Hidden Costs of Mega-Cities

A recent study warns that “future crops will face threats… from the massive expansion of cities… By 2030, it’s estimated that urban areas will triple in size, expanding into cropland and undermining the productivity of agricultural systems that are already stressed… Roughly 60% of the world’s cropland lies on the outskirts of cities—and that’s particularly worrying, the report authors say, because this peripheral habitat is, on average, also twice as productive as land elsewhere on the globe” (The Guardian, December 27, 2017. Emphasis ours). One study author noted, “Due to urbanisation in Nigeria, 17% of rice production and 12% of maize production will be hampered… Egypt will lose more than 40% of its rice, and more than 60% of its maize.” The article continued, “In Africa, there will be a 26% continental loss of wheat. Rice is forecast to suffer the most, with a 9% global decline, occurring predominantly in Asia where the bulk of this crop grows.”

In the book of Revelation, God says that Christ will come and “destroy those who destroy the earth” (Revelation 11:18), and these unwise approaches to building cities seem to be doing just that. In addition to environmental costs, modern cities also contribute to physical, mental, and spiritual problems. However, when Jesus Christ returns cities will change forever. For a clearer biblical vision of the future, be sure to read “Cities of Tomorrow.”