These results illustrate the staggering effects of the lack of modern contraception on population growth. Overpopulation is a subject that needs to be addressed. must. Spreading Awareness About Overpopulation. Scientific progress allowed us, from then onward, to overcome diseases that previously could only end in death. As unemployment goes up in an area, so does the crime rate. A prominent example of this strategy was China with its one-child policy. In the United States, the average person uses almost five times more than the sustainable yield of the planet. However, on average, only two survived to adulthood. These Malthusian predictions about out-of-control population growth have resulted in a variety of detrimental global impacts, particularly the emergence of extreme reproductive control measures, which have taken center stage on an international scale. The Demographic Transition In reality, rising birth rates and population booms are components of a four-step process called the demographic transition, which the Earth is currently undergoing. People not only consume more than the planet can offer but also do irreparable damage to the environment (which increases proportionally with the population growth). Thus, education is a huge part of decreasing birth rates in especially overpopulated countries. Better health care. This problem is especially severe in developing countries. A lot of people who survive due to the advancement of medicine live in societies that cannot provide enough resources for a large population. In the long run, unless the problem is solved, huge regions will not be able to afford even basic elements of living. Human overpopulation Problems are not limited to society alone. Your privacy is extremely important to us. Why should also poverty contribute to population growth? In this guide, well dive into all the overpopulation causes, effects, and solutions you need to know. This environmental pollution is contributing to the polar ice caps melting, changing climate patterns, and sea-level rise. Right now, humans are taking more from the Earth than they can sustainably provide. Ultimately his theories say that the worlds food supply will inevitably become inadequate for feeding the general population, whose numbers would continue to swell until famine, disease epidemics, war, or other calamities took root. Increasing global populations puts more pressure on our Earths resources, including our forests, water sources, and biodiversity. The primary cause of this problems includes low mortality rates coupled with high birth rates. Overpopulation - Definition, Effects, Causes and Solutions | Biology A higher unemployment rate is predicted to accompany the increased demand for Earths resources. China has recently abolished the policy restricting the number of children in a family). This can be avoided with proper education in the subject. Overpopulation: Causes, Effects and Consequences. BMJ: British Medical Journal, 345(7864), 9-23. Pollution 7. After finishing university, I traveled around the world. Today, we are not sharing Earth fairly with the millions of other plant, animal, and aquatic species that call it home. Throughout human history, birth and death rates have always counterbalanced each other, which ensured that Earth had a maintainable population growth level. Social factors such as lack of education and reproductive care underlie both poverty and population growth, meaning that as long as these needs remain unmet, poverty and overpopulation will continue in a vicious cycle. A famous example is the introduction of rabbits to Australia in the 19th century, where they had no natural predators. Overpopulation - Wikipedia For this reason, population growth remained largely stagnant. But with innovation and industrialization, energy, food, water, and medical care became more available and reliable. Human Overpopulation: Causes and Effects in Developing Countries Hanan Maryil This research paper outlines the causes and effects of human overpopulation, focusing in developing countries. It is therefore crucial that we solve this issue through suitable and sustainable measures. Overpopulation: Causes, Effects and Consequences. Updates? Due to distribution problems of wealth, not all people will be able to meet their daily energy supply. This phenomenon is known as overpopulation, where the condition in which the amount of humans currently existing on Earth outstrips future resource availability and earths carrying capacity. The population growth in urban areas is caused by immigration, the birthrate of children living there, and more people choosing to live in cities. In Simons words, human ingenuity is the ultimate resource. Therefore, the enactment of heavy-handed population-control regulations is not only abhorrent, but is also irrational and unsupported by scientific evidence. Agricultural infrastructure will struggle to keep . June 15, 2023. https://ivypanda.com/essays/overpopulation-causes-effects-and-consequences/. Underutilization of contraception and family planning. 2022-10-28 Effects of overpopulation Rating: 6,9/10 1407reviews Overpopulation refers to a situation where there are too many people in a given area or region, resulting in a shortage of resources and environmental degradation. The cause for overpopulation in urban areas is a mix of both migration and natural increases. Uncontrolled growth of population decreases the growth of any country and also causes many socioeconomic disturbances. Main Causes of Overpopulation - Soul and Land Does the Overpopulation of Our Planet Pose a Serious Problem? In the words of economist Julian Simon, Whatever the rate of population growth is, historically it has been that the food supply increases at least as fast, if not faster. Since Ehrlichs initial fear-mongering regarding an overpopulation-induced Armageddon, the planets population has more than doubled. This article was most recently revised and updated by, https://www.britannica.com/science/overpopulation, Academia - The Effects of Overpopulation on Human Rights, Healthline - Overpopulation: An Overlooked Factor in Global Health. Abstract. Now that we better