Severe water, food conflict predicted
In the worst-case scenario, rising population will lead to conflict over water and food.
WASHINGTON: Two-thirds of the world s population will live in cities by 2030. Most people will be middle class, connected by technology, protected by advanced health care and linked by countries that work together, perhaps with the United States and China cooperating to lead the way.
That s the best-case scenario in a report, Global Trends 2030, released Monday by the U.S. government s National Intelligence Council.
In the worst-case scenario, rising population leads to conflict over water and food, especially in the Mideast and Africa, and the instability contributes to global economic collapse.
The study is the intelligence community s best guess of where current trends will take the world in the next 15 to 20 years.
The report is intended to help policymakers plan for the best and worst possible futures.
