In Africa: 6 Billion or 2.8 Billion? What’s More Sustainable?

The African continent’s population is currently around 1.2 billion, but is adding about 76,000 people per day, and is therefore projected to soar to over 4 billion by 2100 (in the highest projection by the United Nations, the African population shows a maximum of over 6 billion by 2100)!

Almost every day there are fresh reports about the senseless slaughter of elephants, rhinos, lions, tigers, and other “megafauna” in Africa. Some of their population declines are attributable to poachers seeking to harvest ivory or other body parts, but much of the dramatic decline has been caused by an ever-increasing loss of habitat.

UNICEF has stated, in a major 2014 report (PDF), that Africa “will be home to around 41 per cent of all of the world’s births, 40 per cent of all global under-fives, and 37 per cent of all children” by the year 2050.Fertility rates had fallen in many places in Africa over the last few decades, but still remained high compared with the rest of the world. Now, in several countries, fertility rates have stopped declining and may even be on the rise. Meanwhile, the number of women of reproductive age has grown enormously and is set to more than double in the next 35 years.

It is now more important then ever to Speak Out about the progressive, human rights strengthening solutions that can help lead the world to population stabilization. In Africa, the alternative scenarios for the year 2100 — either 2.8 billion people or over 6 billion — should make clear to anybody concerned about the rights of other species to exist how important the issue of population truly is.