At the present stage of development of civilization, questions have arisen more acutely than ever before, without the solution of which further forward movement of humanity along the path of economic progress is impossible. Despite the fact that it is only part of universal human activity, from its development in the 21st century. issues of security and preservation of peace, the natural environment and, as well as moral, religious and philosophical values, depend to a greater extent.

The importance of global problems especially increased in the second half of the twentieth century. It is they who significantly influence the structure of the national and. Historically, the world economy as a single whole took shape by the beginning of the twentieth century. as a result of drawing most of the countries of the world into world economic relations. By this time it was finished territorial division of the world, in the world economy has formed two poles. At one pole were industrially the developed countries , and on the other - their colonies - agricultural raw materials appendages. The latter were involved long before the emergence of national markets there. The involvement of these countries in world economic relations actually did not occur in connection with the needs of their own development, but was a product of the expansion of industrialized countries. The world economy thus formed, even after independence former colonies, preserved the relationship between the center and the periphery for many years. This is where the current global problems and contradictions originate.

As a rule, solving global problems requires enormous material and financial resources. The main criteria for classifying a particular problem as global is considered to be its scale and need for joint efforts to eliminate it.

Global problems — discrepancies between the most significant planetary needs and the possibility of satisfying them through the joint efforts of humanity in a certain period of time.

Examples of global problems of the world

Global problems of humanity - These are problems that affect the vital interests of the entire population of the planet and require the joint efforts of all states of the world to be solved.

IN modern conditions global problems include:

Other global problems are emerging.

Classification of global problems

The exceptional difficulties and high costs of solving global problems require their justified classification.

According to their origin, nature and methods of solution, global problems, according to the classification adopted by international organizations, are divided into three groups. First group constitute problems determined by the basic socio-economic and political tasks of humanity. These include maintaining peace, ending the arms race and disarmament, non-militarization of space, creating favorable conditions for global social progress, and overcoming the development gap of countries with low per capita incomes.

Second group covers a complex of problems revealed in the triad “man - society - technology”. These problems should take into account the effectiveness of using scientific and technical progress in the interests of harmonious social development and the elimination of the negative impact of technology on people, population growth, the establishment of human rights in the state, its liberation from the excessively increased control of state institutions, especially over personal freedom as the most important component of human rights.

Third group is represented by problems related to socio-economic processes and the environment, that is, problems of relations along the society-nature line. This includes solving raw materials, energy and food problems, overcoming the crisis environment, covering more and more new areas and capable of destroying a person’s life.

The end of the twentieth and beginning of XXI centuries led to the development of a number of local, specific issues of development of countries and regions into the category of global ones. However, it should be recognized that decisive role Internationalization played a role in this process.

The number of global problems is growing; in some publications in recent years, more than twenty problems of our time are named, but most authors identify four main global problems: environmental, peacekeeping and disarmament, demographic, fuel and raw materials.

The scale, location and role of individual global problems are changing. The environmental problem has now come to the fore, although recently its place was occupied by the struggle to maintain peace and disarmament. Changes are also taking place within global problems: they are losing previous value some of their components and new ones appear. Thus, in the problem of the struggle for peace and disarmament, the main emphasis began to be placed on the reduction of means of mass destruction, the non-proliferation of mass weapons, the development and implementation of measures for the conversion of military production; in the fuel and raw materials problem there is a real possibility of exhaustion of a number of non-renewable natural resources, and in the demographic one, new tasks have arisen related to a significant expansion of international migration of the population, labor resources, etc.

It's obvious that global problems are closely interconnected. For example, the severity of the food problem is aggravated by faster population growth than the growth of agricultural production in many developing countries. To solve the food problem, it is necessary to use the resource potential of industrialized countries or international organizations that develop and implement special assistance programs. Consideration of the impact of global problems on the formation of the world economy requires their detailed analysis and assessment from the positions of both individual countries and the world community as a whole. Features of world development of the second half
XX century are that it has become a constant factor influencing all areas of economic activity. Economic activity has spread to territories and areas that were previously not accessible to humans (the World Ocean, polar zones, space, etc.).

The accelerated development of productive forces, the planned nature and global scale of technical progress, if not supported by a perfect management mechanism, can lead to irreversible negative consequences. In particular, the unevenness in economic development between countries will increase even more, the gap between the levels of material and spiritual culture of mankind will increase, the balance of the biosphere will be disrupted, and environmental deterioration may lead to the impossibility of life on Earth.

To overcome this food crisis, it is necessary to develop a joint international strategy on issues of food production, redistribution and consumption. Even with current methods of cultivating the land, according to calculations by British experts, it is possible to provide food for over 10 billion people. All this indicates extremely unproductive use of cultivated land.

Solving the problem of developing countries requires overcoming their economic, scientific and technical backwardness, and this is associated with the evolution of the economic space, which will lead to radical socio-economic transformations, the elimination of backward forms of land use and the rise of agriculture based on the introduction of scientific methods of its management.

In this situation, Russia and countries must pay attention, first of all, to preserving and increasing the potential of fertile agricultural lands, increasing the productivity of agricultural production, as well as storage and distribution systems.

The problem of military spending

After graduation Second World War The world community is making gigantic efforts to preserve peace and disarmament. However, humanity still spends huge amounts of money on weapons. Military spending slows down economic and technological development, increases inflation, contributes to inflation, distracts people from solving pressing social problems, increases foreign debt, and has an impact on negative impact on international relations and their stability.

The negative impact of military spending on a country's economic development can be long-lasting. Excessive military expenditures of past years place a heavy burden on countries with a low level of economic development, which at the present stage of the world economy includes many developing countries.

At the same time, zones of regional and local conflicts have arisen and are expanding, provoking external intervention, all in to a greater extent using military force. Participants in such confrontations already possess or may in the near future become possessors of weapons of mass destruction, including nuclear weapons. This forces many countries to maintain high levels of military spending in their budgets.

At the same time, the reduction of military capabilities, especially in major states such as Russia, faces many difficult issues, since the military-industrial complex represents thousands of enterprises and millions of people employed in them. In addition, the global arms trade is still one of the most profitable types of business, which annually brings $3-4 billion in income to our country.

In conditions of economic instability, limitations and lack of necessary funds, the reduction of armed forces and disarmament in Russia gives rise to additional economic and social problems. Disarmament and reduction of military production in some cases does not lead to the release of funds, but requires significant material and financial resources.

Thus, ensuring security and maintaining peace on the planet is possible with close cooperation between countries and the reasonable use of available resources aimed at eliminating the general military threat and nuclear war.

The development of the productive forces of the world economy requires not only a constant influx of material and fuel and energy resources, but also the use of significant monetary and financial resources.

The transformation of the world economy into a single market for goods, services, labor, capital and knowledge leads to a higher stage of internationalization (globalization). The single world market creates volume of economic space and plays a critical role in serving structural adjustment national economies. At the same time, it can contribute to deepening imbalances in the world economy.

