We Must Increase Food Production by Twice as Much and Solve the Water Shortage Problem to Survive.

‘In year 2050, the population of the world will be increased from 6 billion to 9 billion, and the world economic scope will be increased by 4 times to 140 trillion dollars. We must increase the food production by twice as much and prepare for the environmental disasters such as serious shortage of water until then.’

The International Bank for Reconstruction and Development (IBRD) said in the ‘2003 World Development Report’ released in Washington on the 21st, and urged, “In order for the human race to continue the ‘continuous development’, the whole world must concentrate on effort for that.”

The report was released aiming for the ‘WSSD,’ which will be held in Johannesburg, South Africa on the 26th. The ‘continuous development’ contains the meaning that although we develop to improve the quality of lives of our time, we must minimize destroying environment and resources, which the future generation will use. This is also the main subject of the Johannesburg conference, which is held in 10 years after the Rio Conference in 1992, which was the first meeting of the world leaders about improving the environment of the earth.

The report counted the gap between rich and poor countries, which is being increased more and more, as well as the environmental disasters due to industrial development and rapid growth of human population as the most urgent problems for the human race to solve.

The report went on and warned, “It is the reality that because of the inadequate environmental policies, environmental disasters were not ended, and riots occurred frequently due to the gap between rich and poor,” and “if we just emphasize growth and not to be followed by the protection plan for the environment, the growth itself will be a threat to the human race in the long run.”

The head economist of IBRD Nicholas Stern led the making of the report. He said, “The developed countries should help the people of extremely poor countries to manage their resources, increase production, and create profits,” and “policies to open markets, reduce subsidy for agriculture, and lower the trade wall can be the first step toward that.”

At the same time, he pointed out that the developing countries should make an effort to raise the clearness of economy to receive help from the developed countries.

Meanwhile, the International Director of an environmental organization Green Peace Gurd Reifold urged, “We must raise the production of clean energy, which takes only 2% of the world energy production, up to 10% by 2010,” and “in order to do that, we must draw a binding agreement of leaders of each country participating the World Summit.” Clean energy means energy that not creates pollution such as solar heat and wind force. The Foreign Minister of Denmark, which is the sequence chair country of the European Union, Muller also pointed out that there is a need to draw binding agreement between countries by promoting cooperation in official and unofficial matters.

Sung-Kyu Kim kimsk@donga.com