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Urbanization facts and figures (UN-HABITAT)
-In 1975, 5 of the 10 largest cities were from less developed countries and 5 from more developed countries.
In 2005, 8 of the 10 largest cities were from less developed countries.
In 1975 Urban population was 813 million in less developed
countries and 704 million in more developed countries.
Rural population was 2208 million in less developed countries and 344 million in more developed
countries.
In 2005 Urban population was 2266 million in less developed countries and 344 in more
developed countries.
Rural population was 2978 in less developed countries and 303 in more developed countries.
Population growth - Today, virtually one out of every two people on the planet is "cityzen" (city dweller).
The year 2007 will mark a turning point in human history:
the world's urban population will for the first time equal the world's rural population. Asia and Africa
will accomplish the urban transition in 2030. Asia has the largest urban population
(more than 1.5 billion people) even though slightly less than 40% of its population is urbanized.
Urban growth: Facts and figures (BBC news)
- The world is steadily becoming more urbanised, as the
pace of growth of urban populations far outpaces world population
growth. Some time in the next year, the proportion of the human race
living in cities is projected to cross the 50% threshold. Explore the
key facts and figures about urbanisation.
| Changing shape of rural agricultural land. |
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| Many agricultural lands are being converted to urban and industrial land. click photo |
Urban Growth Fact Sheet (Christchurch City Council)
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The expansion of the urban area has two main causes (which are usually
inter-related): Population and household growth, Economic expansion.
| click to enlarge |
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| more the population greater the demand of conusmer goods results more pollution |
Global Warming Fast Facts (National Geographic News)
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Global warming, or climate change, is a subject that shows no sign of cooling down.
THE 33 FACTS ABOUT GLOBAL WARMING(globalwarming.sdsu.edu)
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deforestation, overgrazing,
overcultivation, desertification, and salinization--reduce
the net uptake of carbon dioxide, indirectly contributing, however slightly, to global warming.
Facts and Figures: The Different Water Users(wateryear2003.org)
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Agriculture - Almost
70% of all available freshwater is used for agriculture. Overpumping of
groundwater by the world's farmers exceeds natural replenishment by at
least 160 billion cubic metres a year. Industry - World: 22% of total water use - High-income countries: 59% of total
water use -
Low-income countries: 8% of total water use. Energy -
There are now about 45,000 large dams in operation worldwide. Built to
provide hydropower and irrigation water and to regulate river flow to
prevent floods and droughts, they have had a disproportionate impact on
the environment. Collectively, they have inundated more than 400,000
km˛ of mostly productive land - an area the size of California. Fully
one fifth of the world's freshwater fish are now either endangered or
extinct. Somewhere between 40 and 80 million people have been displaced
by dams, forced to relocate to other, often less productive, land.
| Coconut farming |
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| click to enlarged view |
Surface Area of the Earth - Only about 28% of the arable land on the African continent is used for growing crops. Immense tracts of forests
or jungles would have to be cleared to bring the rest of the arable land on that continent to productive use. only about one
eighth of each imaginary plot of land distributed to each person is land which is under cultivation. In effect, each person
has a piece of land about 26,000 square feet (a square 161 feet on each side or just a bit more than ˝ an acre) at his or
her disposal on which to grow all that he or she needs.
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Distressing "FACTS"
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Food price rises and Crisis!!!!
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Food is the first priority for each
consumer, expensive food would prune consumption of other product’s and services. Food and water has to cheapest of
all commodities in order to
promote materialistic world order.
Urban population on the rise (nationalgeographic)
-The urban habitat is different from any other, it's man-made, built by
humans for us to live in. Today, almost half of the world's population
are urban dwellers. Cities have existed for thousands of years and can be traced back to
the river valley civilizations of Mesopotomia (present-day Iraq),
Egypt, India and China. At first, these settlements depended largely on
agriculture and domestic cattle, but as they grew in size they became
centers for merchants and traders. While less than one-third of the world's population lived in cities in
1950, about two thirds of humanity is expected to live in urban areas
by 2030. Most of that urbanization is taking place in Asia, Africa, and
Latin America.
Food grain
shortage may have many reasons but two main reasons we are not taking into consideration. They are excessive urban growth
and pruning agricultural lands and agriculture as non profitable business any more. One of the richest states (KERALA) in
India
has turned as consumer state rather than producing. 25 years back it produced rice and sold to other states now as the land
converted to urban and houses has resulted shortage of agricultural land the main culprit for this issue is non profitable
business. This situation will further aggravate if state government does
step up for immediate action.
