On October 31, 2011, top United Nations officials marked the global population reaching 7 billion with a call to action to world leaders to meet the challenges that a growing population poses.
The “implications of the new milestone for sustainability, urbanization and migration in a world where conflicts and weather disasters are driving people from their homes and climate change is exacerbating food and water shortages” provide “opportunities” to take action.
UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon “noted that the world’s population reached 6 billion in 1998, only 13 years ago, and it is expected to grow to 9 billion by the middle of this century, or even a few years earlier – by 2043.” According to the latest UN figures… the global population would “surge past 9 billion before 2050” and pass 10 billion by 2100 if current fertility rates continue at expected levels.”
With climate change allegedly linked to increased disease epidemics and population growth this is a significant milestone.