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WORLD NEWS Wednesday 13 July 2022
U.N. projects world population will reach 8 billion on Nov. 15

By EDITH M. LEDERER Nigeria is projected to be
Associated Press No. 4, followed by Pakistan,
UNITED NATIONS (AP) — Indonesia, Brazil, Congo,
The United Nations estimat- Ethiopia and Bangladesh.
ed Monday that the world's Russia and Mexico, which
population will reach 8 bil- are in the top 10 most pop-
lion on Nov. 15 and that ulous countries in 2022, are
India will replace China as projected to lose their ninth
the world's most populous and 10th spots in 2050.
nation next year. "The population of 61 coun-
In a report released on tries or areas are projected
World Population Day, the to decrease by 1% or more
U.N. also said global pop- between 2022 and 2050,"
ulation growth fell below the report says.
1% in 2020 for the first time "In countries with at least
since 1950. half a million population,
According to the latest the largest relative reduc-
U.N. projections, the world's tions in population size over
population could grow to that period, with losses of
around 8.5 billion in 2030, 20% or more, are expected
9.7 billion in 2050 and a to take place in Bulgaria,
peak of around 10.4 billion Latvia, Lithuania, Serbia
during the 2080s. It is fore- Indians wearing face masks as a precaution against the COVID-19, crowd a market, in Mumbai, and Ukraine."
cast to remain at that level India, on Jan. 7, 2022. In other highlights, the re-
until 2100. Associated Press port said global life expec-
The report says more than tancy improved almost 9
half the projected increase projection line crosses 8 bil- have extended lifespans tainty about that date than years from 1990 — to 72.8
in population up to 2050 lion is Nov. 15. and dramatically reduced the Earth reaching 8 billion years for babies born in
will be concentrated in just But, he noted, "we do not maternal and child mortal- inhabitants on Nov. 15. 2019 — and is projected
eight countries: Congo, pretend that that's the ac- ity rates," Guterres said in Wilmoth said the U.N. to reach 77.2 years in 2050
Egypt, Ethiopia, India, Nige- tual date … and we think a statement. "At the same moved the date forward as death rates continue
ria, Pakistan, the Philippines that the uncertainty is at time, it is a reminder of our from 2027, especially as a to decrease. But in 2021, it
and Tanzania. least plus or minus a year." shared responsibility to care result of China's 2020 cen- said, life expectancy in the
The report, "World Popula- Nonetheless, U.N. Sec- for our planet and a mo- sus. India had been plan- world's poorest countries
tion Prospects 2022," puts retary-General Antonio ment to reflect on where ning its census in 2021, but lagged 7 years behind the
the world's population at Guterres called 2022 a we still fall short of our com- he said it was delayed be- global average.
7.942 billion now and fore- "milestone year," with "the mitments to one another." cause of the pandemic. As for gender balance, the
casts it will reach 8 billion in birth of the Earth's eight bil- The report projects that The U.N. will reassess its pro- report says, "Globally, the
mid-November. lionth inhabitant." next year India, with a cur- jection after it takes place. world counts slightly more
John Wilmoth, director of "This is an occasion to cel- rent population of 1.412 The U.N. projects that in men (50.3%) than women
the U.N. Population Division, ebrate our diversity, rec- billion, will surpass China, 2050 the United States will (49.7%) in 2022." "This figure
said at a news conference ognize our common hu- with a current population remain the third most pop- is projected to slowly invert
to release the report that manity, and marvel at ad- of 1.426 billion, but Wilmoth ulous country in the world, over the course of the cen-
the date when the U.N.'s vancements in health that said there is more uncer- behind India and China. tury," it says. q

Deforestation in Brazilian Amazon hits tragic record in 2022

By FABIANO MAISONNAVE son. Deforestation is histori- Around half of the felling
RIO DE JANEIRO (AP) — De- cally higher in the drier sec- occurred on public lands,
forestation in the Brazilian ond half of the year when according to the IPAM
Amazon during the first half it is easier to access remote analysis.
of 2022 broke all records, a areas on the region's un- The pattern in Brazil is that
measure of the increasing paved roads. criminals seize public land
destruction taking place Brazil also will hold presi- expecting that the areas
under the presidency of dential elections in Octo- will be legalized for agricul-
Jair Bolsonaro. ber, which typically reduc- ture or cattle-raising in the
Satellite images taken be- es law enforcement in the future.
tween January and June Amazon. Bolsonaro will run Other illegal real estate
show 4,000 square kilome- for a second 4-year term. and timber transactions
ters (1,500 square miles) Currently he is trailing for- plus lack of enforcement
of forest destroyed, more mer President Luiz Inácio contribute to the increas-
than in any six month pe- Lula da Silva in polls. ing deforestation rates, ac-
riod in the seven years of The area destroyed in the cording to Ane Alencar, Cattle graze on land recently burned and deforested by cattle
record-keeping under the first half of 2022 is 80% larg- IPAM's science director. farmers near Novo Progresso, Para state, Brazil, on Aug. 23, 2020.
current methodology. The er than the same period in "Those who control the Associated Press
extent is four times the size 2018, the year before Bol- Amazon don't want it pre-
of New York City. sonaro took office, accord- served," Alencar told the The most rapacious cutting tree loss. That is a worrisome
What makes the statistic ing to an analysis from the Associated Press in a phone took place in Amazonas trend, as Amazonas is deep
more remarkable is that Amazon Environmental Re- interview. "The standing for- state, overtaking both Para in the rainforest and has re-
the forest cutting is taking search Institute, or IPAM, a est has no value in today's and Mato Grosso, which mained pristine relative to
place during the rainy sea- Brazilian nonprofit. Amazon." historically register more other Amazon regions.q