 Population Pressure: Land and Water Tommy Crosby Halter Cunningham Tyler Michael

Population Pressure: Land and Water Social, Political, Environmenta l Conflict Desertification Water Usage Agricultural Production Fuels and Energy

Over one third of the world suffers from topsoil erosion and a retreating water table.

Top Soil Erosion

 Lesotho  Haiti  Mongolia

Desertification

 Overplowing/Poor crop rotation  Overgrazing  Nigeria: from , 4x human pop. increase, 17x livestock pop. increase  Leads to topsoil erosion that exceeds soil recharge

Water Usage  Retreating water table worldwide  Directly linked to grain production  Avg. human drinks 4 liters per day, avg. food production requires 2,000 liters per day  Overpumping of fresh water from aquifers

Food Production  Farmers losing water to cities  Water table loss inhibits production  “Importing grain is the most efficient way to import water”

Food, Fuel, and Energy  Price of grain is tied to the price of oil  Should grain be used to fuel cars or people?  Using grain as fuel requires more land devoted to production  Leads to increased deforestation and greater water usage  Increased food price prevents organization from provided the same amount of aid as in years past

Widespread Conflicts  Over land, water, food, and oil  Sudan, Nigeria, Mali, Rwanda, India, Egypt, Ethiopia, Turkey, Syria, and Iraq

Environmental Refugees  Millions displaced in sub-Saharan Africa  Somalia produces political, economic, and environmental refugees  Latin American countries experiencing economic and environmental struggles that influence migration

Summary Social, Political, Environmenta l Conflict Desertification Water Usage Agricultural Production Fuels and Energy

Population Pressure: Land and Water “The choice is between a future of rising world food prices, spreading hunger, and growing political instability and one of more stable food prices, sharply reduced dependence on oil, and much lower carbon emissions…During this century we must deal with the effects of trends— rapid population growth, advancing deserts, and rising seas— that we set in motion during the last century. Our choice is a simple one: reverse these trends or risk being overwhelmed by them.”