HIST 106 - Global Environmental History - Essay Example

In that with the doubling of the global population, there is a tripling of the global urban population. With this data, an estimate half of the world's population within the next few years will be living in urban areas. The growth and level of urbanization vary considerably by region. Among developing countries, the ones with the highest proportion of their population living in urban areas are Latin American countries. However, South and East Asia are likely within the next 30 years to have the fastest rates of growth globally.

In addition, it is in cities and towns that almost all of world population growth. Both the redistribution and increase of the earth's population are likely to affect the interaction between population and urban environment and the natural systems. Through analyzing the urbanization dynamics, the relationship between human activities and environment can be better understood in that the urban areas increased populations density leads to the infectious diseases rapid spread. Historically urban areas death rates have consequently been high.

In this way urban areas only way of maintained their existence until now was through the constant rural people in-migration (Clement, Matthew and James 31). The urban areas growth comes mainly from the migration increase to the urban population’s fertility and the cities. . Pressing global challenges such as poverty, climate change and food insecurity are considered essentially problems that are human induced. In the world today, there are approximately 6.77 billion people and the world’s population is estimated to be growing at a 1.

14 percent rate annually. This equates to an estimate 80 million people on earth annually. Projections indicate that at the current rate there will be 7.2 billion people inhabiting earth by the year 2015. More than half the world’s population currently comprises of urban areas. In this aspect, urbanization can be considered as a global phenomenon that not only transforms people’s lifestyles and values but land use. The rural areas influx of people into the city in search of a better life cannot be put into figures since it is too astounding.

Because of this the biodiversity aspect of the environment, is under threat constantly. Like greenhouses gases emissions from mega cities, which are a major source of global, warming. Consumption patterns and human activities in these cities coupled with commercial and industrial concentrations; drain neighboring and urban areas found resources. While also compromise these areas environmental conditions. The current trend in population is definitely adversely impact and bearing on the natural resources quality, such as food, water, air and forest and in this aspect there is a global shortage of food and portable water.

With the shrinking of the world forest area the air quality in some areas and cities lead to some people having health problems and the environmental conditions and the current environmental conditions are