Vulture population decline in India linked to premature human deaths

The drastic in vulture population decline in India over the past few decades has been observed. This has led to severe public health difficulties. According to a recent study, nearly half a million premature human deaths have occurred between 2000 and 2005 due to the consequences of this ecological crisis . The absence of these essential scavengers shows the importance of balance between biodiversity and human health.

As published in the American Economic Review, the study estimates the damage in the form of money from the associated public health crisis at nearly $70 billion annually. These findings highlight the benefits of conserving species such as vultures.

Vultures play a crucial role in India’s ecosystems. As scavengers, they not only clean up disease ridden carcasses but also help control the populations of other scavengers, like feral dogs which can transmit rabies. Without vultures, farmers often dispose of their dead livestock in waterways which leads to further spreading of disease.

Impact of Diclofenac on Vulture Population Decline in India

This situation worsened in 1994 when farmers started using diclofenac, a known drug used for pain and inflammation in cattle and other livestock. Although effective for livestock, diclofenac is toxic to vultures, causing kidney damage. As a result, India’s vulture population decreased from 50 million to just a few thousand within a decade.

Anant Sudarshan who is an Associate Professor at the University of Warwick and Senior Fellow at EPIC, has observed this environmental degradation firsthand during his youth in India. He observed cattle carcasses accumulating near tanneries, leading to toxic waste contaminating waterways. To understand the human health impacts, Sudarshan and co-author Eyal Frank, an environmental economist at the University of Chicago, overlaid maps of vulture habitats with administrative districts and analysed health records from over 600 districts. They accounted for variables such as water quality and healthcare access.

Their research showed that the decline in vulture populations in turn led to the increased incidence of diseases transmitted by other scavengers. This led to a public health crisis, with economic and human costs.

The study’s findings put up the urgent need to conserve species like vultures. By maintaining healthy vulture populations, ecosystems remain balanced, and public health risks are minimised. The research suggests that investing in the conservation of these vital scavengers can give high returns, both economically and in terms of human health.

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