Unspolit land totalling an area larger than North America is likely to be damaged by human activity in the next 30 years, according to a new United Nations Environment Programme's (unep) report on the degradation of global environment. The report, Global Environment Outlook-3, predicts that by the year 2032, more than 70 per cent of the Earth's land surface is likely to be destroyed, fragmented or disturbed by cities and infrastructure like roads and mines. The report states that the environment has been steadily degrading, especially in developing world. In future, the hardest hit region would be Latin America and the Caribbean, home to four of the top 10 megacities, where more than 80 per cent of the land will be damaged by 2032. The report concludes that the worst effects of environmental degradation can be avoided if immediate action is taken. "We should muster courage to implement the numerous agreements meant to protect the environment," says UNEP executive director Klaus Topfer.
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