HUMAN POPULATION GROWTH
A fictional projection of how settlement pressure changes water, habitat and pollution across fifty years.
Year 1: 10,000 humans · Water 100% · Habitat 80% · Pollution 5
Year 10: 50,000 humans · Water 92% · Habitat 72% · Pollution 12
Year 20: 150,000 humans · Water 80% · Habitat 60% · Pollution 25
Year 30: 400,000 humans · Water 65% · Habitat 45% · Pollution 43
Year 40: 800,000 humans · Water 48% · Habitat 30% · Pollution 70
Year 50: 1,500,000 humans · Water 32% · Habitat 18% · Pollution 95
Interpretation
Population growth raises demand for food, water, land and energy. Water and protected habitat fall while pollution rises. Organisms lose habitat and food, which destabilizes predator-prey relationships and biodiversity.
Real-world evidence
UN and IPCC assessments link population, consumption and development with pressure on water, land, food, energy, ecosystems and biodiversity. We apply that general relationship to this fictional planet model.