 The world's bulging population has led to the creation of mega-cities |
30 March 2005
The report was carried out by 1,300 researchers to collate all that is known about environmental degradation around the globe.
The Millennium Ecosystem Assessment is one of the biggest scientific collaborations ever undertaken.
Its main findings are being released at meetings in eight world cities.
The assessment found that human activities, particularly the spread of modern agriculture, have caused irreversible changes to the natural world.
It cited as an example the over-use of water for farming, which puts pressure on fresh drinking supplies. Land that has been farmed too intensively is also becoming barren.
Such effects, the report argues, are severe enough to threaten the Millennium Development Goals.
More than 2,500 pages long, the full study contains few quick-fix solutions, but correspondents say it does provide the best view yet of the problems facing humanity.
The assessment, which is intended to inform global policy initiatives, says changes in consumption patterns, better education, new technologies and higher prices for exploiting ecosystems could all help slow the damage being done to the planet.
The Millennium Ecosystem Assessment is a four-year, $21m effort designed by UN agencies, international scientific organisations, and development agencies
The report's details are being released at meetings in London, Washington, Tokyo, Brasilia, Cairo, Beijing, Nairobi, and New Delhi. More detailed assessments of world regions will follow later in the year.
