Visualize how your environment will evolve over the next 30 years. It is possible to zoom in a very advanced way on a region, a department, a city and even a district on this map which presents the world in … 2050!
A very interesting interactive map has been published on the Internet, illustrating what our planet will look like in 2050. It includes fascinating details about France, which will also undergo great changes. The creators of this world map developed it from predictions based on existing data regarding the coverage of different terrains and the speed of changes taking place. The project was carried out in collaboration with researchers from the American Clark University, based in Massachusetts.
Thanks to the analysis of numerous models, they managed to estimate how the surface of the Earth will change by 2050. The interest is that it is possible to zoom in a very advanced way on a region, a department, a city and even a district. You can therefore visualize how your environment will evolve over the next 30 years.
If you are interested in the vision of the future of our planet, this interactive map is available on this website. The graphics are clear, and the menu is very easy to use. With a vertical slider, you can quickly compare the Earth’s coverage in 2018 (the creators based their work on this data) with the predictions for 2050. Even though it may seem like only a few decades, you can clearly see that areas like forests or agricultural lands are going to change significantly.
The key to understanding the map is the coloring. Here is what the different colors mean:
- Pink – predominantly agricultural areas
- Yellow – pastures, lawns and bushes
- Light green – areas mostly covered with deciduous forest
- Dark green – coniferous and evergreen forests
- Gray-white – areas where vegetation is sparse
- Beige – areas without vegetation
- Mint Green – often flooded or swampy areas
- Red – urbanized areas or with artificial surfaces.
Changes can be observed in many regions. Thanks to this map, everyone can examine their own region. A look at the coasts, for example, shows that there will be a drastic change in the proportion of green areas. If the predictions come true, in 2050 more agricultural land will replace these areas. Such changes await many regions around the world. The most affected areas will be those that have been least disturbed by humans so far. They will feel not only the consequences of climate change, but also the changes associated with the increase in population and the development of agriculture and technology, which will require new locations.
The map’s creators claim that “understanding how our world has changed so far can give us insight into building a more sustainable and prosperous future.”