LECTURE “One planet; too many people?” by Dr. Tim Fox

The human population of the world is undergoing unprecedented growth and demographic change. By the end of this century there will be an estimated 9.5 billion people living on the planet, 75% of them located in urban settlements and striving for increased living standards.

More mouths to feed and changes in tastes for food types will mean doubling world agricultural production in four decades, water consumption will need a 30% increase by 2030, and three billion extra people will seek shelter in urban settings by mid-century.

In rising to this challenge, the engineers of today, and the future, will need to be innovative in the application of sustainable solutions and increasingly engaged with the human factors that influence their work. They will need strong, visionary and stable support from governments around the world and society at large.

Tim Fox will outline current thinking on the projections of change in global population through to the end of the 21st century, describe recent initiatives at the Institution of Mechanical Engineers in this critical area, and consider what engineers need to do to ensure the future provision of food, water, shelter and materials in support of continued human progress.