First-ever multi-taxon global freshwater fauna assessment identifies Western Ghats as a hotspot of threatened species

IUCN study in Nature reveals threats to freshwater biodiversity, with Western Ghats as a hotspot for endangered species.

The first-ever multi-taxon global freshwater fauna assessment for The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species has identified Western Ghats as a key location with greatest abundance of threatened freshwater species.

The study co-authored by species experts from all geographical regions of the world also revealed that a staggering one-quarter of the freshwater fauna are threatened with extinction.

Employing a rigorous expert consultation process and quantitative criteria while covering 23,496 decapod crustaceans, fishes and odonates, this comprehensive global assessment evaluates the extinction risk and conservation status for diverse freshwater fauna groups.

With approximately one-quarter of freshwater species facing a high extinction risk, and a record of 89 confirmed and 187 suspected extinctions since 1500 AD, the study is a major step towards mitigating further species losses.

The study led by IUCN and published in the multidisciplinary science journal, Nature, underscores the historical underappreciation of freshwater ecosystems in global environmental governance.

Previously often categorised within terrestrial or marine realms, freshwater environments now demand distinct management strategies due to their unique characteristics. While concentrations of threatened species are relatively smaller and spatially dispersed, the study pinpoints Lake Victoria (Kenya, Tanzania, Uganda), Lake Titicaca (Bolivia and Peru), Sri Lanka’s Wet Zone, and the Western Ghats (India) as hotspots of threatened freshwater species richness.

These findings are the culmination of over 20 years of comprehensive assessments involving contributions from more than 1,000 species experts.