1999 saw the problem exacerbated by the conflict in Kosovo. Africa is the only continent on which poverty is expected to rise during the next century. 500 million hectares of land have been affected by soil degradation since about 1950. The strongest demonstration of what unified environmental action can achieve is the global community's success in controlling damage to the ozone layer. As a direct result of this effort, the ozone layer is expected to recover to pre-1980 levels by the year 2050.
Urban noise is a problem in Europe.
Around 10 million people are exposed to environmental noise levels that may cause hearing loss. These forests are on the edge of the rainfall regime that is necessary for them to resist fire. North Americans use more per capita energy and resources than any other region. Average fuel use in 1995 was five times as high as in Europe. 1.2 billion barrels of oil are spilled into the Persian Gulf annually.