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Unsustainable human developments

Unsustainable human developments are beginning to push the planet to its breaking point. From a 550-page report released by the UN Environmental Programme, the research confirms that the human ecological footprint is on average 21.9 hectares per person. However, the Earth’s biological capacity is just 15.7 hectares per person. One hectare is equivalent to 10,000 square meters.

The report was put together using the studies and expertise of about 390 experts and illustrates how humans are exploiting the natural resources on the planet to their own detriment. The programme’s report of affected systems include:

• Water - by 2025, 1.6 billion people will live in countries with absolute water scarcity; 440 million school days are already missed every year because of diarrhoeal diseases.

• Land use - modern agriculture exploits land more intensively than ever before. In 1987, one hectare of cropland yielded on average 1.8 tonnes of crops, today the same hectare produces only 2.5 tonnes. Increased productivity is proving to come at the cost of overexploited land that gets degraded and becomes less productive.

• Fish - 2.6 billion people rely on fish for more than 20% of their animal protein intake, yet as the intensity of fishing increases, the biodiversity of the ocean and the ocean's capacity to produce more fish decreases.

• Air - more than 2 million people die each year due to indoor and outdoor pollution.