Global goals of humanity

The priority global goals of humanity are as follows:

• V political sphere— reducing the likelihood and, in the future, completely eliminating military conflicts, preventing violence in international relations;
• in the economic and environmental spheres - the development and implementation of resource- and energy-saving technologies, the transition to non-traditional energy sources, the development and widespread use of environmental technologies;
• V social sphere— improving living standards, global efforts to preserve people’s health, creating a global food supply system;
• in the cultural and spiritual sphere - the restructuring of mass moral consciousness in accordance with today's realities.

Taking action towards the realization of these goals constitutes the survival strategy of humanity.

Emerging Global Issues

As the world economy develops, new global problems arise and will continue to arise.

In modern conditions, a new, already formed global problem is space exploration. The entry of man into space was an important impetus for the development of both fundamental science, and applied research. Modern communication systems, forecasting of many natural disasters, remote exploration of mineral resources are only a small part of what has become a reality thanks to space flights. At the same time, the scale of financial costs required for further exploration of outer space today already exceeds the capabilities of not only individual states, but also groups of countries. The extremely expensive components of research are the creation and launch of spacecraft and the maintenance of space stations. Thus, the cost of manufacturing and launching the Progress cargo spacecraft is $22 million, the Soyuz manned spacecraft is $26 million, the Proton spacecraft is $80 million, and the Space Shuttle is $500 million. dollars. The annual operation of the International Space Station (ISS) costs approximately 6 billion dollars.

Enormous investments are required to implement projects related to the exploration and future development of other planets in the solar system. As a consequence, the interests of space exploration objectively imply broad interstate interaction in this area, the development of large-scale international cooperation in the preparation and conduct of space research.

Emerging global problems currently include study of the structure of the Earth and control of weather and climate. Like space exploration, the solution to these two problems is only possible on the basis of broad international cooperation. Moreover, weather and climate management requires, among other things, global harmonization of behavioral norms of business entities in order to universally minimize the harmful impact of economic activity on the environment.

Every person has problems. Relationships with loved ones are not going well, there is not enough money to fulfill any desires, failures in school and work, etc. But on a global scale, these are trifles. At this level, there are completely different issues - these are global problems of society. Is it possible to solve them?

History and origin

Global problems have been troubling humanity in one way or another throughout its development. But those that are not resolved today became extremely relevant relatively recently, in the last third of the 20th century.

According to most researchers, all global problems of the modern world are closely interconnected, and their solution should be comprehensive, and not isolated. Perhaps it’s all about the concept of humanity’s relationship to its home - planet Earth. For a very, very long time it was purely consumer. People did not think about the future, about what kind of world their children and more distant descendants would have to live in.

As a result, we have come to an extreme degree of dependence on the contents of the earth's bowels, unwilling to fully use renewable energy sources. At the same time, these global problems acquired a truly catastrophic scale simultaneously with the demographic explosion, which aggravated them. It can also be said to be the reason why there is a shortage of resources, forcing us to dig deeper and deeper into earth's crust, closing this vicious circle. All this is accompanied by an extreme degree of social tension, which gives rise to misunderstanding between different states, and ignoring this problem inexorably leads to an increase in the likelihood of a global armed conflict.

Levels of human problems

Without a doubt, the scale of pressing issues varies. There are problems:

• individual, i.e. affecting the life of one person and, possibly, his loved ones;
• local, regional, which are related to the development of the district, region, etc.;
• state, those that are important for the entire country or most of it;
• international, affecting a macroregion, which may include many territories;
• global, planetary scale, affecting almost everyone.

Of course, this does not mean that one person's problems are unimportant and not worth paying attention to. But on a planetary scale they are truly insignificant. What is a conflict with your superiors in comparison with the hunger and poverty of a billion people or the threat of nuclear war? Of course, we can say that the happiness of each individual person leads to general well-being, but without solving the global problems of humanity, this cannot be achieved. And what are these questions?

Environmental

Global problems primarily involve human impact on nature. Yes, this is indeed one of the most important questions, because people are literally destroying their home. Air, water and soil pollution, extinction of animals and plants, destruction of the ozone layer, deforestation and desertification. Of course, some of this - natural processes, but the human contribution is also visible.

People continue to ravage the bowels of the earth, pumping oil and gas, extracting coal and metals necessary for their lives. But the irrational use of these resources and the reluctance to switch to renewable energy sources may in the foreseeable future become the cause of a real collapse.

Megacities are places of terrible noise and light pollution. Here people almost never see the starry sky or hear birds singing. Air polluted by cars and factories causes premature aging and health problems. Progress has made people's lives easier and faster, but at the same time, consumer society has made waste disposal more important than ever before. It is worth considering that every day is the most a common person generates just an insane amount of garbage. But there is also radioactive waste... In these conditions, it is simply vital to stop solving problems alone and start thinking more globally.

Economic problems

The global division of labor has allowed the world community to produce goods and services more efficiently and has developed trade to its current level. But at the same time, the problem of poverty in some regions has become acute. Lack of necessary resources, low development, social problems - all this one way or another hinders progress in regions such as Africa and Central and South America. The most developed countries are prospering and getting richer, while the rest lag behind, living only by selling some valuable resources. This gap in the income of the world's population is simply enormous. And charity in in this case not always a solution.

Economic global problems may also include potential overpopulation of the planet. The point is not that people may not have enough space - there are areas in the world where almost no one lives. But the number of people is growing exponentially, and the growth of food production is only arithmetic. This leads to the problem of poverty and its possible further spread, especially taking into account the environmental situation.

The issue is also that the foreign policies of some countries simply do not allow them to unite and think globally. Meanwhile, economic problems are accumulating and affecting ordinary people.

Social

The planet is torn apart by constant conflicts. The constant threat of war, social tension, racial and religious intolerance - society seems to be constantly on the brink. Unrest breaks out here and there. The revolutions of the last decade have shown how terrible wars within a country can be. Egypt, Syria, Libya, Ukraine - there are enough examples, and everyone knows about them. As a result, there are no winners; everyone loses in one way or another, and first of all, the common population.

In the Middle East, women are fighting for their rights: they want to study in schools and universities without fear for their health and lives. They want to stop being second-class citizens - it’s scary to think, but in some countries this still happens. In some countries, a woman is more likely to be raped than to learn to count. Can we really assume that these are not global social problems? And if so, then we need to deal with them together.

Solution

Of course, we cannot say with a high degree of confidence that the above-mentioned global social problems, economic and environmental issues will soon lead to the self-destruction of humanity. But it’s hardly worth denying the fact that such a possibility exists.

Solving global problems is a very difficult matter. You cannot simply limit the birth rate or find an unlimited source of energy - a complete spiritual rebirth of humanity is necessary, which would change our attitude towards nature, the planet and each other.

Some global problems of countries and the whole world have already been solved to some extent. Racial segregation has disappeared, so that now all people in civilized countries, regardless of skin color, have equal rights. Everyone else strives for the same position, trying not to evaluate people based on their religion, orientation, gender, etc.

Organizations and figures

There are several supranational bodies in the world that deal with various issues. One of these organizations was the UN, created in 1945. It includes several special commissions, whose work in one way or another deals with global problems of humanity. The UN is involved in peacekeeping missions, protecting people's rights, developing international legislation, social and economic issues.

