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Population growth in coastal areas

Since 11% of the world's land area is comprised of coastal countries, and nearly 50% of the entire population lives in inlets or near water, the rapid increase in population has led in a difficulty to control and manage this population growth. Inadequate protective environmental safeguards have led to the elimination of millions of acres of habitat. If one considers the fact that every new person in an area causes the loss of 2/3 acres of land, due to housing developments, shopping malls, business parks, and new roads, then without effective safeguards for streams and estuary shorelines, the enormous numbers of people who will continue to settle near estuaries may well end up loving them to death.