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Percentage of population undernourished, 1997-99
All developing regions 18% Asia, Pacific* 20% Latin America, Caribbean 11% Near East, North Africa 9 %
All sub-Saharan Africa 34% Central Africa 51% East Africa 43% Southern Africa 43% West Africa 15%
*Excludes China
Extent and causes of land degradation, 1996 in millions of square kilometers
Overgrazing 6.7 Deforestation 5.7 Agricultural mismanagement 5.4 Fuel consumption 1.4 Industry and urbanization 0.2
WATER
As more of the limited amount of fresh water is used each year, unequal access to supplies could produce competition and conflicts among nations
Annual global freshwater withdrawals Cubic kilometers per year
'70 574 '80 3,200 '00 3,940
Freshwater resources Per capita, by subregion Average annual cubic meters
Regions with the most and least water resources
Oceania 53,711 South America 36,988 Middle Africa 20,889 North America 16,801 Eastern Europe 14,818
Western Europe 2,215 Western Asia 1,771
Water-stressed countries have less than 1,700 cubic meters per person per year
South Central Asia 1,465 Southern Africa 1,289 Northern Africa 495
BIODIVERSITY
Destruction of forests has helped cause the worst spasm of extinctions since the dinosaurs were wiped out 65 million years ago
Forest loss by region Percentage change 1990-2000
Europe +0.84% Asia -0.67% North and Cent. America -1.04% Oceania -1.85%
Total World -2.43% South America -4.19% Africa -8.01%
Wildlife under pressure Percentage of species threatened, 1996
Birds 11% Vascular plants 12.5% Reptiles 20% Mammals 25% Amphibians 25% Fish 34%
POPULATION/HEALTH
Life expectancy is increasing except in Africa, where AIDS and other infectious diseases have taken a toll. Lower birth rates will start to level the global population by mid-century
Life expectancy at birth 1995-2000 Northern America 76.7 Oceania 73.5 Europe 73.2 Lat. Amer., Carib. 69.3 Asia 65.8 Africa 51.4
CLIMATE/ENERGY
The phaseout of chemicals called chloroflurocarbons will help reduce the hole in the ozone layer, right, but the continued burning of fossil fuels will lead to hotter times in the future
Sources of energy supply worldwide
Oil 1973 45% 1999 35%
Coal 1973 24.9% 1999 23.5%
Natural gas 1973 16.2% 1999 20.7%
Renewables 1973 11.1% 1999 11.1%
Hydroelectric 1973 1.8% 1999 2.3%
Nuclear 1973 0.9% 1999 6.8%
Other 1973 0.1% 1999 0.5%