POPULATION GROWTH
A POPULATION
The
number of same-specie organisms living in a particular geographic area at a
particular time is known as a population. When these organisms reproduce and increase, then it is termed as "population growth".
3 DETERMINANTS OF POPULATION GROWTH
Population
growth is determined by fertility, mortality, and migration.
*fertility is the
occurrence of live births among a population
*mortality
describes the number of deaths among a population
*migration is the
movement of population from one place to another
SUSTAINABLE
DEVELOPMENT
Sustainable development revolves around making our world a better place for us without depleting the resource available for future generations. We want social and
economic development, but at the same time, we have to conserve environment and fight climate change. The preservation of natural ecosystems is the responsibility of
humans, and after all, our survival is also dependent upon the existence of these
ecosystems. The smarter we use our natural resources, the more sustainable
we are.
OUR
ENVIRONMENT IS OUR RESPONSIBILITY!
TRENDS
IN POPULATION GROWTH
Our planet saw some drastic changes in population after the agricultural revolution and the industrial revolution. The metal plough three-field system used during the agricultural revolution led to an increase in food production, and this in turn led to a sudden population growth. Likewise, industrial revolution led to advancements in technology and medicine, which caused an increase in the birth rate.
According to
United Nations Department of Social and Economic Affairs, the world population
is likely to increase from 7.3 billion in 2015 to 8.5 billion in 2030.
CAUSES
OF POPULATION GROWTH
There many
reasons why the world's population is rapidly increasing.
1. Better medical
facilities and decline in death rate
2. Decrease in
infant mortality rate
3. Lack of family
planning
4. Lack of strict
population growth laws
5. Lack of
education
6. Better
fertility methods like IVF and surrogacy
7. Agricultural
advancement and more food production
8. Poor use of
contraceptives
9. Immigration
10. Child
marriages and desire of a male child (more in South Asian countries)
FUTURE
IMPACTS OF POPULATION GROWTH
We are already
more than 7.5 billion people, and this number is likely to increase in the
coming future. According to the UN, the population could peak at nearly 11 billion till the year 2100. Such a rapid rise in
population can have many adverse effects on our environment.
1. Depletion of
natural resources will increase with more population
2. More
degradation of environment
3. An increase in
global warming and rapid climate change
4. Deforestation
resulting in habitat loss and extinction of species
5. Rise in
unemployment
6. High living expenses
7. More conflicts
and wars
8. Food and water
shortage
9. Starvation,
malnutrition and famine
10. Increased
intensive farming to meet more food demand
TAKE ACTION!
Actions need to
be taken at global, state and individual levels to control population growth. The following is a list of measures that need to be taken immediately.
1. Governments,
NGOs, and citizens should spread awareness.
2. Restricting
child marriages
3. Efficient
family planning programs should be introduced
4. Contraception
should be available in urban and rural areas
5. Women
empowerment and education
6. Media programs
designed to promote population growth control
7. Population
growth control targets should be set
8. Municipalities should set growth management boundaries
If we fail to
manage our rising population, then soon we’ll end up using all of our natural
resources and nothing will be left for the future generations. Uncontrolled
population growth is a threat to the survival of mankind!
Author: Amna Waseem (student of political science at Kinnaird College, Lahore, Pakistan)
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ReplyDeleteQuite relatable and yes we should have to take some strong initiative in order to get rid from these hazards more more to you girls..
ReplyDeleteThanks for reading and appreciating our work. Keep reading for more.
DeleteHow precisely you have elaborated it! This issue must be highlighted on international level
ReplyDeleteThanks for your appreciation. Yes, it must be highlighted at national and international levels.
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