Impact of Population Explosion on Environment

Impact of Population Explosion on Environment Introduction Approximately 6.6 billion humans now inhabit the Earth. Notably, the human population has grown nearly ten-fold over the past three centuries and has increased by a factor of four in the last century. This monumental historical development has profoundly changed the relationship of our species to its natural support systems and has greatly intensified our environmental impact. Population Explosion is a condition where an organism's numbers exceed the carrying capacity of its habitat. The world’s population has significantly increased in the last 50 years, mainly due to medical advancements and substantial increases in agricultural productivity. The recent rapid increase in human population over the past two centuries has raised concerns that humans are beginning to overpopulate the Earth, and that the planet may not be able to sustain present or larger numbers of inhabitants. The scientific consensus is that the current population expansion and accompanying increase in usage of resources is linked to threats to the ecosystem. Many environmental problems, such as rising levels of atmospheric carbon dioxide, global warming, and pollution, were aggravated by the population expansion. •

The world is at its highest population ever.

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The rate of growth is more than 75% higher in less developed countries than that of more developed countries.

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Our average life span is higher than that of our ancestors.

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The number of young people is at an all-time high.

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The population has a great impact on our environment, economic development, health issues and more.

Each of our lives is tied to the Earth and the resources it provides us. The water (and other beverages) you drink, the food you eat, the air you breathe, energy powering our homes and schools, gas for cars and school buses - it's all part of nature's resources. Now let's think about the numbers. We're at our highest population ever and growing. We're living longer than ever before. The number of people under the age of 25 is at an all-time high. This all adds up to more and more people on Earth, using the resources it has to offer. People are living without running water. Others are living without access to safe drinking water. And not all of these people are living in less developed countries. Imagine walking several miles to collect water for your family, only to become ill from it. Water supplies are often contaminated. In fact, millions die each year because of contaminated water. People living in developed countries like ours use resources much faster than we can replenish them. Think about deforestation, water shortages, and water and air pollution. Every time we build a new neighborhood or a new shopping center -- that has an impact. While it is providing needed shelter and access to foodstuffs and other materials, it's also taking its toll on the local environment. And this toll has a larger affect, worldwide. As we deplete our resources here in the United States, we look to other countries and their lands for more resources. Effects of human overpopulation Some problems associated with or exacerbated by human overpopulation: Inadequate fresh water for drinking water use as well as sewage treatment and effluent discharge. Depletion of natural resources, especially fossil fuels Increased levels of air pollution, water pollution, soil contamination and noise pollution. Once a country has industrialized and become wealthy, a combination of

government regulation and technological innovation causes pollution to decline substantially, even as the population continues to grow. Deforestation and loss of ecosystems that sustain global atmospheric oxygen and carbon dioxide balance; about eight million hectares of forest are lost each year. Changes in atmospheric composition and consequent global warming Irreversible loss of arable land and increases in desertification: Deforestation and desertification can be reversed by adopting property rights, and this policy is successful even while the human population continues to grow. Mass species extinctions from reduced habitat in tropical forests due to slash-and-burn techniques that sometimes are practiced by shifting cultivators, especially in countries with rapidly expanding rural populations; present extinction rates may be as high as 140,000 species lost per year. High infant and child mortality. High rates of infant mortality are caused by poverty. Rich countries with high population densities have low rates of infant mortality. Intensive factory farming to support large populations. It results in human threats including the evolution and spread of antibiotic resistant bacteria diseases, excessive air and water pollution, and new virus that infect humans. Increased chance of the emergence of new epidemics and pandemics For many environmental and social reasons, including overcrowded living conditions, malnutrition and inadequate, inaccessible, or non-existent health care, the poor are more likely to be exposed to infectious diseases. Starvation, malnutrition or poor diet with ill health and diet-deficiency diseases (e.g. rickets). However, rich countries with high population densities do not have famine.[185] Poverty coupled with inflation in some regions and a resulting low level of capital formation. Poverty and inflation are aggravated by bad government and bad economic

policies. Many countries with high population densities have eliminated absolute poverty and keep their inflation rates very low. Low life expectancy in countries with fastest growing populations Unhygienic living conditions for many based upon water resource depletion, discharge of raw sewage and solid waste disposal. Elevated crime rate due to drug cartels and increased theft by people stealing resources to survive Conflict over scarce resources and crowding, leading to increased levels of warfare Less Personal Freedom / More Restrictive Laws. Laws regulate interactions between humans. Law "serves as a primary social mediator of relations between people." The higher the population density, the more frequent such interactions become, and thus there develops a need for more laws and/or more restrictive laws to regulate these interactions. Population explosion and growing needs A jump in the number of vehicles and their increased use causes traffic jams and puts pressure on the transport system. The time taken to reach from one place to the other varies in a day due to these traffic jams. Ttrees are ruthlessly cut down either o increase the road size or to build hoses. Shortage of water is leading to the depending of bore wells exhausting our groundwater resources. Similarly, the living areas (which are called the habitats) of different living species get affected as human population increases alarmingly. This is because growing population has growing needs; needs of food, housing, clothing, other social and economic needs and so on. You will notice that while the density of population living in an area is on the

rise, there is no increase in open space. It is in this context that the cities and villages are extending beyond their known borders to accommodate the growing population. Family income and size The sizes of families with low levels of income differ greatly from those with levels of income. In earlier times, the poor considered more number of children as an insurance against death. The rich thought that any children would mean more visions of property, which would bring down the average income. So, they had smaller families. Growth in learning The number of children of school and collage –gong ages has increased ten-fold in the last few decades, requiring establishment of many more schools and collages. As the number of students increasing in a school or collage more classrooms are needed. This leaves no places for other amenities like playgrounds, urinals and lavatories. Geometric growth in population has pushed our country into population explosion leading to number of serious consequences. Some of them are: •

Decreased availability of food and clothing.