In addition, individuals are also involved in activities aimed at solving global problems. Martin Luther King, Mother Teresa, Indira Gandhi, Nelson Mandela, Eisaku Sato and others fought for the future they wanted for their descendants. Among our contemporaries, many public people are engaged in similar activities. Shakira, Angelina Jolie, Natalia Vodianova, Chulpan Khamatova and many others founded charities, become ambassadors good will UN and do other things that make the world a better place.

Awards

Public figures are awarded various awards for their contributions or even courageous attempts to change the world for the better. The most prestigious of them is the Nobel Prize. In 2014, its winner was Malala Yousafzai, a 16-year-old girl from Pakistan who, despite the fact that her life was in constant danger, attended school every day and wrote a blog in which she talked about life under the Taliban regime, which had its own views on the need for education for women. After surviving the assassination attempt, she ended up in the UK, but decided to return to her homeland. She was awarded the prize for fighting for her interests and defending her own rights. After the award, Malala released her autobiography, the Taliban’s reaction to which was a promise to kill the girl.

Why should it matter?

Of course, we can say that global problems are not our business, because the consequences of ignoring them will not hit us. Overpopulation, poverty, war, environmental disaster - even if all this is inevitable, it will not happen here and now. But you should think not only about yourself, but also about your children, loved ones and friends. Even if global problems of society cannot be solved alone, you can start small: try to use less packaging, recycle garbage, do not waste water, save electricity. It's not hard, but if everyone did it, maybe the world would be a little better.

Global problems of humanity affect our planet as a whole. Therefore, all peoples and states are engaged in solving them. This term appeared in the late 60s of the XX century. Currently, there is a special scientific branch that studies and solves global problems of humanity. It is called global studies.

Scientific specialists from various fields work in this area: biologists, soil scientists, chemists, physicists, and geologists. And this is no coincidence, because the global problems of humanity are complex in nature and their emergence does not depend on any one factor. On the contrary, it is very important to take into account economic, political, as well as social change happening in the world. Life on the planet in the future depends on how correctly the modern global problems of humanity are solved.

You need to know: some of them have existed for a long time, others, quite “young”, are associated with the fact that people began to negatively impact the world around them. Because of this, for example, environmental problems of mankind have arisen. They can be called the main difficulties of modern society. Although the problem of environmental pollution itself appeared a long time ago. All varieties interact with each other. Often one problem provokes another.

Sometimes it happens that global problems of humanity can be solved and completely gotten rid of them. First of all, this concerns epidemics that threatened the lives of people all over the planet and led to their mass death, but then they were stopped, for example, with the help of an invented vaccine. At the same time, completely new problems appear that were previously unknown to society, or existing ones grow to a global level, for example, depletion of the ozone layer. The cause of their occurrence is human activity. The problem of environmental pollution allows us to see this very clearly. But in other cases, the tendency of people to influence the misfortunes that happen to them and threaten their existence is clearly visible. So, what are the problems of humanity that have planetary significance, exist?

Environmental disaster

It is caused by daily environmental pollution and depletion of earth and water reserves. All these factors together can accelerate the onset of environmental disaster. Man considers himself the king of nature, but at the same time does not strive to preserve it in its original form. This is also hampered by industrialization, which is proceeding at a rapid pace. Negatively affecting its habitat, humanity destroys it and does not think about it. It is not for nothing that pollution standards have been developed and are regularly exceeded. As a result, humanity's environmental problems may become irreversible. To avoid this, we must pay attention to the preservation of flora and fauna, and try to preserve the biosphere of our planet. And for this it is necessary to make production and other human activities more environmentally friendly so that the impact on the environment is less aggressive.

Demographic problem

The world's population is growing rapidly. And although the “population explosion” has already subsided, the problem still remains. The situation with food and natural resources is deteriorating. Their stocks are decreasing. At the same time it increases Negative influence on the environment, it is impossible to cope with unemployment and poverty. Difficulties arise with education and healthcare. The UN has taken upon itself the solution to global problems of this nature. The organization created a special plan. One of its points is the family planning program.

Disarmament

After the creation of a nuclear bomb, the population tries to avoid the consequences of its use. For this purpose, non-aggression and disarmament treaties are signed between countries. Laws are being adopted to ban nuclear arsenals and stop the arms trade. The presidents of leading states hope in this way to avoid the outbreak of the Third World War, as a result of which, as they suspect, all life on Earth could be destroyed.

Food problem

In some countries, the population is experiencing food shortages. Residents of Africa and other third countries of the world suffer especially from hunger. To solve this problem, two options have been created. The first is aimed at ensuring that pastures, fields, and fishing areas gradually increase their area. If you follow the second option, you should not increase the territory, but increase the productivity of existing ones. For this purpose, the latest biotechnologies, methods of land reclamation, and mechanization are being developed. High-yielding plant varieties are being created.

Health

Despite the active development of medicine, the emergence of new vaccines and drugs, humanity continues to get sick. Moreover, many diseases threaten the lives of the population. Therefore, in our time, the development of treatment methods is actively underway. Substances are created in laboratories modern style for effective immunization of the population. Unfortunately, the most dangerous diseases of the 21st century - oncology and AIDS - remain incurable.

Ocean problem

IN Lately this resource is not only actively researched, but also used for the needs of humanity. Experience shows that it can provide food, natural resources, and energy. The ocean is a trade route that helps restore communication between countries. At the same time, its reserves are used unevenly, and military operations are ongoing on its surface. In addition, it serves as a base for the disposal of waste, including radioactive waste. Humanity is obliged to preserve the riches of the World Ocean, avoid pollution, and rationally use its gifts.

Space exploration

This space belongs to all humanity, which means that all peoples must use their scientific and technical potential to explore it. For deep space exploration, special programs are created that use all modern achievements in this field.

People know that if these problems do not go away, the planet may die. But why do many people not want to do anything, hoping that everything will disappear and “dissolve” by itself? Although, in truth, such inaction is better than the active destruction of nature, pollution of forests, water bodies, destruction of animals and plants, especially rare species.

It is impossible to understand the behavior of such people. It would not hurt them to think about the fact that their children and grandchildren will have to live, if, of course, it is still possible, on a dying planet. You shouldn’t count on anyone being able to rid the world of difficulties in a short time. Global problems of humanity can only be solved together if all of humanity makes an effort. The threat of destruction in the near future should not be frightening. It is best if it can stimulate the potential inherent in each of us.

Don’t think that it’s difficult to cope with the world’s problems alone. This makes it seem like it is useless to act, and thoughts of powerlessness in the face of difficulties appear. The point is to join forces and help at least your city prosper. Solve small problems of your habitat. And when every person on Earth begins to have such responsibility towards themselves and their country, large-scale, global problems will also be solved.

The global problems of our time should be understood as a set of problems on the solution of which the further existence of civilization depends.

Global problems are generated by the uneven development of different areas of life of modern humanity and the contradictions generated in the socio-economic, political-ideological, socio-natural and other relations of people. These problems affect the life of humanity as a whole.

The global problems of our time include:

• - North-South problem;
• - the problem of poverty;
• - food problem;
• - energy problem;
• - the problem of ecology and sustainable development;
• - demographic problem;
• - the problem of human development;
• - the problem of development of the World Ocean.

This set is not constant and as human civilization develops, the understanding of existing global problems changes, their priority is adjusted, and new global problems arise (space exploration, weather and climate control, etc.).

