Global challenges
The urgent and global nature of the ecological challenges that we face today are irrefutable. The impact of human activities on natural habitats is increasing every day. Resolving each environmental issue calls for action on the part of all actors in society and the deployment of appropriate expertise and technology.
Climate change
The latest report from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) confirmed humanity’s impact on recent climate changes. The most serious consequences include:
- Rising temperatures that lead to glacier melt and higher sea levels.
- A likely increase in the frequency and severity of extreme climatic conditions: flooding, drought and tropical storms.
Land degradation
The primary threats to soil include erosion, reduced organic content, contamination, filtration, settling, reduced biological diversity, increased salinity, flooding and landslides. All these processes are caused or aggravated by human activity. Both economic consequences and the cost of alleviating the problems associated with these threats to ground soil are extremely significant.
Pressures on natural resources
Our planet’s economic and demographic growth is exerting considerable pressure on all natural resources. Never have raw materials been the subject of such tension. At the current rate, proven oil reserves will cover only 40 more years of consumption. Raw materials prices soared in 2007, driven by demand from both emerging and industrialised nations. At current mining rates, the planet has approximately 18 years of lead reserves, 25 years of copper, 59 years of uranium, 64 years of iron and 69 years of bauxite. The planet is also experiencing localised stresses on water resources where demand for water exceeds the quantity locally available, or where pollution makes water supplies unusable.
Demographic growth and urbanisation
According to forecasts by the United Nations, the world’s population will exceed 9 billion in the year 2050 (40% more than in 2005). In particular, urban areas will represent 70% of the world’s total population. Each day, 200,000 people leave rural areas to settle in cities. This phenomenon is especially prevalent in emerging countries (in 2015, 90% of cities with 5 to 10 million inhabitants will be located in these countries).
Biodiversity under threat
According to the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), 39% of the world’s plant and animal species are threatened with extinction. The main factors behind these phenomena are habitat transformation, over-exploitation of natural resources, pollution and the proliferation of invasive exotic species. Recent climate changes further compound these effects in certain regions. The decline of biodiversity creates health and food safety problems, degrades soil quality and increases vulnerability to natural disasters.