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Decreased per capita food availability despite phenomenal increase in their production.

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Decreased per capita GMP and reduced standard of living due to ever increasing population.

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Increased pressure on resources like land, water, natural forests, animals etc. leading to many far reaching effects like o Fragmentation of land below the economic level. o Acute shortage of drinking and irrigation water. o Denudation of forest (Deforestation) to increase the area under agriculture. o Pollution of water, land, food materials etc.

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Urbanistaion beyond a healthy developmental limit as more rural people shift to towns / cities in search of better work / earning. Urbanization has led to may problems such as o Increased housing problems in cities / towns. o Very high vehicular movement in cities / towns leading to accidents, pollution, etc. o Serious problem connected to vast urban waste generation and its disposal. o Serious drinking water shortages. o Unending demands for civic amenities like roads, transport, markets, etc.

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Unemployment problems of serious dimension both in urban and rural areas leading to reduced per capita earning, poverty, etc.

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Hunger deaths - because of reduced per capita food availability and poor distribution of food.

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Acute shortage of medical facilities including qualified doctors, medicines, dispensaries, modern health care facilities etc - due to high population.

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Shortage of education facilities including schools, colleges, qualified teachers.

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Serious shortage of power and problems connected with its distribution.

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Increased inflation.

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Increased borrowings from international organisations.

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Reduced care of young ones leading to increased child health problems as well as vulnerability of children to many diseases.

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Reduced health care to mothers.

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Difficulties encountered in implementation of all national and state developmental programmes.

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Increased government expenditure.

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Increased density of population.

In India, the over population has engulfed almost all our achievements in industrial growth, agricultural production, supporting services like medical care, housing, transport, education, banking etc. It has put serious pressures on every sector of our economy and

every section of society. Almost all our national problems can be traced back to have their roots in overgrowing population. At global level, China and India are facing overpopulation issues of highest magnitude. But rate of growth of population has reduced in China substantially in recent years. In India, the rate of growth of population has reduced in some states - while in others it is yet to be reduced. However, rate of growth may not be the only yard stick to evaluate overpopulation. Total available population and density of population are important features to decide whether rate of increase in population really affects the country's progress. For E.g., in many African countries like Madagascar, Mozambique, Somalia, Zambia, Angola, Chad, Gabon, Botswana, Namibia, the growth rate is double than that in India. Population Pressure: The force exerted by a growing population upon its environment, resulting in dispersal or reduction of the population. The major impact of human population on the environment is that more and more land must be converted to agricultural purposes. This severely limits the habitat and food sources available to animals, and any "weeds" (native plants) are often kept out of agricultural fields with chemical herbicides. Cities and roads usually entail paving over otherwise arable land, too. Population and the Environment: The Global Challenge: As the century begins, natural resources are under increasing pressure, threatening public health and development. Water shortages, soil exhaustion, loss of forests, air and water pollution, and degradation of coastlines afflict many areas. As the world’s population grows, improving living standards without destroying the environment is a global challenge. Most developed economies currently consume resources much faster than they can regenerate. Most developing countries with rapid population growth face the urgent need to improve living standards. As we humans exploit nature to meet present needs, are we destroying resources needed for the future?.

Forests: Nearly half of the world’s original forest cover has been lost, and each year another 16 million hectares are cut, bulldozed, or burned. Forests provide over US$400 billion to the world economy annually and are vital to maintaining healthy ecosystems. Yet, current demand for forest products may exceed the limit of sustainable consumption by 25%. Food supply: Will there be enough food to go around? In 64 of 105 developing countries studied by the UN Food and Agriculture Organization, the population has been growing faster than food supplies. Population pressures have degraded some 2 billion hectares of arable land — an area the size of Canada and the U.S. Biodiversity: The earth’s biological diversity is crucial to the continued vitality of agriculture and medicine — and perhaps even to life on earth itself. Yet human activities are pushing many thousands of plant and animal species into extinction. Two of every three species is estimated to be in decline. Global climate change: The earth’s surface is warming due to greenhouse gas emissions, largely from burning fossil fuels. If the global temperature rises as projected, sea levels would rise by several meters, causing widespread flooding. Global warming also could cause droughts and disrupt agriculture. Conclusion: If every country made a commitment to population stabilization and resource conservation, the world would be better able to meet the challenges of sustainable development. Practicing sustainable development requires a combination of wise public investment, effective natural resource management, cleaner agricultural and industrial technologies, less pollution, and slower population growth.