In the present day, the population in coastal areas is
equal to the entire global population in the 1950s. Most of
the world's largest cities are located in coastal areas.
Various estimates suggest that the populations of the
world's coastal zones represent approximately 60% of the
total world population (Sorensen, 1993). The world's
population is predicted to reach 8.5 billion by the year
2050 and the growth in coastal areas is estimated to be
disproportionately higher (Fernandes and Read, 1997).