The North-South problem is a problem of economic relations between developed countries and developing countries. Its essence is that in order to bridge the gap in the levels of socio-economic development between developed and developing countries, the latter require various concessions from developed countries, in particular, expanding access for their goods to the markets of developed countries, increasing the influx of knowledge and capital (especially in the form assistance), debt write-off and other measures in relation to them.

One of the main global problems is the problem of poverty. Poverty refers to the inability to provide the simplest and most affordable living conditions for most people in a given country. Large levels of poverty, especially in developing countries, pose a serious threat not only to national but also to global sustainable development.

The world food problem lies in the inability of humanity to date to fully provide itself with vital food products. This problem appears in practice as a problem of absolute food shortage (malnutrition and hunger) in the least developed countries, as well as nutritional imbalance in developed countries. Its solution will largely depend on the effective use of natural resources, scientific and technological progress in agriculture and the level of government support.

The global energy problem is the problem of providing humanity with fuel and energy now and in the foreseeable future. The main reason for the global energy problem should be considered the rapid increase in the consumption of mineral fuels in the 20th century. While developed countries are now solving this problem primarily by slowing the growth of their demand by reducing energy intensity, in other countries there is a relatively rapid increase in energy consumption. Added to this may be growing competition in the global energy market between developed countries and newly large industrialized countries (China, India, Brazil). All these circumstances, combined with military and political instability in some regions, can cause significant fluctuations in the level of world prices for energy resources and seriously affect the dynamics of supply and demand, as well as the production and consumption of energy goods, sometimes creating crisis situations.

The ecological potential of the world economy is increasingly undermined by human economic activity. The answer to this was the concept of environmentally sustainable development. It involves the development of all countries of the world, taking into account current needs, but not undermining the interests of future generations.

Environmental protection is an important part of development. In the 70s 20th century economists realized the importance of environmental issues for economic development. Processes of environmental degradation can be self-replicating, which threatens society with irreversible destruction and resource depletion.

The global demographic problem is divided into two aspects: the population explosion in a number of countries and regions of the developing world and the demographic aging of the population of developed and transition countries. For the former, the solution is to increase economic growth and reduce population growth. For the second - emigration and reform of the pension system.

Relationship between population growth and economic growth long time is the subject of research by economists. As a result of research, two approaches to assessing the impact of population growth on economic development have been developed. The first approach is, to one degree or another, associated with the theory of Malthus, who believed that population growth is faster than food growth and therefore the world population is inevitably becoming poorer. Modern approach to assess the role of population on the economy is comprehensive and identifies both positive and negative factors in the impact of population growth on economic growth.

Many experts believe that the real problem is not population growth per se, but the following problems:

• - underdevelopment - retardation in development;
• - depletion of world resources and destruction of the environment.

The problem of human development is the problem of matching the qualitative characteristics of the workforce with the character modern economy. In the conditions of post-industrialization, the requirements for the physical qualities and especially for the education of the worker increase, including his ability to constantly improve his skills. However, the development of the qualitative characteristics of the labor force in the world economy is extremely uneven. The worst indicators in this regard are demonstrated by developing countries, which, however, act as the main source of replenishment of the world labor force. This is what determines the global nature of the problem of human development.

Increasing globalization, interdependence and the reduction of time and spatial barriers create a situation of collective insecurity from various threats, from which a person cannot always be saved by his state. This requires the creation of conditions that enhance a person’s ability to independently withstand risks and threats.

The problem of the World Ocean is the problem of conservation and rational use of its spaces and resources. Currently, the World Ocean as a closed ecological system can hardly withstand the many times increased anthropogenic load, and a real threat of its destruction is created. Therefore, the global problem of the World Ocean is, first of all, the problem of its survival and, consequently, the survival of modern man.

Solving these problems is an urgent task for all of humanity today. The survival of people depends on when and how they begin to be resolved. The following ways to solve global problems of our time are identified.

• - Prevention of world war with the use of thermonuclear weapons and other means of mass destruction that threaten the death of civilization. This involves curbing the arms race, prohibiting the creation and use of weapons systems of mass destruction, human and material resources, the elimination of nuclear weapons, etc.;
• - Overcoming economic and cultural inequality between the peoples inhabiting the industrialized countries of the West and East and the developing countries of Asia, Africa and Latin America;
• - Overcoming the crisis state of interaction between humanity and nature, which is characterized by catastrophic consequences in the form of unprecedented environmental pollution and depletion of natural resources. This makes it necessary to develop measures aimed at the economical use of natural resources and the reduction of pollution of soil, water and air by waste from material production;
• - Reducing the rate of population growth in developing countries and overcoming the demographic crisis in developed capitalist countries;
• - Preventing the negative consequences of the modern scientific and technological revolution;
• - Overcoming the downward trend in social health, which involves combating alcoholism, drug addiction, cancer, AIDS, tuberculosis and other diseases.

GLOBAL PROBLEMS OF HUMANITY

1. The era of global problems .

Humanity is approaching the turn of two centuries. What will the coming world be like??

The growing role of world politics and international relations, interconnectedness and scale of global processes in the economic, political, social and cultural life, inclusion in international life and communication all large masses population - all these are objective prerequisites for the emergence of global, planetary problems. Of the variety of global problems, the following stand out:: preventing global nuclear conflict and reducing the arms race, overcoming the socio-economic backwardness of developing countries, energy and raw materials, demographic, food problems, environmental protection, ocean exploration and peaceful space exploration, elimination of dangerous diseases. The listed problems are global, as they threaten the life of humanity on Earth.

Factors contributing to the emergence and aggravation of global problems (hereinafter referred to as GPs) were:

- sharp increase in natural resource consumption

- negative anthropogenic impact on the natural environment, deterioration of environmental living conditions of people

- increasing unevenness in levels of socio-economic development between industrialized and developing countries

- creation of weapons of mass destruction.

Let us note the features inherent in GP:

- global scale of manifestation

- severity of manifestation

- complex nature

- universal human essence

- feature of predetermining the course of further human history

- the possibility of solving them through the efforts of the entire world community.

Already now there is a threat of irreversible changes in the ecological properties of the geoenvironment, a threat of violation of the emerging integrity of the world community and a threat of self-destruction of civilization.

It's time to remember that our World is ONE.

2. Preservation of peace.

An exceptional place among humanity's main goals is occupied by the problem of preserving peace, preventing world wars and nuclear conflict. The accumulated stockpiles of modern weapons are capable of destroying millions of people in a matter of hours. Thus, there is already a risk of destruction of humanity.

Nuclear weapons have not been used in any of the regional conflicts. But with the growing number of candidates for membership“nuclear club” – the threat remains. The proliferation of nuclear weapons can be equated with the loss of control over them.

An integrated approach to disarmament problems would meet the interests of all countries of the world. A new world war, if not prevented, threatens unprecedented disasters.

The best way to prevent nuclear war is to fundamentally change the relationship between the world's major powers. New political thinking embodied in the transition in foreign policy and our country from the principle“ class struggle” to the principle “ universal human values” . This was expressed in the conclusion of Soviet-American treaties, the elimination of Soviet hegemony in Eastern Europe, the reduction of nuclear and conventional weapons, etc.

