EGYPT, SHARM EL SHEIKH, NOV 15 (Reuters) – The world’s population surpassed 8 billion on Tuesday, adding challenges to regions already facing resource scarcity due to climate change, the United Nations said. The United Nations predicts that the world’s population will grow by an additional 2.4 billion by 2080, so we will consume less, whether it be food, water, batteries or gasoline. Center for Biodiversity, Population and Sustainability Director Stephanie Feldstein said: Resource pressures will be of particular concern in African countries, where population growth is expected to surge, experts say. These are also the most vulnerable to climate impacts and he is one of the countries most in need of climate finance. In sub-Saharan Africa, 738 million people already live without adequate food supplies, and the population is expected to grow by 95% by the middle of this century, according to the Institute for Economics and Peace.
In his October report, the think tank warned that much of sub-Saharan Africa would be unsustainable by mid-century. The milestone of 8 billion people worldwide equals to 1 billion additions to the planet in the last 11 years. Reaching 8 billion people “is both a testament to human achievement and a great risk to our future,” said John Wilmoth, Director of the United Nations Population Division. Middle-income countries, mainly in Asia, account for most of this increase, adding about 700 million people since 2011. India will add about 180 million people and overtake China as the world’s most populous country next year. However, the number of births is steadily declining in the United States, Europe and Japan. China, which also suffers from the legacy of its one-child policy program, which also restricts access to non-medical abortion, urged families to have their second and even their third child last year.
Despite the world’s population continuing to reach new highs, demographers note growth rates steadily declining to less than 1% per year. This will prevent the world population from going up to 9 billion by 2037. The United Nations project population peaked at about 10.4 billion in the 2080s and remains at that level until 2100. “A big part of this story is that the era of rapid population growth the world has known for centuries is coming to an end,” Wilmoth said. Growing Concern Most of the 2.4 billion people, who will be added before the world population peaks, will be born in sub-Saharan Africa, away from China and India. Deborah Burke, a demographic researcher at the City University of New York, said, “African cities will grow on average, leaving millions of city dwellers exposed to climate threats such as rising sea levels. Globally, “coastal areas are disproportionately urban,” she said. “About 1 in 10 people live in low-lying coastal areas.” For example, Nigeria’s coastal city of Lagos is set to become the world’s largest city by the end of the century.
Rapid population growth combined with climate change is likely to lead to large-scale migration and conflict in the coming decades, experts say. Also, more humans on the planet will put more pressure on nature as humans compete with wildlife for water, food and space. But consumption is just as important, suggesting policymakers can make a big difference by mandating changes in consumption patterns. According to a 2020 analysis, between 1990 and 2015, the wealthiest 1%, or about 63 million people, had more than double the carbon footprint of the poorest of humanity.
