Impact of Population Growth on Environment

By Ashaq Hussain Wani

Human population is an important element of nation and without population the

existence of nation is impossible. Along with population, the nation also needs a definite

territory where people not only settle but also use its natural resources for survival. Therefore

as long as the territory is rich in natural resources, definitely the population of that nation will

be seen wealthy, energetic and prosperous. On the contrary, if the resources of any area are

insufficient, limited or short then it complicates the overall development of human population

in that area.

That during the 20th century alone, the population in the world has grown from 1.65

billion to 6 billion and this rapid increase in human population is continue and presently we

have 7.9 billion human populations, globally, according to the most recent United Nations

estimates elaborated by Worldometer. It is now expected by UN that the world population

will reach 10 billion by 2057.

In order to support this huge population, the consumption demand on the available

environmental resources of earth has emerged fast and is continuously increasing. This

unrestrained consumption of natural resources like land, food, water, forests, fuel and

minerals and thereof producing vast quantities of waste in shape of air and water pollutants,

rubbish and toxic materials and greenhouse gases has causes an environmental disaster, and

this unmanageable consumption pressure on the natural resources and thereof production

of wastes has extremely decreased the health of an environment in general at an alarming

rate.

To provide a good quality of life and basic necessities like food, health, education,

housing, roads to population, there are need of resources that too in large scale. Since the

exterior part of resources which was easily to collect from environment has been consumed

by population and now we are consuming the resources available in interior parts of, forests,

sea, mountains, soil. The areas where human hands had not reached so far and where no any

big change was noticed and to clean these resources the work is carried out by engaging

modern equipments and technology through which forest mountains, plateaus rocks, plains,

submarine reliefs are tearing down, which were not allowed in early times has put an serious

impact on environment. We are extracting all that we can from the landforms like minerals,

petroleum and natural gases and at the rate we are doing this, it seems all the natural

resources like coal and petroleum will come to an end one day. The same position is of

forests, the cutting down and cleaning these forests for settlements or industrial activities,

today we see that trees are not visible in the base of forest hills. Now to get this important

resource and to make it available to the population besides revenue generation, we have to

bring it from inside un-commercial areas. It is therefore not difficult to understand that by

rapid growth of population, the world is proceeding towards environmental devastation

which is very hard to correct in future if not controled.

Now the question arise what population size should be, that the earth can support

and not cause any environmental degradation or what is the human carrying capacity of

earth. The Thomas Malthus, an environmental scientist, defines the carrying capacity as the

maximum population size an environment can sustain indefinitely. Regarding this subject no

unanimity among the scientists were found on the approximate number of population

however as per source, the United Nations Environmental Programme (UNEP) Global

Environment Alert Service, majority of studies supposed that earth can support about 8 Billion

people. But here good quality of life is also requirement. Therefore as per the experts, the

above number is only possible, if the people consume the natural resources judicially, only to

the extant they actually need and not put extra weight on available resources. In addition for

sustainable life on earth, we have also to retain the food production level constantly;

otherwise 4 billion people on earth are enough.

There is a higher birth rate in developing countries compared to developed countries

because of poverty, lack of access to health and education due to this fact more than 70%

population lives in developing countries. The developed countries therefore look at non-

developed countries and held them responsible for environmental problems and repeatedly

advise them to take the necessary measuresto protect and conserve the environment, reduce

the greenhouse gas emissions to tackle global warming issue. It is fact that people living in

non developed countries, are poor, having lower income, contribute in environmental

damage by using unsustainable resource like burning waste and plastic and rubbish for fuel

and use insufficient resources and sometimes smuggling forest vegetations to feed their

families and in this way the regional laws, which governs the environment not strictly

restricted their this behavior. But the developed countries with high incomes rate consume

the resources more efficiently because they have to maintain their rich, high standard and

luxurious lifestyle which influence the environment more vigorously.

The lack of employment, non uniform population density and shifting of

population towards major cities for work and employment are some other issues that have

created impacts on environment. The urbanization has developed problem of centralization

of population in particular city and causes issues like scarcity of water, electricity and garbage

disposal in these areas.

The exhaustion of the non renewable resources for use of fuel and energy, depletion

of biodiversity, destroying of natural habitat, deforestation has developed a problem of global

warming which is presently emerged a great challenge before humanity.

The population and environment are two interrelated things. The problem caused by

the rapid population growth challenges us to identify the solution, for this propose

preliminary, we have to understand it effects on environment b over population and have to

make people aware of the benefits of controlled population and thereof its advantages on

environment. We have to educate them about the consequences we have to face with our

work, against the environment and accordingly have to bring environmental sensibility in

human behavior. We have to create the positive attitude in population to conserve natural

resources and have to develop energy from alternate sources like sun, wind and reduce water

and air pollutions and harmful gases.

Besides education, providing of financial incentives to poor class population and

batter health system and empowerment of women are also useful to limit the growth ratio

of population to some extent.

In 2030 Agenda for sustainable Development the world leaders In September, 2015 at

UN Environmental Challenge’s adopted its preamble and the world leaders affirmed that they

are “Determined to protect the planet from degradation, including through sustainable

consumption and production, sustainability managing its natural resources and taking urgent

action on climate Change, so that it can support the needs of the present and future

generations.” Therefore impact of population on environment is an issue that affects us all

and to achieve such an agenda, the governments around the world including population

should realize the seriousness of this global issue and the impact of population on

environment needs to be addressed in order to ensure that life on earth will be sustainable

throughout the next century.

By Ashaq Hussain Wani