Human overpopulation or population overshoot is when there are too many people for the environment to sustain with food, drinkable water, breathable air, etc. This means that we are predicted to exceed 9 billion people by 2050, with no peak in site this century and a world population of up to 12 billion by 2100. Population growth in developed countries puts a greater strain on global resources and the environment than growth in less developed nations. Population, development, and environment in ethiopia.
As indicated by the ipat equation, environmental impact i or. The population is increasing nearly by 3 percent annually under low economic and poor environmental conditions unpd, 2009. Population increased very fast in the post independence period and it. The government has conceded that despite imposition of regulatory measures, the magnitude of pollution from industrial sources in the country has not shown any appreciable decrease during the last two decades. As a response to the rapidly growing population, agricultural change intensification, diversification, andor extensification has been occurring on largely at the cost of environmental degradation. While there is no question that popula tion growth contributes to environmental degradation, its effects can be modified by economic growth and modern technology. Read population summit of the worlds scientific academies. Environmental degradation is a result of the dynamic interplay of socioeconomic, institutional and technological activities. These concerns are linked to overuse or misuse of the natural resources base. It is defined as any change or disturbance to the environment perceived to be deleterious or undesirable.
Stabilizing population growth can be solved with our current level of knowledge and technology. Population growth and disease transmission health hazards associated with population growth include emerging and reemerging diseases, poor vector control. To answer these questions we estimate the effect of population growth on two dimensions of environmental degradation in europe, greenhouse gas co 2 emissions and urban land use, for 1062 european nuts3 regions. No simple relationship exists between population size and environmental change.
All life on earth obtains its food and other necessities from this environment. What are environmental problems due to population growth. Nagdeve abstract the present paper examined the relationship of population to the environment and with growing population, poverty and urbanization the environment is degrading. Unless the relationship between the multiplying population and the life support system can be stabilized, development programs, howsoever, innovative are not likely to yield. This factor is the cause of many events in our world. Consider, for example, two countries with rapid population growth and significant for. Aug 16, 2008 population growth and environmental degradation. Population growth and environmental degradation article pdf available in africa insight 224. In addition, we examine the effects of both factors on the current and future disease incidence throughout the world. Land degradation is a major problem in many areas of tanzania. High fertility contributes to population growth, which further increases demands for food and resources from an essentially static resource base. Introduction an environmental problem arises whenever there is a change in the quality or quantity of any environmental factor which directly or indirectly affects the health and wellbeing of man in an adverse manner. Environmental degradation, to a large scale, is the result of market failure, namely the nonexistent or poorly functioning markets for environmental goods and services. The shortage of land combined with asias growing population has resulted.
Population growth global population growth year population in billions 1700 0. Bush instituted what some call the global gag rule, whereby foreign organizations that provide. The ipat equation, first devised in the 1970s, is a way of determining environmental degradation based on a multiple of factors. Sarameinto population is the largest increasing factor in our world. At its simplest, it describes how human impact on the environment i is a result of a multiplicative contribution of population p, affluence a and technology t. Among these extreme causes the less immediate events will be seen with air pollution, land degradation, which is the effect thatll have the. The role of environmental degradation in population displacement1. From the analysis of us data it is evident that over 50% of the populations are in the workforce and that in future this value is expected to decline. Environmental degradation is the deterioration of the environment through depletion of resources such as air, water and soil. Bush instituted what some call the global gag rule, whereby foreign organizations that provide or endorse abortions were denied u. In more scientific terms, there is overshoot when the ecological footprint of a human population in a geographical area exceeds that places carrying capacity, damaging the environment faster than it can be repaired by nature.
Conducted an analysis of changes and trends over last fifty years. However, as global population continues to grow, limits on such global resources as arable land, potable water, forests, and fisheries have come into sharper focus. Urbanization and environmental degradation in jordan. Rapid population growth and environmental degradation in. Rapid population growth and environmental degradation. Environmental changes may be driven by manyfactors including economic growth, population growth, urbanization, intensification of. It is not the census figures alone that need to be stressed, but an appreciation of the impact on natural resources of the rapid escalation in the rate of increase of human population in the recent past. Notes on causes of population growth extra references. The growing population and the environmental deterioration face the challenge of sustained development without environmental damage. Challenges of urbanization and environmental degradation in india. Population in india has been regarded as not only the root cause of many of our economic problems but has also severely affected the environmental conditions in india.
First, lets look at the evidence about resource scarcity and environmental change, and see what. It is not the census figures alone that need to be stressed, but an appreciation of the impact on natural resources of the rapid escalation in the. Postgraduate department of sociology, patna university, patna800 005, india. Population growth and the degradation of the environment essay. Pdf population and environmental degradation euro asia. Impact of population growth on environmental degradation. Currently an estimated 40% of world deaths are due to environmental degradation. Given the overlap of population growth and environmental problems, many would like to see a change in u. Poverty hunger and war are just some of the immediate effects of increasing population. Birth increases the population while death decreases the population. I urbanization and environmental degradation in jordan david l. Environmental problems can be studied from two different viewpoints. These staggering numbers are the result of being within the exponential phase of population growth since last century, such that some 14% of all. In this unique situation, environmental degradation is a specific instance of utilization or generation externalities reflected by uniqueness amongst private and social.
