NEW YORK – Planet Earth reached a new milestone as its population hits 8 billion and counting, the UN estimates based on its best demographic projections suggest.
Experts doubted the number as census data is old in several countries however the United Nations has declared November 15 as the “Day of Eight Billion”.
In a statement, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said the milestone is an occasion to celebrate diversity and advancements while considering humanity’s shared responsibility for the planet.
UN claimed that it took around 12 years to jump from 7 to 8 billion, and further projected that the planet of around 12,742 km will have 9 billion in the next fifteen years.
Recent studies show that the overall growth rate of the global population is slowing down as compared to the previous decade.
Amid new challenges, Pakistan’s neighbor India is expected to dethrone China to claim the title of the most populated country in 2023, the UN said.
Meanwhile, Pakistan and seven other nations including Egypt, Ethiopia, India, Nigeria, the Democratic Republic of Congo, the Philippines, and Tanzania, will have more than half of the predicted increase in world population in the next three decades.
With the new milestone, it was reported that the average life expectancy at birth reached 72.8 years in 2019, and it is now estimated that a further decline in mortality will lead to an average global longevity of around 77.2 years in 2050.
Experts claimed that it took roughly 0.3 million years before the completion of the one billion mark that occurred in the 18th century, and it took 2 centuries to add 7,000,000,000 people.
As the population increases drastically, resources turn scarcer. Natural resources are said to be necessary for human life and with every passing day, people will live with fewer resources.
Decision-making on scientific data vital for improved water resource management
Basic necessities like clean water and food are already a dilemma in parts of the world. Furthermore, natural hydrocarbons are also turning down with conservation, finding alternates, and controlling population are among the few ways to survive in coming years.
