The Libyan population could increase from 5.3 million to 8 million in 2030, according to a survey conducted by the Libyan urban planning Office published by the Libyan paper “Oya” in its Wednesday issue.
To meet the needs of the populations at this date, it will be necessary, according to the survey, to build a broad-based environmental and social infrastructure and create 1.6 million jobs.
The findings of the survey, conducted in collaboration with the United Nations Programme for Human Settlements (UN-Habitat), highlighted that the exported products, mainly oil, supported the growth of the Libyan economy, adding that although oil, the country’s main foreign currency earner, only provided a small number of jobs for Libyans.
Oil products represent 90 per cent of total local production while hydrocarbon products account for 95 per cent of exports.
The survey higlighted that Libya’s landmass is about 1.8 million square kilometr es with a coastline of 2,000 kilometres on the Mediterranean bank, indicating that about 90 per cent of the population live on the coastal strip which presents appropriate natural factors.
About 98.2 per cent of the country’s landmass is desert while the area reserved for agriculture and forests account for 1.7 per cent of the Libyan territory.
According to the survey, agricultural projects are implemented through the big artificial lake project which drains on a daily basis from the Libyan desert, through a network of thousands of giant aquaducts, millions of cubic metres of soft water towards the coastal regions wh ere urban concentrations and agricultural lands can be found.
The document highlights the new liberal orientation of the Libyan economy, namely the privatisation and liberalisation of trade with neighbouring countries, which made it possible to increase the car fleet that reached the figure of 1 million cars in 2003.
The survey also highlights the need to boost productivity in the industry and mining sector to help multiply the number of short-term jobs from 47,966 to 94,603 and provide 25,000 new employment opportunities.
The report demonstrated that Libya laid great interest in religious, social and cultural aspects that are basic factors for the development of human groups and comprise education, health services, religious and cultural affairs in addition to trade and administrative activities that reflect the progress and well-being of society and its development. Panapress .
