NEW YORK, July 18 (UPI) -- U.S. researchers have developed a high-resolution map that projects the Earth's population change for the year 2025.
Scientists at the Center for Climate Systems Research -- part of Columbia University's Earth Institute -- say the map indicates population increases are likely in areas of developing countries already quite densely populated.
The number of people living within 60 miles of a coastline is expected to increase by 35 percent over 1995 population levels, exposing 2.75 billion people worldwide to coastal threats posed by global warming.
The map projects much of southern and Eastern Europe and Japan will experience widespread population decline, along with sub-Saharan Africa, Central and South America, the Philippines, Nepal, Turkey, Cambodia, Burma and Indonesia -- areas that have to date been experiencing rapid-to-modest national population growth.
"Hopefully, work like ours will play a central role in improving environmental policies around the world and in reducing natural hazard risks faced by the most vulnerable parts of society," said Stuart Gaffin, associate CCSR research scientist and the project's lead scientist.
The study was collaborative effort of CCSR, Hunter College and an organization called Population Action International.
