World Population Day - Addressing issues of food and water insecurity

11 of July marks international World Population Day, an annual event that aims to raise awareness of global population challenges.

Established by the Governing Council of the United Nations Development Programme in 1989, it was inspired by the interest in Five Billion Day on 11 July 1987 – approximately the date when the world’s population reached five billion.

As the world population edged to 7 billion in 2011 – up from 2.5 billion in 1950 – it has had profound implications for development, with effects on sustainability, urbanisation, access to health services and youth empowerment. Some of the implications of overpopulation include food and water shortages.

Every day, 25,000 people die of malnutrition and hunger-related diseases, of which around 18,000 are under the age of five. Food production and distribution is stretched as the population increases to an unsustainable level.
One billion people across the globe lack access to sufficient water for consumption, sanitation and agriculture, as aquifers are depleted faster than they can be replenished and glaciers melt.

Aid Intentional Development Forum is addressing important issues associated with overpopulation such as food and water insecurities.

In October in Jakarta, AIDF is organising the 2nd annual AIDF Food Security Summit: Asia 2014 where regional governments, NGOs, UN and intergovernmental agencies, development banks and private sector companies gather to discuss important issues facing food security in Agriculture and Nutrition.

More information about this important summit click here.

Watch here an interesting video from TEDTalk about global population growth.