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READ THE REPORT IN FULL
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Globally human populations are growing, trade is
increasing, and living standards are rising for many. But, according to
the UN's latest Global Environment Outlook report, long-term problems
including climate change, pollution, access to clean water, and the
threat of mass extinctions are being met with "a remarkable lack of
urgency".
CHANGING WORLD
Over
the last 20 years, the human population has increased by a third,
global trade has tripled, and per capita income has gone up by 40%.
Annual emissions of the main greenhouse gas, carbon dioxide, have also
increased by one third.
SHRINKING RESOURCES
As
the human population grows it has reached the point, the UN says,
"where the amount of resources needed to sustain it exceeds what is
available".
BIODIVERSITY
Sixteen
thousand species are threatened with extinction. Habitat loss is a
major factor as many forests are cleared for agriculture. The UN
estimates the global annual loss of primary forest is 50,000 km2.
WATER
The availability of fresh water will decline, according
to the UN, who project that by 2025 1.8bn people will be affected by
water scarcity. Sanitation is also a major issue, as contaminated water
is the greatest single cause of human disease and death. The state of
the world's fisheries is also touched on by the report which says many
fish stocks are overexploited, while the demand for fish is expected to
rise alongside growing populations.
URBAN GROWTH
By the end of 2007 it is estimated that more people will
live in cities than rural areas for the first time in history. The
satellite image of the US city of Las Vegas (left) shows how rapidly
metropolitan areas can grow. The city was home to 557,000 people in
1985, by 2004 this had risen to nearly 1.7 million. This rapid growth
can put pressure on water resources and infrastructure.
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