Eight billion and counting

NEW DELHI: Last month, the UN had recorded a landmark statistic which said the world population has touched 8 bn. And the next billion to be added to the human tally would come from just about eight nations.

These include India, Pakistan, a few African nations, and the Philippines. This projection was highlighted in the World Population Prospects 2022 report.

The analysis goes on to say India is on track to blaze past China as the world’s most populous country by the year 2023.

Half the world’s population lives in just seven countries, including India, China, the US, Indonesia, Pakistan, Nigeria and Brazil. It may be noted the world’s population is expected to reach 9.7 bn in 2050 and peak at about 10.4 bn during the 2080s.

For those looking at the bright side, the population boom among people is symbolic of how we might have overcome numerous development-linked obstacles as a species, to hit such a huge number.

Antonio Guterres, the UN Secretary-General had said this development was worth celebrating considering the marvellous advancements in healthcare, as well as improvements in nutrition, personal hygiene and medicine that have extended lifespans and reduced maternal and child mortality rates significantly.

Even the global life expectancy has surged to 72.9 years in 2019, which is nine years more as compared to the expectancy in 1990. This number could go up to 77.2 years by 2050.

However, there is a major tangible cost born by the planet on account of all these improvements in human lifespan and population. For instance, with the human population doubling in the last half century, global wildlife populations declined by as much as 70 per cent.

Experts believe the loss of biodiversity can be debilitating for mankind as it will rupture the ecosystems required for survival. Remember, as per some estimates, humans are using up 1.5 times as much resources as the Earth can replenish in a year.

Policy experts have argued that having more people on Earth puts undue pressure on nature, as people tend to compete with wildlife for essentials such as water, food and space.

What’s also being forecast is rapid population growth under the shadow of climate change will prompt mass migration and conflicts in coming decades.

The recent episode of floods in Pakistan showed how communities can be rendered homeless, in the event of climate-led disasters and how recovery will be further complicated when there aren’t enough funds to mitigate the loss.

Currently, the loss accrued by the neighbouring nation on account of the deluge is in the range of $40 bn.

Climate advocates believe the global economic framework will need to place a premium on planet-warming emissions, apart from taking cognisance of the invaluable services provided by nature, which includes regulating rainfall as well as storage of carbon. It has to be categorically stated that every available resource at our disposal today, whether it is food grains, potable water, batteries or even petroleum, runs the absolute risk of running short, once population hits a certain level.

We are already seeing the manner in which several drought-prone regions in Africa are combatting food insufficiency, a condition that has been exacerbated, due to climate-related uncertainties.

Our shift towards renewable energy sources must be accelerated, and that will entail our investments in clean energy technology to be tripled by 2030. Law and policy makers have a huge role to play in bringing about a shift in consumption patterns.

A lesson or two perhaps can be taken from Singapore which has amped up its public transport infrastructure and made it almost impossible to afford a private automobile, due to the heavy taxes.