Unfortunately, recently the United States and NATO countries have taken on the role of “judge of the peace.” This was manifested in the forceful solution to the Iraqi and Balkan conflicts, which led to tension in these regions and threatened the world order.

3.Environmental problem.

In recent years the word“ecology” has gained exceptional popularity.

Scientific achievements XX centuries have created the illusion of almost complete controllability, however, the economic activity of human society, the extensive use of natural resources, the huge scale of waste - all this is in conflict with the capabilities of the planet (its resource potential, fresh water reserves, the ability to self-purify the atmosphere, waters, rivers, seas, oceans ).

Two aspects of the environmental problem are highlighted:

- environmental crises arising as a consequence of natural processes

- crises caused by anthropogenic impact and irrational environmental management.

The advance of glaciers, volcanic eruptions, hurricanes, floods, etc. are natural factors. They are natural on our planet. The solution to these types of problems lies in the ability to predict them.

But other environmental crises also arose. For centuries, man has uncontrollably taken everything that nature gives him and she“takes revenge” on him for every wrong step (Aral Sea, Chernobyl, BAM, Lake Baikal).

The main problem is the inability of the planet to cope with the waste of human activity, with the function of self-cleaning and repair. The biosphere is being destroyed. Therefore, there is a great risk of self-destruction of humanity as a result of its own life activity.

Nature is influenced by society in the following ways:

- use of environmental components as a resource base for production

- impact of human production activities on the environment

- demographic pressure is not nature (agricultural land use, population growth, growth of large cities).

Many global problems of humanity are intertwined here - resource, food, demographic - they all have access to environmental issues. But it also has a great influence on these problems of humanity.

The current situation on the planet is characterized by a sharp deterioration in the quality of the environment - pollution of air, rivers, lakes, seas, the unification and even complete disappearance of many species of flora and fauna, soil degradation, desertification, etc. The adverse effects of human activity have spread to the biosphere, atmosphere, hydrosphere , lithosphere. This conflict creates the threat of irreversible changes in natural systems, undermining the natural conditions and resources of existence of generations of the planet's inhabitants. The growth of the productive forces of society, population growth, urbanization, scientific and technological progress are catalysts for these processes.

Even the global warming trend is associated with air pollution.

Carbon dioxide allows the radiant energy of the Sun to pass through, but traps the Earth's thermal radiation and thereby creates a “greenhouse effect.” The content of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere is increasing (as a result of deforestation, burning of forests, due to its pollution by industrial waste and exhaust gases. Emissions of chlorofluorocarbons also contribute to climate warming. The influence of human civilization on the Earth’s climate is a sad reality. The greenhouse effect disrupts the planet’s climate, changing such important quantities such as precipitation, wind directions, cloud layers, ocean currents and the size of the polar ice caps. The level of the world's oceans may rise, causing problems for island countries.

There are forecasts about the impact of global climate warming on certain areas of the Earth. But no one knows exactly what the consequences may be on a global scale.

An assessment of the scientific evidence and possible course of action for the global community on this issue is needed.

The most important component of the atmosphere, influencing the climate, protecting all life on Earth from the radiation of the Sun, is the ozone layer. Ozone in the atmosphere absorbs hard ultraviolet radiation. Oxides of nitrogen, heavy metals, fluorine, chlorine, and bromine play an active role in the processes of formation and destruction of ozone.

Observations from artificial satellites have shown a decrease in ozone levels. Scientists associate an increase in the intensity of ultraviolet radiation with an increase in eye diseases and cancer, and the occurrence of mutations. People, the world's oceans, climate, flora and fauna were under attack.

It is impossible not to note the impact on the ecology of radioactive pollution of the environment (nuclear energy, nuclear weapons testing). After the accident at the Chernobyl nuclear power plant, directly opposite opinions are expressed: some are for further development, others - for the liquidation of all nuclear power plants and the cessation of construction of new ones. But their existence in the coming years - objective reality. Thermonuclear fusion, according to the IAEA, is a method of producing energy that is potentially acceptable from the point of view of ecology, safety and economics and can in the future provide the whole world with the necessary amount of energy.

The severity of the socio-ecological situation in developing countries has led to the emergence of the “third world” phenomenon. It is characterized by:

· natural uniqueness of the tropical zone

· traditional orientation of development, which objectively leads to increased pressure on the biosphere (rapid population growth, traditional agriculture, etc.);

· interconnection and interdependence of different regions of the world (transfer of pollution);

· the underdevelopment of these countries, dependence on the former metropolises.

If for industrialized countries environmental problems are of an “industrial nature,” then for developing countries they involve the reuse of natural resources (forests, soils, and other natural resources). In other words, if developed countries suffer from their “wealth,” then developing countries suffer from “poverty.”

Developing countries accuse the developed world of unwillingness to admit responsibility for environmental pollution, the expansion of the ozone hole, the greenhouse effect, etc. They believe that economically developed countries must take the lead in global action to prevent environmental disaster. Most likely, the world community will make a compromise decision. But will they be implemented?

Trees and soils are critical to the global oxygen and carbon cycle. This is especially important in connection with the possibility of climate change due to increased levels of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere.

The expanding needs of society accelerated, starting from the 16th century, the clearing of forests into Western Europe. However, at present, the area of ​​forests in temperate latitudes is not decreasing, but is even increasing as a result of reforestation work.

In third world countries the picture is different. Wet soils are being destroyed at an unprecedented rate rainforests, and it is these forests that are often called “the lungs of the Planet.” Among the main reasons for deforestation in developing countries are the following: the traditional slash-and-burn farming system, the use of wood as fuel, and cutting for export. Tropical rainforests are being cut down ten times faster than their natural regeneration rate. The catastrophic decline in forests in Southeast Asia could lead to their complete destruction in 15-20 years.

Due to the very important importance of tropical rainforests, their destruction is a major economic disaster for the entire planet. It will be expressed in a reduction in oxygen supply and an increase in carbon dioxide content, the destruction of many species of plants and animals.

In terms of the speed of destruction processes and territorial distribution, deforestation in mountainous areas has very serious consequences. This leads to high-mountain desertification.

Now the process of desertification, originating locally, has assumed a global scale.

According to climate data, deserts and semi-deserts occupy more than a third of the land surface and over 15% of the world's population live in this territory. Only as a result of human economic activity over the past 25 years, more than 9 million square kilometers of deserts have appeared.

The main causes of desertification include the destruction of sparse vegetation due to excessive grazing, plowing of pastures, cutting down trees and shrubs for fuel, industrial and road construction, etc. Added to these processes are wind erosion, drying out of the upper soil horizons, and droughts.

All this leads to a decrease in productive land in the “third world” countries, and it is in these countries that the largest population growth is observed, i.e. the need for food increases.

Soon, not ideological, but environmental problems will be in the foreground throughout the world; not relations between nations, but relations between nations and nature will dominate. There is an urgent need for a person to change his attitude towards the environment and his ideas about safety. Global military spending is about one trillion a year. At the same time, there are no means to monitor global climate change, survey the ecosystems of disappearing tropical rainforests and expanding deserts. Governments continue to view security only from a military perspective. And although there is still the possibility of unleashing a nuclear war, the concept of security must also include concern for the environment.

