The growth in global population that has occurred in recent years has had a significant impact on usage of oil and water resources, and the projected population increase will have even more serious implications. Significant differences exist between developed and developing countries in their population growth and in their access to resources such as energy and water. This population pressure is compounded by climate changes that affect the economic welfare of these growing populations.

Introduction

As the world population and industrialization grow rapidly, intense pressures are placed on Earth resources to provide an adequate supply of food to support the incredible pace of change. Water, energy, arable land, and biological resources are being consumed so rapidly that the integrity of the global ecosystem can no longer be maintained. Humans have modified ecosystems faster in the past 50 years than during any other time in history. Nearly two-thirds of the services performed by ecosystems, such as maintaining the quality of air and fresh water resources, are now degraded by overexploitation and development-related activities. As a result, one to two billion humans are malnourished, the largest number of hungry humans ever on Earth. This hunger is, in large part, the result of a limited access to water and energy, as well as other natural resources. Malnutrition also often leads to overexploitation of natural resources at the expense of the ability of ground vegetation and forests to regenerate.