The Ganges river dolphin (Platanista gangetica) has been categorised as ‘Endangered’ by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN)’s latest Red List Assessment of the species. The species’ status remains the same as it was in previous assessments, given the continuing threats to its persistence and survival from a range of human impacts on the rivers of the Indian sub-continent where it occurs. The latest Red List assessment was published online in July 2022 and conducted by six authors, all expert members of the IUCN Cetacean Specialist Group, and provides the latest population-, habitat-, and threat status from rivers of India, Nepal, and Bangladesh. The authors include renowned global experts on the species – Brian D. Smith (Wildlife Conservation Society) and Dr. Gill T. Braulik (University of St. Andrews, UK) – and experts from Bangladesh and Nepal – Dr. Md. Zahangir Alom (WCS-Bangladesh) and Dr. Shambhu Paudel (University of Arizona). The assessment’s lead author is Dr. Nachiket Kelkar who heads the Riverine Ecosystems and Livelihoods (REAL) programme at the Wildlife Conservation Trust (WCT), and Mr. Subhasis Dey, a co-author on the assessment, is the Programme Officer in the REAL programme.
Ganges river dolphin. Credit – Soumen Bakshi.
The significance of the latest assessment is that it provides a consolidated review of all the information generated on Ganges river dolphins over the last decade during which multiple surveys and studies have been conducted on various aspects across its range. It estimates nearly 5,000 adult and juvenile dolphins to be extant today – a number higher than previous assessments – only due to the fact that survey coverage has increased widely and now we know population abundance from most rivers. Importantly, the authors note that despite this reassuring number, the overall trend may be of a continuing and steady decline in the face of numerous persisting and impending threats from dams and barrages, fisheries bycatch and occasional hunting, pollution, and intensive river infrastructure development. All rivers that support river dolphins in India and Nepal have now been surveyed, although some major rivers in Bangladesh remain unsurveyed. The authors hope that the present assessment provides a solid baseline and foundation for future studies to build upon, based on the highlighted gaps.
IUCN Red List Assessment for Ganges river dolphin.
You can find the latest IUCN Red List Assessment of the Ganges river dolphin here.
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