Meaning and relation population growth is the main cause of the socioeconomic problem including environmental degradation, pollution, desertification, deforestation, intensive cultivation, over utilization of grazing and other environmental problems. The direct consequences of this process are the significant reduction of biological diversity, as well as the destruction of the general health of the environment. Population growth, resource consumption, and the environment. Higgitt encyclopedia of life support systems eolss 354 particularly within the last five decades, making jordan a classic example of primacy with an overconcentration of population, economic activity and services in the urban core. Population growth is the increase in the number of people living in a particular area. As indicated by the ipat equation, environmental impact i or degradation is caused by the combination of an already very large and increasing human population p, continually increasing economic growth or per capita affluence a, and the application of resourcedepleting and polluting technology t. Environmental impacts pollution soil degradation deforestation global warming population growth would not be sustainable if it has important negative impacts that will jeopardize the ability of future generations to meet their needs. The major factors affecting population are birth, death and migration. Malawi has been ranked by the world bank as one of the poorest countries in africa.
A rapidly growing population exerts pressure on agricultural land and raises demand for food and shelter which encourages the conversion of forest land for agricultural and residential uses, now we know that growing population is a major cause of air, water, and solid waste pollution. Decades of rapid population growth in ethiopia have contributed to overfarming and deforestation, which have degraded the environment and undermined development. Population growth drives many of the critical problems we. And we suggest that two inherent characteristics of institutionslimitation and biasare responsible. Population growth and environmental degradation population is an important source of development, yet it is a major source of environmental degradation when it exceeds the threshold limits of the support systems. Ultimate versus proximate factors volume 16 issue 3 r. Global population growth creates environmental problems.
A study of the process of urbanization and urban growth in india since the beginning of the twentieth century reveals a steady increase in the size of urban population, the number of towns and the degree of urbanization. Aug 24, 20 concern with environmental change has come to forefront primarily since 1970, with discernible levels of environmental degradation fuelling public concern with the scope of contemporary environmental transformations and the advent of satellite imagery aiding environmental research colombo b. Challenges of urbanization and environmental degradation. On a national level, developing countries have the largest rates of population increase and often have the fewest resources to support their growing numbers. Paul shaw skip to main content accessibility help we use cookies to distinguish you from other users and to provide you with a better experience on our websites. Assessment of linkages between population dynamics and. Causes and consequences article pdf available in european researcher 8182.
Jul 07, 2017 the multiple, interacting causes of civil war in particular are varied, including poverty, inequality, weak institutions, political grievance, ethnic divisions, and environmental stressors such as drought, deforestation, and land degradation. Its effects are felt on the natural environment also. Population growth and environmental degradation in malawi. Developed countries, in general, have and use more of the earths resources. Meaning and relation population growth is the main cause of the socioeconomic problem including environmental degradation, pollution, desertification, deforestation, intensive cultivation, over utilization of grazing and. Since populations can grow exponentially, resource depletion can occur rapidly, leading to specific environmental concerns such as global warming, deforestation and decreasing biodiversity. Population is growing rapidly, far outpacing the ability of our planet to support it, given current practices. Population and world hunger population, hunger, poverty, and. Apr 14, 2005 echoing his article in ecsp report 10, haile argued that although the ethiopian government has developed many strong policies, it has failed to implement measures to stabilize population growth and reduce environmental degradation, which he called the two most important issues in our development challenge. The challenge for environmental management david pimentel, x. A rapidly growing population exerts pressure on agricultural land and raises demand for food and shelter which encourages the conversion of forest land for agricultural and residential uses, now we know that growing population is a.
Population growth and environmental degradation in india by dr. Population, development, and environment in ethiopia wilson. The role of environmental degradation in population. Populations in developed countries trend toward using substantially. It is the last part of the definition that joins population growth, particularly in developed countries, and resource use. Human population and the environment 215 3 to 4 billion, in 14 years. Population growth, the shift from rural to urban investment, the growth of urban centres and internal resource exploitation such that only a few have control of and benefit from economic resources, all lead to repeated cycles of increased poverty and environmental degradation figure 9. Pimentel introduction a h e a l t h y and prudently managed environment is a major benefit to humans and other species. Population growth and environmental degradation in india. It could reach 8 billion by 2025, 9 billion by 2040, and a whopping 11 billion by 2100. In many countries experiencing rapidly growing population, and thus growing dependency ratios, the influx of young people into the job market.
This paper highlights the importance of population size management in a society. The effect of population growth on the environment. In the second half of the twentieth century, decreasing farmland contributed to growing concern of. National academy of sciences, national academy of engineering, and institute of medicine. One of the factors responsible for environment degradation is population growth or population density. Population growth and the pollution of water, air, and soil are contributing to the increasing number of human diseases worldwide.
Often it has been gained at the expense of longterm human health status and environmental assets, and sometimes with an increase in social inequity. Malawis only resources are its people and fertile soil, which comprises about 55% of land area. Environmental changes may be driven by manyfactors including economic growth, population growth, urbanization, intensification of agriculture, rising energy use and transportation. In particular, population density plays the most important role in shaping the socioeconomic environment. Rapid urbanization has caused wide spread environmental degradation in the country. Though there is a currently fair understanding of the ways in which the indias population is changing as well as of the social and economic implications of these changes, little attention has so far been paid to its possible environmental impacts. The solutions are interconnected, so working on environmental, social, economic, and security issues will also help to stabilize population. Population is an important source of development, yet it is a major source of environmental degradation when it exceeds the threshold limits of the support systems. Sahlu haile and charles teller discuss these linkages. Overpopulation is associated with negative environmental and economic. Interaction between population and environmental degradation. And stabilizing population can help solve those environmental, social, economic, and security issues. Impact of a growing population on natural resources. Cincotta and robert engelman population action international.