INSUBCONTINENT EXCLUSIVE:
The world population surged past 8 billion people on Tuesday, the United Nations said, warning that more hardship is in store for regions
already facing resource scarcity due to climate change.Whether its food or water, batteries or gasoline, there will be less to go around as
the global population adds another 2.4 billion people by the 2080s, according to U.N
director with the Center for Biological Diversity.Resource pressure will be especially daunting in African nations, where populations are
expected to boom, experts say
These are also among the countries most vulnerable to climate impacts, and most in need of climate finance.In sub-Saharan Africa, where some
738 million people already live without adequate food supplies, the population is projected to jump by 95% by mid-century, according to the
Institute for Economics and Peace
division.Middle-income countries, mostly in Asia, accounted for most of that growth, gaining some 700 million people since 2011
steadily declining in the United States, Europe, and Japan
China, too, has struggled with the legacy of its One Child Policy program and last year urged families to have a second and even third child
as it also limited access to non-medical abortions.Even while the global population reaches ever-new highs, demographers note that the
growth rate has fallen steadily to less than 1% per year
This should keep the world from reaching 9 billion people until 2037
the 2.4 billion people to be added before the global population peaks will be born in sub-Saharan Africa, marking a shift away from China
coming decades, experts said.And having more people on the planet puts more pressure on nature, as people compete with wildlife for water,
But how much they consume is equally important, suggesting policymakers can make a big difference by mandating a shift in consumption
patterns.Carbon emissions of the richest 1 percent, or about 63 million people, were more than double the emissions of the poorest half of
humanity between 1990 and 2015, according to a 2020 analysis by the Stockholm Environment Institute and non-profit Oxfam
This article first appeared/also appeared in https://adaderana.lk
