It took hundreds of thousands of years for the world population to grow to 1 billion, then in just another 200 years or so, it grew sevenfold. In 2011, the global population reached the 7 billion mark. This year, the number will hit 8 billion and it's expected to grow to around 8,5 billion in 2030, 9,7 billion in 2050, and 10,9 billion in 2100.
Key facts and figures:
The world’s population more than tripled in size between 1950 and 2020.
From 2000 to 2020, while the global population grew at an average annual rate of 1,2%, 48 countries or areas in Africa and Asia grew at least twice as fast.
The life span of adults in the developed world has increased since the middle of the 20th century.
Worldwide, the number of deaths relative to the size of the population has been declining since the 1950s.
Source: The United Nations
Providing food for the constantly increasing global population in a sustainable way is not an easy task. In conjunction with the fresh water scarcity, especially in areas of rapidly growing population, turns the need for better irrigation practices, a necessity.
Drip irrigation is by far the most sustainable irrigation method which enables farmers worldwide to increase crop production while at the same time reduce the water, chemicals and nutrients consumption.
