report by the World Wildlife Fund and Zoological Society of London, titled Living Planet Report 2016, predicts a bleak future for the state of wildlife in the years to come. It states that if the trend of extinction, which has taken place at a rate of 2 per cent every year since 1970, continues, then by 2020 two-thirds of wildlife across the world could be extinct. This has led to some observers warning that earth could be facing a situation akin to what it witnessed millions of years ago when dinosaurs became extinct. Valmik Thapar, naturalist, conservationist and writer, talks to Shakya Mitra about the report and discusses how human beings are likely to be affected by this grim situation. Edited excerpts:

What are your views on the Living Planet Report 2016?

I am of the view that half the world's wildlife will be found in more man-manipulated situations and large-fenced enclosures because of pressures on habitat and excessive poaching. The era after 2020 will be completely different from the present time, so these are the last years of an era that is ending before the era of extinction starts. The species most hit in the first stage will be amphibians and birds. Fifty per cent of all species will be impacted in one way or another.

It is being said that if such a situation of extinction were to arise, then we could be facing something akin to what happened when dinosaurs became extinct millions of years ago. How real are these fears?

I do not connect it to the extinction of dinosaurs millions of years ago. Even though it is serious, it is not that alarming.

Is the disappearance of wildlife at such a large scale a source of worry for human kind and could a similar fate await them?

The extinction of species is an indicator of the havoc that can be caused to humankind. As the finely interdependent chain of life will get disrupted, humans will face more infection and disease that could be fatal.

There has been a 2 per cent decline in wildlife population every year since 1970. How can this decline be reversed? More important, can it be reversed at all?

To reverse any decline, you need innovative thinking that is generally absent both in political leadership and bureaucracies that rule the roost today. We need more partnerships in decision-making between the government and the non-government sector that lead to either the protection of existing habitats or regeneration of degraded ones.

As a conservationist, what are the kind of challenges you face in your efforts and what is the way out? How can the government pitch in to make things better?

For me, the biggest challenge to reducing the rate of extinctions is to welcome new thought and action, which is out of the box. This would include lateral induction of key experts into important decision-making jobs that innovate new public-private partnerships and reduce conflict between locals and the forest. This will only happen when the forest department is receptive to new ideas and retreats from previously held positions.