The natural way of survival is to maximize the strategy of frugality in relation to the outside world. All members of the world community must participate in this process.

The ecological revolution will win when people are able to reassess values, look at themselves as not an integral part of nature, on which their future and the future of their descendants depends.

4. Demographic problem.

Population development is the only type of development in which the means coincide with the end. The goal is the improvement of man and the improvement of his quality of life, the means are man himself as the basis of economic development. Demographic development is not only population growth, it includes issues of environmental management, population growth relative to territories and its natural resource basis (demographic pressure factor, state and quality of the natural environment, ethnic problems, etc.).

When talking about the causes of overpopulation, one can focus on the extraordinary size of the population, or one can focus on the insufficiently high level of development of the productive forces. The second reason is currently the leading one.

The population of our planet is more than 5.5 billion people and is growing very quickly. Over the next 10 years, the world's population will increase by another billion. More than half of the world's population is concentrated in Asia - 60%. Over 90% of the total population growth occurs in less developed regions and countries, and these countries will maintain high growth rates in the future.

Most economically developed countries with a higher standard of living and culture of the population are characterized by a lower birth rate, which is explained by many reasons, including later completion of their education and formation of a family. In the least developed countries, the trend towards lower fertility levels is increasingly evident, but in general the traditionally high level remains.

In our time, the consequences of population growth have become so urgent that they have received the status of a global problem. It is population that is considered by many as one of the factors threatening the very survival of civilization, because Taking into account the growth in consumption of natural resources, technical and energy equipment, population pressure on the territory will continuously increase.

It should be borne in mind that the socio-demographic situation in the developed and developing world is diametrically opposed (the term is a demographically divided world).

Only 5% of world population growth occurs in economically developed countries, most of which are in the northern hemisphere. This increase is due to a decrease in mortality rates and an increase in life expectancy. The birth rate in most economically developed countries is already insufficient even to ensure simple reproduction of the population.

At least 95% of the world population growth in the coming years will occur in developing countries in Asia, Africa, and Latin America. The dynamic growth of the population of these countries is one of the most important socio-economic problems of global importance. It received the loud name “demographic explosion” and successfully emphasizes the essence of the process of population reproduction in these countries - its emergence from the control of society.

Currently, almost all territories with more or less favorable living and farming conditions have been populated and developed. Moreover, about 75% of the population is concentrated on 8% of the earth's territory. This causes enormous “population pressure” in the area, especially where economic activity has been carried out for thousands of years. Regardless of the nature of the technology used, the level of consumption or waste, the extent of poverty or inequality, a larger population has a greater impact on the environment.

The progress of technology and technology, the development of transport, and the need to create new resource areas cause the movement of people into areas with extreme natural conditions (taiga, tundra, etc.). Given the fragility of ecological systems in extreme areas, these pressures lead to increasing destruction of the natural environment. Due to the integrity of the entire nature of the world, environmental stress of global significance arises.

“Demographic pressure” not only complicates the food or environmental situation, but also has a negative impact on the development process. For example, rapid population growth does not allow stabilizing the problem of unemployment and makes it difficult to solve problems of education, health care, etc. In other words, any socio-economic problem also includes a demographic one.

The modern world is becoming increasingly urbanized. In the near future, more than 50% of humanity will live in cities.

In developed capitalist countries, the share of the urban population reaches 80%; the largest agglomerations and megacities are located here. This is how the urban crisis manifests itself, when the concentration of industry and road transport sharply worsens the environmental situation.

Urbanization is organically linked to most global problems. Cities, due to the particularly high territorial concentration of population and economy in them, also concentrated the bulk of the military-economic potential. They are also possible targets of nuclear and conventional weapons.

Cities are the largest centers of consumption of all natural resources, which is associated with the global problem of resource consumption. In addition, the continuous expansion of cities leads to the consumption of valuable land, especially in developing countries.

Thus, urbanization at the turn of the third millennium remains one of the important global processes.

5. Energy and raw materials problem.

Changes in the biosphere as a result of human activity are rapid. During the 20th century, more minerals were extracted from the depths than in the entire history of civilization.

The distribution of natural resources around the planet is characterized by extreme unevenness. This is explained by differences in climatic and tectonic processes on earth, and different conditions for the formation of minerals in past geological eras.

Until the beginning of the twentieth century, the main energy resource was wood, then coal. It was replaced by the production and consumption of other types of fuel - oil and gas. The era of oil gave impetus to intensive economic development, which in turn required an increase in the production and consumption of fossil fuels. Every 13 years, energy needs doubled. Global fuel equivalent reserves are composed primarily of coal reserves (60%), oil and gas (27%). In total world production, the picture is different - coal accounts for more than 30%, and oil and gas - more than 67%. If we follow the forecasts of optimists, then the world's oil reserves should be sufficient for 2-3 centuries. Pessimists believe that existing oil reserves can meet the needs of civilization for only a few decades.

Of course, these figures are provisional. However, one conclusion suggests itself: it is necessary to take into account the limited nature of natural resources, and, moreover, an increase in mineral extraction also results in environmental problems.

The use of energy resources is one of the indicators of the level of development of civilization. Energy consumption by developed countries significantly exceeds the corresponding indicators of countries in the developing world. The top 10 industrialized countries alone consume 70% of the world's total energy output.

Most developing countries do not have large oil reserves and are dependent on this natural resource. in the least developed countries, the needs for energy resources are covered by firewood and other types of biomass. As a result, the energy situation for many third world countries is turning into complex problems (including deforestation). “Wood shortage” is a specific form of manifestation of the global energy crisis. The energy crisis itself can be defined as a state of tension that has developed between the energy needs of modern society and the reserves of raw materials for energy. He showed the world the limited reserves of energy sources in nature, as well as the wasteful nature of consumption of the most scarce energy resources.

Thanks to the energy crisis, the world economy transitioned from an extensive path of development to an intensive one, the energy and raw material intensity of the world economy decreased, and its provision with fuel and mineral resources(thanks to the development of new deposits, it even began to increase).

In the system of international division of labor, developed countries are the main consumers of raw materials, and developing countries are producers, which is determined both by the level of their economic development and the location of mineral resources on earth.

Resource availability is the relationship between the amount of reserves of natural resources and the amount of their use.

The level of resource supply is determined by the potential of the country’s own resource base, as well as other facts, for example, political and military-strategic considerations, the international division of labor, etc.

However, the example of Japan, Italy and other countries shows that the presence or absence of its own raw material resources in the conditions of the modern world economy is not a decisive factor in the development of a country. It is often in countries with a rich resource base that resource waste occurs. In addition, resource-rich countries often have low recycling rates.

By the beginning of the 70s, the growth in consumption of raw materials exceeded the increase in its proven reserves, and resource availability decreased. Then the first gloomy forecasts about the imminent depletion of world resources appeared. There has been a transition to rational resource consumption.

Land resources and soil cover are the basis of all living nature. Only 30% of the world's land fund is agricultural land used by humanity for food production, the rest is mountains, deserts, glaciers, swamps, forests, etc.

