And 2.5 billion people (36% of the world's population) live in regions of the world experiencing water stress. Today, 1.1 billion people lack access to water. This will only increase as urban populations rise and pollution worsens. Therefore, a rise in the urban population will also put pressure on energy demands and generate more pollution, potentially making the air toxic to breathe, similar to the situation in Beijing unfolding over the last decade.Īccording to the World Health Organization, outdoor air pollution is estimated to have caused 3.7 million premature deaths worldwide in 2012. Dwindling water supplies and inadequate sanitation will only compound the negative health affects.Ĭompared to rural areas, cities consume about three-quarters of the world’s energy and produce the same amount of global carbon emissions.
By mid-century, about 6.3 billion people will live in cities.Īside from overcrowding, the skyrocketing population will likely spur the faster spread of infectious diseases and viruses, from tuberculosis to the flu. Today, that figure has ballooned to more than 4 billion - more than half the world’s entire population - and the upward trend is set to continue. In 1950, just under 750 million people lived in urban areas.
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