understand the overpopulation debate and where population growth is occurring most rapidly worldwide, lets examine the causes of this phenomenon. With a limited amount of space to build houses and other infrastructure, a growing population is likely to lead to an increased cost of living. One large part of combating overpopulation is improving reproductive education around family planning and contraceptive use. Most of the worlds countries have reached the fourth stage of the demographic transition. As our cities become more populous and expand outward, we will continue to encroach on the habitats that animals rely on to survive. Therefore, continuing overpopulation will lead to another global climatic catastrophe, which may result in the extinction of our species. The population of developing countries is mostly illiterate and is completely unaware of family planning. In 1969, the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) was established in order to lead the UN in implementing population programs fundamentally based on the notion of family planning, or the human right of individuals and couples to freely determine the size of their families without governmental interference or legislation. A growing population needs jobs to earn a living. The overpopulation causes, effects, and solutions discussed in this guide are almost all interrelated. Many scientists state that human population growth will eventually end, and the United Nations also predicts that Earths population will not exceed 12 billion. Defying Dictatorships: An Interview with Garry Kasparov, Cambodias Triumph and Tragedy: The UNs Greatest Experiment 30 years on, On Atlantic Alliances and Autocrats: An Interview with Jeanne Shaheen. This problem is especially severe in the Amazonian Rainforest. At present, the lack of resources causes acts of violence at the national scale and provokes global conflicts. Thus, many people will try to migrate into countries which are not that much affected by the global warming problem and which provide higher living standards. In most of Europe, fertility rates have remained beneath replacement level for decades. "Overpopulation: Causes, Effects and Consequences." Ehrlichs novel proposes theories regarding potential outcomes for when agricultural growth does not keep pace with population growth. The sense of threat resulting from the human overpopulation of our globe is not a new phenomenon. 1. Right up front, an increase in population means there will be a need for more houses and other resources. Malaysia and South Africa reached this point in 34 years, Bangladesh in 20 years, and Iran in 10 years. More people means an increased demand for food, water, housing, energy, healthcare, transportation, and more. Overpopulation and sustainability. They found that 8 million out of 9.5 million unintended pregnancies occurring annually in only twelve countries could have been prevented with modern methods of contraception. The mortality rate, especially in poor countries, is likely to increase due to overpopulation. Overall, most scientists postulate that human population growth will eventually come to an end, and the UN predicts that Earths population will not exceed twelve billion. Birth rates were higher; however, death rates were also higher. A related contributor to the overpopulation issue is the progress in food production. While itd normally be considered a positive trend, this increase in life expectancy means that the consumption footprint of each person also increases. 7 Causes, Effects, and Solutions to Overpopulation GreenCoast.org is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com products. Immigration. Recent pathogens including COVID-19, Zika virus, and Ebola all originated in animals and mutated to be infectious to humans. overpopulation, Situation in which the number of individuals of a given species exceeds the number that its environment can sustain. It is not regarded as a big issue even by the world governments, which do not take measures to prevent it (e.g. Regardless of which side you take in the debate, its true that a steadily expanding human population proposes immense challenges to all nations. Advancements in medical care have led to an imbalance between births and deaths. Conflicts over water and food lead to starvation. Burning fossil fuels lead to the emission of harmful chemicals and to acid rain. While large corporations and the worlds wealthiest individuals are doing the most damage to the Earth, there are still things you can do to fight it. professional specifically for you? With an increasing number of people, the probability of desertification will increase since the available land will be used more extensively in order to provide bigger crop yields. Climate change has captured public awareness more recently although many doubt that it is an emergency. Overpopulation in World Essay in English for Children and Students The scarcity of these products could trigger political unrest or an increase in violence. The UN reports that high-income and upper-middle-income countries contribute about 85% of global carbon dioxide emissions. You are free to use it for research and reference purposes in order to write your own paper; however, you Our improvement in knowledge regarding the treatment of diseases leads to an increase in life expectancy. This increased accessibility to food led to a larger population. Population growth continues to skyrocket,but can the world and its resources keep up? As population grows further, the probability of serious conflicts will do as well since a limited amount of resources has to be distributed to a growing number of people. The Ecology of Human Populations: Thomas Malthus, A Pleistocene Puzzle: Extinction in South America. The UNFPA has been successful in urging international cooperation on the issue of securing family planning as a human right, pushing the UN to hold three conferences concerning the issue of population, along with two special sessions of the General Assembly and a summit in 2019. As a result, especially in poor developing countries, the number of children is often much higher than in developed countries. In an