Goal 1 - No Poverty

The Problem

The World Bank estimates that 9.2% of the world or 689 million people live in extreme poverty on $1.90 a day. Furthermore, Africa and Southern Asia, according to the United Nations, will have the largest increase in their population, sliding into poverty with an additional 26 million and 32 million respectively. The dire poverty situation is exacerbated by projections that Africa will have the biggest population growth for the rest of this century, says the Pew Research center. The center adds that the population is expected to increase from 1.3 billion to a staggering 4.3 billion.

Meanwhile, the regions made up of the United States, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand will grow their population but at a slower rate than Africa. Despite the growth of the African population, it is only second to Asia. One must not ignore the impact overpopulation would have on emerging economies. It is a fact that the available resources and infrastructure are not enough to cater to the huge human population. Expectedly, there would be accelerated competition for the limited resources. The underserved would likely not be able to compete and the immediate impact of this poverty. The bigger the population, the higher the poverty rate. So the biggest headache among the countries that will see an increase in population, a decline, and may become overpopulated is how the poverty gap can be mutually bridged.

It must be said that poverty is not synonymous with Africa. There is also poverty in the developed world, even though it may be a different kind of poverty. It is about minorities having access to opportunities that will catapult them out of poverty. In Africa and other emerging or recovering nations, there are quite many poverty causal factors but the unique one is the lack of infrastructure (road, good health, jobs, and housing) for its growing population. The available infrastructure is not commensurate with its population even though it is flooded with talents. Unfortunately, it is the young people that are bearing the brunt because they are more young people in the working class. For the developed nations, the population is slowing which means there is a shortage of labor and lack of access to opportunities. Also, these nations have more of an aging population.