As the United Nations marks World Population Day (July 11), growing populations in India and Africa are leading to greater development but they both also face the brunt of climate change. According to Tighisti Amare the Deputy Director of the Africa Programme at the Chatham House think tank in London, the growth in population on the continent should be seen as a benefit and not a burden. “The population growth is, of course, partly explained by improvement in level and access to public health. That has led to decrease in child mortality. And that by itself is good news. And the other good news is that also by having a young population, most African nations do not have the burden of a large elderly population that relies on taxes and pensions, which can be a strain on the economy as well,” she says. An obstacle to development according to Amare is that many countries in Africa rely on exporting unprocessed natural resources, like mining oil and gas and agriculture rather than developing an economy which sends out higher value finished products.
SOURCE: AFRICA NEWS