The United Nations says the world’s population is at 8 billion, as growth poses more challenges to the planet

CNN
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The world’s population will reach 8 billion on Tuesday, marking a “milestone in human development” before birth rates begin to slow, according to a projection from the United Nations.

The United Nations said in a statement that the figure means the addition of one billion people to the world’s population in just 12 years.

This unprecedented growth is due to the gradual increase in human lifespan due to improvements in public health, nutrition, personal hygiene and medicine. It is also a result of high and persistent fertility levels in some countries.”

Middle-income countries were represented, mostly in Asia most growth Over the past decade, it has gained about 700 million people since 2011. India has added about 180 million people, and it is set to exceed China As the world’s most populous country next year.

But even as the world’s population reaches new highs, demographers note that the growth rate has steadily fallen below 1% per year. This would prevent the world from reaching 9 billion people until 2037. The United Nations predicts that the world’s population will peak at around 10.4 billion people in the 1980s and will remain at that level until 2100.

According to the United Nations, most of the 2.4 billion people that will be added before the world population reaches its peak will be born in sub-Saharan Africa, marking a shift away from China and India.

Reaching 8 billion people is an occasion to celebrate diversity and progress while keeping in mind humanity’s shared responsibility for the planet, UN Secretary-General António Guterres said in a UN statement.

Having more people on Earth puts more pressure on nature, as people compete with wildlife for water, food, and space. Meanwhile, rapid population growth combined with climate change is likely to cause mass migration and conflict in the coming decades, experts say.

And whether it’s food or water, batteries or gasoline, there will be less to navigate as the world’s population grows. But how much they consume is just as important, suggesting that policymakers can make a big difference by forcing a change in consumption patterns.

The carbon emissions of the richest 1%, or about 63 million people, were more than double that of the poorest half of humanity between 1990 and 2015, according to a 2020 analysis by the Stockholm Environment Institute and the nonprofit Oxfam International.

Experts say the resource pressure will be particularly harrowing in African nations, where populations are expected to increase. These are also among the countries most exposed to the effects of climate, and those most in need climate Finance.