The annual UNFPA State of the World Population 2001 report released this morning, entitled "Footprints and Milestones: Population and Environmental Change," examines the close links between environmental conditions, population trends and prospects for alleviating poverty in developing countries. The report discusses the relationship of poverty, over-population and environmental degradation.

"The projected population increase by 2015 will leave greater footprints on the earth," said Thoraya Obaid, Executive Director of UNFPA, while speaking at a audio news conference that announced the release of the report. The press conference also included speakers from government and conservation organizations.

Citing statistics from the report, Obaid said that even though the total wealth of the world is approximately $30 trillion, a majority of the population lives on under two dollars per day. She went on to say that the exploding population, which currently stands at 6.1 billion, will put a strain on natural resources. "The use of fresh water will go up six fold in the next 70 years," she said. However, she added that by 2050 half of the world population will be living without direct access to fresh water.

"Population growth will stress the environment to the breaking point," said John Flicker, the President and CEO of National Audoban Society, a conservation organization. He spoke of the importance of international family planning. According to Flicker it was a key environmental issue.

"Population growth is like a magnifying glass-- it expands all other environmental problems," he said, explaining his organization's interest in the report and the implementation of measures for reducing population growth. As more areas get densely populated species of plant and animal life also get adversely affected.

Flicker said the worst still lies ahead as the world now has the largest group of young adults in the reproductive age bracket. In order to curb population growth, he emphasized that significant international family planning was needing.

Carl Pope, Executive Director of the Sierra Club, felt as Flicker did that aid for curbing developing countries' population growth laid in the hands of their developed counterparts. Pope said the Western world should do more in its part of to aid developing governments combat the rapid rise of population.

Pope went on to say that it was not only the developing countries that were to blame for degrading the environment. The Western world may have a lower population growth however they have ignored what is needed of them to preserve the environment. He cited the Cairo Protocol as an example. In 1998 ministers and government experts from 100 countries gathered in Cairo to discuss the progress of the Montreal Protocol that was signed 10 years earlier and discussed ways to reserve the damage caused to the earth's protective ozone layer. According to Pope, the developing countries are honoring their commitments to this agreement however the developed countries are not.

"Affluence has a tremendous affect on the environment," said Pope referring to the report that mentions the "consumption gap" that exists between the industrialized and the developing countries. Both increasing population and affluence give rise to consumption, pollution and waste. Increased poverty with a lack of resources and technology also increase pressure on the environment.

Joseph Crowley, a democratic congressman from New York, who is also a member of the International Relations Committee and a former member of the Resource Committee, did not sound hopeful for the fate of world population and environment. "Where there is over-population there is environmental degradation," he said. He too stressed the importance of international family planning.

When Obaid was asked if there was any good news in store for the world she said that the trend of population is downwards, although it is not at the stabilizing level that is needed. According to her, this shows that progress has been made. She said that men and women are having to make choices that have never even been considered before.