Throughout the history of civilization, population growth has been accompanied by an expansion of cultivated land. Over the past 100 years, more land has been cleared for settled agriculture than in all previous centuries.

Now there is practically no land left in the world for agricultural development, only forests and extreme areas. Moreover, in many countries of the world land resources rapidly decreasing (growth of cities, industry, etc.).

And if in developed countries the increase in crop yields and agricultural productivity compensates for the loss of land, then in developing countries the picture is the opposite. This puts excess pressure on soils in many densely populated areas of the developing world. Up to half of the world's arable land is used to the point of exhaustion, exceeding reasonable loads.

Another aspect of the problem of providing land resources is soil degradation. Soil erosion and drought have long been the problem of farmers, and destroyed soil is restored very slowly. Under natural conditions, this takes hundreds of years.

Every year, due to erosion alone, 7 million hectares of land fall out of agricultural use, and due to waterlogging - salinization, leaching - another 1.5 million hectares. And although erosion is natural geological process, in recent years it has clearly intensified, often due to imprudent human economic activity.

Desertification is also not a new process, but it, like erosion, has accelerated in recent times.

The rapid growth of the population of developing countries aggravates many processes, increasing the load on the planet's land background. The reduction of land resources in developing countries, caused by natural, socio-economic factors, underlies political and ethnic conflicts. Land degradation is a serious problem. Combating the decline of land resources is the most important task for humanity.

On our planet, 30% of the territory is occupied by forests. Two forest belts are clearly visible: the northern, with a predominance of coniferous trees, and the southern, tropical rainforests of developing countries.

The largest area of ​​forests remains in Asia and Latin America. The world's forest wealth is great, but not unlimited.

In developed countries of Western Europe and North America, the volume of wood growth exceeds the volume of logging and the resource potential is growing. Most third world countries are characterized by a decrease in the availability of forest resources.

In general, the world's forest resources are declining (by 2 times over the last 200 years). Destruction of forests at such a rate has catastrophic consequences for the whole world: the supply of oxygen is reduced, the greenhouse effect is intensified, and the climate is changing.

For many centuries, the reduction of forest area on the planet has practically not impeded the progress of mankind. But since recently, this process has begun to negatively affect the economic and environmental condition of many countries, especially third world countries. Forest protection and reforestation work are necessary for the continued existence of humanity.

Water is a prerequisite for the existence of all living organisms on earth. Large volumes of water on the planet create the impression of its abundance and inexhaustibility. Long years the development of water resources was carried out practically uncontrolled. There is now not enough water where it does not exist in nature, where it is intensively used, where it has become unsuitable for consumption.

About 60% of the total land area is in areas that do not have sufficient fresh water. A quarter of humanity suffers from a lack of it, and over 500 million people suffer from shortages and poor quality.

Water resources are distributed unevenly across continents. Asia, due to its large population and high population growth rates, is among the most water-poor continents. Many countries in Southwest and South Asia, as well as East Africa, will soon face water shortages, which will not only limit agricultural and industrial development, but may also lead to political conflicts.

The need for fresh water is experienced by the population, industry and agriculture. However, most of the water is the water of the world's oceans, unsuitable not only for drinking, but also for technological needs.

Despite the achievements of modern technology, the problem of reliable water supply for many countries of the world remains unresolved.

The increase in industrial water consumption is associated not only with its rapid development, but also with the increase in water intensity of production. The chemical industry, metallurgy, and paper production require a lot of water.

Global agriculture accounts for about 70% of all global water withdrawals. And now most of the world's farmers use the same irrigation methods as their ancestors did 5,000 years ago. Irrigation systems in third world countries are particularly inefficient.

We can draw the following conclusion: the deficit of fresh water is growing.

The reasons for this are: rapid population growth, increased consumption of fresh water for agriculture and industry, discharge of wastewater and industrial waste, and a decrease in the ability of water bodies to self-purify.

The limited, uneven distribution of freshwater resources and growing water pollution are one of the components of humanity’s global resource problem.

The ocean occupies most of the earth's surface - 70%. It supplies half of the oxygen in the air and 20% of the protein food of humanity. Property sea ​​water– thermal generation, circulation of currents and atmospheric flows – determine the climate and weather on earth. It is believed that it is the World Ocean that will quench the thirst of humanity. The resource potential of the ocean can in many ways replenish the depleting resources of the land.

So what resources does the World Ocean have?

- Biological resources (fish, zoo- and phytoplankton);

- Huge mineral resources;

- Energy potential (one tidal cycle of the World Ocean is capable of providing humanity with energy - however, for now this is the “potential of the future”);

- The transport significance of the World Ocean is great for the development of world production and exchange;

- The ocean is the receptacle for most of the waste from human economic activity (through the chemical and physical effects of its waters and the biological influence of living organisms, the ocean disperses and purifies the bulk of the waste that enters it, maintaining the relative balance of the earth’s ecosystems);

- The ocean is the main reservoir of the most valuable and increasingly scarce resource - water (the production of which through desalination is increasing every year).

Scientists believe that biological resources there is enough ocean to feed 30 billion people.

Of the biological resources of the ocean, fish is currently primarily used. However, since the 70s, the increase in catch has been falling. In this regard, humanity will seriously think about the fact that the biological resources of the ocean are under threat as a result of their overexploitation.

The main reasons for the depletion of biological resources include:

unsustainable management of global fisheries,

ocean water pollution.

In addition to biological resources, the World Ocean has enormous mineral resources. Almost all elements of the periodic table are present in sea water. The depths of the ocean, its bottom, are rich in iron, manganese, nickel, and cobalt.

Currently, offshore oil and gas production is developing, and the share of offshore production is approaching 1/3 of the world production of these energy resources.

However, along with the exploitation of the rich natural resources of the world's oceans, pollution is also increasing, especially with the increase in oil transportation.

The question on the agenda is: will the ocean turn into a waste dump? 90% of the waste dumped into the seas each year ends up in coastal areas, where it harms fisheries, recreation, etc.

The development of ocean resources and its protection is undoubtedly one of the global problems of humanity. The world ocean determines the face of the biosphere. A healthy ocean means a healthy planet.

6. Food problem.

The task of providing the planet's population with food has long historical roots. Food shortages have accompanied humanity throughout its history.

The food problem is global in nature both due to its humanistic significance and due to its close interconnectedness with challenging task overcoming the socio-economic backwardness of former colonial and dependent states.

The unsatisfactory supply of food to a significant population of developing countries is not only a brake on progress, but also a historical social and political instability in these countries.

The global problem also manifests itself from another side. While some countries suffer from hunger, others are forced to struggle with either surplus food products, or with excessive consumption.

The food problem cannot be approached in isolation from the analysis of other global problems of humanity - war and peace, demographic, energy, environmental.

Thus, it is an urgent, multifaceted problem, the solution of which goes beyond agriculture.

Solving the food problem is associated not only with increasing food production, but also with the development of strategies for the rational use of food resources, which should be based on an understanding of the qualitative and quantitative aspects of human nutritional needs.

Overall, the world's food resources are sufficient to provide satisfactory nutrition for humanity. The global economy has the agricultural resources and technology to feed twice the number of people living on earth. However, food production is not provided where it is needed. Starvation and malnutrition of 20% of the planet's population is the main social content of the food crisis.

