Environment & Ecology

Australia’s Silent Emergency

The species we’re losing before we even know them

2,175

Species threatened

54%

Increase since 2000

97%

Frog abundance lost

5

Groups all declining

Australia’s environment appears healthier than it did a decade ago. Rainfall has returned, vegetation has rebounded, and national environmental scores have recovered from the shocks of drought, fire and extreme weather. But environmental recovery does not necessarily mean wildlife recovery. While the national scorecard points upward, many of Australia’s threatened species continue to move in the opposite direction. Hidden beneath the positive headlines is a biodiversity crisis that receives far less attention than it deserves.

Chart 1: The Recovery Story Australia Sees

Australia’s environmental scorecard provides evidence for that recovery story. Following the droughts, bushfires and extreme conditions of the late 2010s, national environmental scores have rebounded and now sit above the long-term average. On its own, this chart suggests that environmental conditions are improving. But these indicators measure rainfall, vegetation cover and ecosystem health at a broad scale. They do not tell us whether Australia’s wildlife is recovering alongside them. To answer that question, we need to look beyond the scorecard.

Source: Australia’s Environment Report 2025 (ANU / TERN). ausenv.tern.org.au. Hover over bars for details.

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