Similar situation
is now with entire world, demand is more and production is less due to imbalanced economic policies. More attention is given
to urban economic growth than the rural research and development. A day will come when a slogan or will find ad “Buy
one kg of rice and get a laptops free” as computers and other electronic products will be much cheaper. Economic growth
has to be balanced considering social condition of the country. Banning exports of essential items is only temporary solution
to overcome present situation but for future food grain shortage will further aggravate as
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Global warming - Nature earth’s own modifications and adjustments is the
natural. Excessive human population, Excessive concrete buildings – industries (even excessive urbanization has role
to warm our globe), carbon fuel based transportations heat up environment to reduce moisture in land results shortage and
uncertain rain, river shrinkage, draught, shortage of water and so on.
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25 years back there was more agricultural land than of today many of them converted
to more and more housing and industrial lands; whereas population growing fast, feeding will become challenge to most countries
even developed countries will not escape. Nature’s priority is water, food and then shelter. Economic and scientific
growth need to be first based on human needs.
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Non profitable food grain production to most developing country farmers (international
organization and appropriate governments shall have to reconsider bring back agricultural subsidies). Also make agriculture
more profitable by linking customer and farmers by way of direct procurement by large stores, and other agencies so mediators
and brokers are kept away. Impact of fuel and energy, fertilizer, labour cost unbearable to farmers have converted land
to other use. Low yield in small farm lands of farmers of thickly populated developing countries account loss or not even
enough for own use. Present situation is such that farmers get more profit selling their land to builders than farming.
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Irrigation and water shortage (In fact water crisis is there but in some states
and countries water is excessive causing disaster or consumed by sea. If scientists of missiles or warplanes work on how river
water reaches sea after consumed by entire world, would convert desert land to fertile land).
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Bio fuel is not alone the reason for food crisis as one day world will have to
switch over to alternate source for fuel usage and bio fuel will be one of the substitutes. However,
using human food as fuel is unjustified as food is the first priority than the fuel. Need to source other plants such as river
or sea plants or from land plants not used for growing food grain.
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Rice around the World (IRRI.org)
- World rice production in 2007 was approximately 645
million t. At least 114 countries grow rice and more than 50 have an annual
production of 100,000 t or more. Asian farmers produce about 90% of the total,
with two countries, China and India, growing more than half the total crop.
Causes of Global
Warming (ecobridge.org) -
“As human-caused
biodiversity loss and climate disruption gain ground, we need to keep
our
sights clear and understand that the measure of a threat is not a
matter of
whether it is made on purpose, but of how much loss it may cause. It's
an
ancient habit to go after those we perceive to be evil because they
intended to
do harm. It's harder, but more effective, to "go after," meaning to
more effectively educate and socialize, those vastly larger numbers of
our
fellow humans who are not evil, but whose behavior may in fact be far
more
destructive in the long run." (Ed Ayres, editor of Worldwatch
magazine, Nov/Dec 2001)
World food crisis turns rice into gold (Times Online) - Thailand’s 20 million farmers find themselves at the centre of an unprecedented
surge in global food prices — a “silent tsunami”, in the words of the UN World Food Programme — that
is threatening starvation for millions.
The world ignores these farmers at its peril (independent.co.uk)
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Some of the causes of high prices – world population growth, the
changing diets of the China and India, rising fuel prices – are forces
that governments can only hope to manage, rather than reverse. The same
is true, to some extent, of the recent production-impeding droughts
brought about by climate change. But there are certainly things that
governments can do to make a difference.
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After Rice, Bush blames India for food crisis (
Merinews) - If the US secretary of state Condoleezza Rice says something, you can be sure
of its endorsement by Bush. After Rice's remarks that India and China were responsible for the global food crisis, the US President
has also suggested something similar.. TAKING AN apparent dig at the rising Indian middle class, which he feels is demanding
better lifestyles and more nutrition, the US President, George Bush,
has said that the huge appetite of the Indian middle class is behind the spiralling global food prices.
(In my opinion what is said above is illogic - India and china being biggest nations comprising nearly 37% of world population are getting richer and
richer that does not mean they eat more than what they ate before. Their increased life standard makes them consume richer
food like, expensive rice, expensive wheat or corn products, fruit, milk made products, meat, fish, and other rich nutrition
food. Rice, wheat, or others are basic food meant for poor and lower middle class. Traditionally Asians consume more rice
and wheat than vegetable or meat at lunch or dinner but increased standard of life shifts the eating habits to better nutrition
and expensive food, further, urban population eat lesser as compared to rural population as these people have
more physical labour than the urban population who have more mental and stress jobs. To me the real causes for rice or essential
food shortage are excessive urban growth (resulted due to heavy industrialization and urban economic education and planning)
by converting agricultural lands for urbanization, “satta” futures trading, hording, increasing population of
country through migration from neighboring country or failure of family planning. Second biggest factor to my opinion is commodity-figure gambling became popular for growing middle class in such countries. This practice without add on value to
products only helps hording, black marketing to escalates market price . Then comes the major cause that is spiraling cost of agricultural production)
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