environment that is overpopulated the number of people may be more than the resources available for survival such as water, shelter, and food. In the 1700s, the entire world was undergoing the first stage of the demographic transition. Various trends, such as poverty and climate change, serve as both causes and effects of overpopulation in many ways. Humans impact the physical environment in many ways: overpopulation, pollution, burning fossil fuels, and deforestation. In 1800, Earth had approximately 1 billion inhabitants, which rose to 2.3 billion in 1940, then 3.7 billion in 1970, and approximately 7.5 billion today. (2023, June 15). Its important to understand that while population growth is highest in impoverished countries, consumption, carbon emissions, and resource use are far more significant in developed parts of the world. In addition, we should strive for a more equal distribution of resources and transition towards more renewable sources of energy and production in all areas of the world. Reduced death rates. In this way, poverty exacerbates overpopulation because families need more children to contribute to the household. Overpopulation or overcrowding is a phenomenon that occurs when a high population density causes environmental degradation, reduced quality of life, or famine and conflict. This is due to the fact that work demand shifts from agricultural to the service sector. The air is polluted through the burning of fossil fuels. If one area becomes overcrowded, it will cause a shortage of resources. Financial motivation is usually very strong and makes people reconsider their decisions. Why it Matters and What You Can Do About It - MAHB With the worlds population rising faster than ever before, will our population growth outpace our resource reserves? Poor living conditions and sanitation similar to Industrial Revolution era slums? Neglect of family planning. Better awareness. However, annually, famine deaths have dropped by millions. Causes of Overpopulation. This is IvyPanda's free database of academic paper samples. The negative effects of overpopulation are drastic and require multifaceted solutions that often go beyond the individual. This is also true for goods of our daily lives. In addition, in order to produce more goods for our daily lives, a bigger amount of fossil fuels is needed. A crowded society is a restrictive society; an overcrowded society becomes an authoritarian, repressive and murderous society.. The use of contraceptives is up too from 54% usage in 1990 to 57.4% usage in 2015. A 2019 study found that around half of the annual 21 million pregnancies in low- and middle-income countries in individuals aged 15-19 years were unintended. Discover why the climate and environment changes, your place in the Earth system, and paths to a resilient future. They can lead to the depletion of natural resources, environmental degradation, and the loss of fresh water. If you are the copyright owner of this paper and no longer wish to have your work published on IvyPanda. Register to Get Free Mock Test and Study Material +91 The primary (and perhaps most obvious) cause of population growth is an imbalance between births and deaths. Although the overall population of the planet remains unchanged with immigration, it creates overcrowded areas and causes resource shortages (Jargin, 2009). As The Overpopulation Project states, the Earth is overpopulated for two main reasons: This reasoning is driven by the argument that Earth has never been equipped to house this many human beings. Help your students understand the impact humans have on the . Overpopulation might be the result of positive economic and social development, but it has a number of negative effects that can impact the entire world. Discoveries in medicine help people struggle successfully against a whole range of diseases that were previously considered terminal (Jargin, 2009). The demand for products will cause the prices for essential commodities such as food, housing, and medical care to increase. It means that if we continue ignoring the problem, sooner or later we may be left without a place to populate. Population growth - Understanding Global Change The increased amount of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere has contributed to global warming. It is believed to be the major leading cause of overpopulation. See full disclosure. Depletion of natural resources. In approximately 80 years, developed countries will experience a reduction in fertility from over six children to fewer than three children. @media(min-width:0px){#div-gpt-ad-environmental_conscience_com-medrectangle-4-0-asloaded{max-width:336px!important;max-height:280px!important}}if(typeof ez_ad_units!='undefined'){ez_ad_units.push([[336,280],'environmental_conscience_com-medrectangle-4','ezslot_10',132,'0','0'])};__ez_fad_position('div-gpt-ad-environmental_conscience_com-medrectangle-4-0'); This in turn leads to overpopulation since with the assumption of a constant birth rate, people live longer and thus more people will populate the planet at the same time. Encyclopaedia Britannica's editors oversee subject areas in which they have extensive knowledge, whether from years of experience gained by working on that content or via study for an advanced degree. In order to meet the demand for food, farmers are likely to use an increasing amount of fertilizers and pesticides. World human population growth from 10,000 BC to 2019 AD. IvyPanda. Migration and urban concentration can lead to a local overpopulation. Overpopulation appears when births outnumber deaths. There are various reasons for that, but the most crucial factor is that they can barely afford basic needs, so it is hard to expect to have access to any contraceptive. Human overpopulation is among the most pressing environmental issues, silently aggravating the forces behind global warming, environmental pollution, habitat loss, the sixth mass extinction, intensive farming practices and the consumption of finite natural resources, such as fresh water, arable land and fossil fuels, at speeds faster than their . In the United States, the average person uses almost five times