The food situation in the world is influenced by: physical and geographical conditions and population distribution, the development of world transport and world trade.

The economic backwardness of most third world countries, expressed in the low level of development of the productive forces of agriculture, in its narrow agricultural and raw materials specialization, poverty and low purchasing power of the bulk of the population.

The weak material and technical base of agriculture, dependence on weather, insufficient use of fertilizers, difficulties in irrigation and land reclamation - all this gives rise to low labor productivity in most developing countries.

Undoubtedly, rapid demographic growth limits the ability to alleviate the tense food situation in the world.

Thus, in Africa alone, in the countries of the arid zone, over the past 30 years, grain production has increased by 20%, and the population has doubled.

The rapidly developing process of urbanization in third world countries has a great influence on the food situation.

The food situation in developing countries is closely intertwined with other problems, many of which are also becoming global. These include: military spending, growing external financial debt, and the energy factor.

7. The problem of socio-economic backwardness of developing countries.

The “Third World” is a very conventional community of countries in Asia, Africa, Latin America and Oceania, which in the past constituted the colonial and semi-colonial periphery of developed capitalist countries.

For this group of countries, the emergence and aggravation of global problems has its own specifics, resulting from the peculiarities of the development of their culture and economy.

These countries, although they have gained political independence, continue to experience the consequences of their colonial past.

On the one hand, most of the world's population is concentrated in developing countries; significant reserves of the world's natural resources are concentrated on their territory. On the other hand, the Third World countries produce a little more than 18% of the world's national product, and a significant part of their population does not have an income level corresponding to the standards of the developed world.

The rapid growth of financial debt of the Third World countries by the beginning of the 90s. exceeded $1 trillion. Every year, developing countries pay in debt interest alone amounts that are three times greater than the aid they receive.

In general, most developing countries have the following characteristics: an extremely low level of development of the productive forces, the unevenness of their socio-economic and political evolution, the narrow sectoral composition of the economy, the leading importance of mineral resource industries, the crisis state of agriculture and the severity of the food problem, rapid population growth , hyperurbanization, illiteracy, poverty, etc.

However, all types of societies existing in the world are interconnected by a system of political, economic and cultural relations. The world we live in is one. And a certain group of countries cannot develop, follow the path of progress, while other states are experiencing increasing economic pressure.

The deteriorating economic situation of developing countries undoubtedly affects the entire world community: where there are glaring differences in living standards different nations, global stability is impossible. This is the understanding of the importance of the problem of socio-economic backwardness of developing countries.

Solving the economic problems of developing countries is extremely complicated by the exceptionally high rates of annual population growth. The continuing “demographic explosion” largely determines the shift of the center of gravity of the main problems to the “third world” countries.

Scientists come to the conclusion that there is a complex system of relationships between population growth and the problems of hunger, housing, unemployment, and inflation. Rapid population growth is only one of the reasons for the worsening food situation.

The role of agriculture in the economies of developing countries is large and diverse. Despite the general trend of its decline in the world, many developing countries still remain agricultural in economic structure. Agriculture provides employment to the population, provides them with a means of subsistence, and ensures the flow of foreign currency through the export of agricultural products. But despite the rural orientation of many developing countries, they do not provide themselves with the necessary food.

Large external debt and interest payments on external debt also deprive developing countries of the opportunity to modernize agriculture.

In connection with the above, we can conclude that the main reason for hunger and food shortages in developing countries lies not in natural disasters, but in the economic backwardness of these countries and the neocolonial policies of the West.

Research over the last twenty years and social practice have shown that the epicenter of the global environmental problem is gradually moving to developing regions that are on the verge of an environmental crisis.

Dangerous changes in the environment of developing countries include continued urban growth, degradation of land and water resources, intensive deforestation, desertification, and increasing natural disasters.

It is expected that by the end of the 90s, dangerous changes will reach critical proportions, affecting also developed countries. But if developed countries have long been studying the permissible limits of impact on nature, the possible consequences of its violation and taking measures, then developing countries are busy with something completely different, because exist below the poverty level, and environmental protection costs seem to them an unaffordable luxury.

Such a contradiction in approaches can lead to a significant deterioration of the environmental situation on the planet.

Continuing further to characterize the reasons that aggravate the socio-economic backwardness of developing countries, it is necessary to note the increase in military spending. Many Third World countries are infected with the virus of militarization. Between the early 1960s and 1985, their military spending overall increased 5-fold.

Often, the cost of importing weapons and military equipment exceeds the cost of importing food products, including grain.

In addition to its economic significance, militarization has important political significance. As the war machine grows, it increasingly arrogates power to itself. At the same time, the country’s development often tilts towards further militarization of the economy.

Thus, we are witnessing the emergence of a vicious circle when political contradictions lead to an increase in military spending, which, in turn, reduces military-political stability in certain regions and throughout the world.

All the above data characterize the countries of the “third world” as a pole of underdevelopment in the modern world. The crisis phenomena in the economies of these countries turned out to be so deep and large-scale that in an interconnected and interdependent world, overcoming them is considered by the world community as one of the global problems.

Currently, everyone is aware of the fact that it is no longer possible not to take into account the processes occurring in the “third world”, where more than half of the world’s population lives.

To summarize, it becomes clear that global problems are the result of the enormous scale of human activity, radically changing nature, society, people's way of life, as well as man's inability to rationally manage this powerful force.

We see that there are a large number of problems that threaten all life on Earth. The main thing, however, is not the completeness of the list of these problems, but in understanding the reasons for their occurrence, their nature and, most importantly, in identifying effective ways and means of resolving them.

Global problems, in my opinion, require enormous attention, their understanding and immediate solutions, otherwise not solving them can result in a disaster. As a resident of planet Earth, I cannot help but be concerned about the global problems of humanity, because I want to breathe clean air, eat healthy food, live in peace and communicate with smart, educated people.

It is not difficult to understand what awaits us if we do not pay due attention to these problems. Then the entire civilization will suffer. This danger worries me not only; many people are already trumpeting all over the planet about problems in all spheres of life. Special organizations are being created to develop solutions and overcome emerging dangers to all living things.

The disease of civilization can only be cured through the common efforts of the peoples of the Earth. One can hope that international solidarity and a growing sense of belonging to a single human community will force a search for solutions to the GP.

LIST OF REFERENCES USED

1. Global ecological problem. M.: Mysl, 1988.

2. Global problems of geographical science. M.: Central Council of Philosophical Seminars under the Presidium of the USSR Academy of Sciences. 1988.

3. The global food problem: a geographical analysis. M.: VINITI, 1992.

4. Global problems of our time: regional aspects. M.: VNIISI, 1998.

5. Earth and humanity. Global problems. Series "Countries and Peoples". M.: Mysl, 1985.

6. Kitanovich B. Planet and civilization are in danger. M.: Mysl, 1991.

7. Rodionova I.A. Global problems of humanity. Program “Renewal of Humanitarian Education in Russia”. M.: 1994.

Abstract on

Social studies

On the topic:

“ GLOBAL PROBLEMS OF HUMANITY ”

student10 class“ B” school number 1257

Stepanov Nikolai