Half the world's population living in poorest countries

Inequality between the rich and poor is widening rapidly worldwide, according to the latest report from the Population Reference Bureau. This as population in the world's poorest countries multiplies.

Nearly half the world's 6.7 billion people are living in the poorest countries while there is little growth and even population decline in some of the world's wealthiest nations.

The widening gap between the world's rich and poor will help drive climate change, says environmental scientist, Professor Gerald Lalor.

Greenhouse gas

In a lecture delivered to members of the University Lodge at the Masonic Temple in New Kingston recently, Lalor underscored vast population growth over the last 20 years has been complemented by an increase in emissions of the main greenhouse gas carbon dioxide (CO_²) into the atmosphere.

Climate change is set to cause devastating catastrophes across the world, Lalor said, but it is poor countries that will suffer the greatest impact.

He pointed out that vulnerable developing island nations in the tropics like Jamaica are among those that will be greatly affected as food and water supply, as well as vector diseases, will spread due to rising sea levels.

Coastal wetlands

"With a 10-metre rise in sea levels, the Palisadoes would disappear, Kingston Harbour become open sea; the waterfront would move uptown," he said.

Offshore cays, now inhabited by fishermen, would also disappear and coastal wetlands and farms would be flooded, Lalor said.

Lalor urged the Government to place climate change on the national agenda in an effort to to mitigate any catastrophic impact on Jamaica.

"The way forward will require major contributions from interdisciplinary science and technology appropriate to Jamaica," he said.