more than the sustainable yield of the planet. The Decline in the Death Rate At the root of overpopulation is the difference between the overall birth rate and death rate in populations. There is an influx of people moving to developed countries such as the United States, the United Kingdom, Canada, and Australia. Please refer to the appropriate style manual or other sources if you have any questions. These resources include fossil fuels (oil, gas, and coal), minerals, trees, water, and wildlife, especially in the oceans. Instead, smaller cities in countries like India will continue to grow. In the year 1800, there were approximately 1 billion inhabitants on Earth. This brought about a variety of apocalyptic predictions, most prominently, a revival of the Malthusian trap panic. However, the above-mentioned positive factors increasing the number of births are more influential and sustainable (Pimentel, 2006). This deforestation leads to a decline in the variety of species. Share it! The growing number of people on the planet is contributing to the depletion of resources. Human population growth impacts the Earth system in a variety of ways, including: Can you think of additional cause and effect relationships between human population growth and other parts of the Earth system? Since we have to produce large amounts of food to provide for an increasing number of people, we have to use more land and resources to accomplish this. There are many more effects that are caused by overpopulation, but the fact of the matter is that humans are reproducing way faster than they should and if we continue to grow as a population, everything else on this planet will slowly and surely diminish. These massive cities have been populated by migration and expansion for several reasons. Indeed, humans are consuming more natural resources than ever and encroaching on more and more natural habitats as the population has grown. . This unit consists of core knowledge about the causes and consequences of overpopulation, lesson . While the dangers of child labor are clear, many families worldwide put their children to work for various reasons. In less developed countries with higher poverty rates, the mortality rate for children and adolescents is higher. What Causes Overpopulation? - EuroScientist journal Today, cities worldwide are at the center of the overpopulation problem, and theyre continuing to grow. We will write a custom Essay on Overpopulation: Causes, Effects and Consequences specifically for you for only 9.35/page. This problem will be even bigger in the future due to the global warming issue. (2023) 'Overpopulation: Causes, Effects and Consequences'. Agricultural advancements have increased food production exponentially since the beginning of the 20th century. The more the population, the more the requirement for natural resources like water, minerals, petroleum, etc. Over-population and under-population - Internet Geography Jargin, S. V. (2009). Causes And Effects Of Overpopulation. As early as in ancient times, philosophers raised concerns over the excessive number of . In the world's least developed countries, slightly more than 1 in 4 children aged 5 to 17 are engaged in labor detrimental to their health and development. Overpopulation: Cause and Effect - EDUINDEX NEWS Gradually, this economic development created a middle class and, after the work of union activists, ultimately raised the standard of living and health care for the impoverished labor demographic. Enacting policies and incentives that benefit the environment, limit carbon emissions, and protect resources on a national level will help curb some of the negative effects of overpopulation. Is Gum Made of Rubber? It is in our all interest to limit the number of people on our planet in order to keep it intact and viable. Lack of access to contraceptives is an immense issue worldwide: around 1.2 million women live in a county without a single health center offering the full range of contraceptive methods. All Rights Reserved. Family planning refers to the number of children a person wants to have. 2023 The Sustainable Living Guide All Rights Reserved. Your email address will not be published. 2023. Only then, it will be possible for humanity to live in peace in the future. Our editors will review what youve submitted and determine whether to revise the article. Constraints of Space 2. Promotion of family planning. The current needs for food and water already go far beyond Earths capacity. As this generation ages and its fertility diminishes, the rate of population growth will likely continue to decrease in every nation. Most people nowadays aren't really familiar with overpopulation and its negative effects, and this lack of awareness can lead to families that don't limit the number of children they have. Overpopulation can also cause a kind of ecological collapse. As weve established, lack of family planning especially in poorer countries is one of the main drivers of overpopulation. Rise in unemployment: Increased population requires more job opportunities which cannot be created with a limited amount of resources. Most experts warn that overpopulation and a lack of resources will likely breed unrest and conflict. Population growth can also lead to a loss of biodiversity. Their emissions coupled with industrial wastes pollute the air and kill wildlife. Human Overpopulation: Causes and Effects in Developing Countries The more often humans come into contact with animals, the higher the risk for an outbreak virus. According to the United Nations, the world's population will reach 10.8 billion by 2100. In 1994, at the International Conference on Population and Development in Cairo, Egypt, the designated objectives of the UNFPA were determined in greater depth. Overpopulation | Environmental Issues However, there exist weighty arguments about why people should stop overpopulation. In the U.S., for example, more than 1 million babies have been born due to assisted reproductive technology since 1996. However, a broader global focus on guaranteeing family planning as a human right remains essential.
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