Environment: Population

Population World Population

Year	Population
1	200 million
1000	275 million
1500	450 million
1650	500 million
1750	700 million
1804	1 billion
1850	1.2 billion
1900	1.6 billion
1927	2 billion
1950	2.55 billion
1955	2.8 billion
1960	3 billion
1965	3.3 billion
1970	3.7 billion
1975	4 billion
1980	4.5 billion
1985	4.85 billion
1987	5 billion
1990	5.3 billion
1995	5.7 billion
1999	6 billion
2000	6.1 billion
2005	6.45 billion
2010	6.8 billion
2011	7 billion
2020	7.7 billion
2025	8 billion
2030	8.3 billion
2040	8.8 billion
2045	9 billion
2050	9.2 billion

Population in the world is currently growing at a rate of around 1.10% per year. The average population change is currently estimated at around 75 million per year. Annual growth rate reached its peak in the late 1960s, when it was at 2% and above. The rate of increase has therefore almost halved since its peak of 2.19 percent, which was reached in 1963, to the current 1.15%. The annual growth rate is currently declining and is projected to continue to decline in the coming years, but the pace of the future change is uncertain. Currently, it is estimated that it will become less than 1% by 2020 and less than 0.5% by 2050. This means that world population will continue to grow in the 21st century, but at a slower rate compared to the recent past. World population has doubled (100% increase) in 40 years from 1959 (3 billion) to 1999 (6 billion). It is now estimated that it will take a further 42 years to increase by another 50%, to become 9 billion by 2042. The latest United Nations projections indicate that world population will nearly stabilize at just above 10 billion persons after 2100. Overpopulation Causes Overpopulation is a condition where the number of organisms exceeds the carrying capacity of their habitat. The world population has crossed 7 billion and we are having to deal with the adverse effects of this excessive growth. Overpopulation leads to scarcity of resources and economic inflation. The day is not far when we won't be left with sufficient resources to meet life's basic needs. Overpopulation is a serious issue, more serious than it seems to be. To nip it in the bud, we need to understand its root causes.  Decline in the Death Rate Reduced mortality rate is one of the leading causes of overpopulation. Due to medical advancements, many of the once incurable diseases have cures today. Owing to advances in both preventive and curative medicine, diseases have either been eradicated or have more effective treatments now. There are effective ways to control epidemics and there are better measures to treat critical health ailments, thus leading to a drop in death rates. Developments in medicine have led to reduced mortality and increase in the average life expectancy of humans. Infant mortality rates are very low and cases of deaths during childbirth are less frequent. Good prenatal care has improved the chances of survival for both the mother and the baby. Rise in the Birth Rate Once again owing to advances in medicine, the average birth rate has gone up. Due to various fertility treatments available today, there are effective solutions to infertility problems, which increases chances of conception. Due to modern medicine, pregnancies are safer. In case of conception after a fertility treatment, there are chances of a multiple pregnancy, further contributing to increasing birth rates. In addition to this, there is a social pressure to have children. This further contributes to overpopulation. Early marriages also contribute to population growth as getting married at an early age increases the chances of having more children. And especially so with the uneducated class where family planning is not adopted. Lack of Education Illiteracy is another important factor that contributes to overpopulation. Those lacking education fail to understand the need to curb population growth. Modern methods of birth control and family planning don't reach the illiterate sections of society. Furthermore, due to lack of awareness there is resistance in adopting such methods. The illiterate are unable to understand what impact overpopulation can have. The educated class can make more responsible decisions about marriage and childbirth. Thus education is an effective tool to curb overpopulation. Cultural Influences The concept of birth control is not widely accepted. Adopting birth control measures is considered taboo in certain cultures. Some cultures foster beliefs where marrying at a certain age or having a certain number of children is considered to be ideal. In some cultures male children are preferred. This indirectly forces couples to produce children till a child of the preferred gender is conceived. Plus, there is a pressure from the family and society to have children. Social norms influence decisions of starting and extending one's family. In cultures where a woman's role is considered to be that of a child-bearer, large families become the norm. Migration Immigration is a problem in some parts of the world. If the inhabitants of various countries migrate to a particular part of the world and settle in that region, the area has to face the negative effects of overpopulation. If the rates of emigration from and immigration to a country do not match, it results in increased population density in that country. The area becomes thickly populated. People inhabiting the area experience scarcity of resources. This leads to uneven distribution of natural resources which is a direct consequence of overpopulation. Though migration of people between regions does not affect the world population figure, it does lead to something that can qualify as localized overpopulation. Overpopulation Problems Fresh Water and Overpopulation Fresh water is one of the biggest concerns with overpopulation, and this poses a huge environmental threat. The government sustains the rights to fresh water, whether it is from melting snow pack in the mountains or a freshwater lake. Different cities have what is known as “water rights” from a certain mountain area’s snowmelt, or certain freshwater lakes and streams. There are more people consuming water, however, than being replaced and the result is that we now have dried up lake beds which create dust particles. These dust particles are then polluting the environment and the air we breathe. So, not only is there not enough fresh water for the current population to drink, but the air is getting polluted with dust particles that contribute to health problems. Biodiversity Another problem we face is the lack of biodiversity. As the population grows, there is more demand for certain plants: trees for paper, food, plant fibers for clothing, etc. We thought the solution was to simply re-plant whatever we consume. This has led to problems, however, in biodiversity. Because many of the plants and crops we sow are of the same age and genetic makeup, they are more susceptible to problems from disease and pests. Plants which may have had slightly different genetic makeup may have had a small impact on loss due to disease, but when they are all from the same genetic strain we face the issue of total annhilation of a particular crop. The greater the population, however, the greater the demand for certain crops, meaning less biodiversity. Landfills For decades, many landfill managers have been emphasizing just how quickly they are running out of space. The more people there are on the planet, the more waste is being produced. Some of this waste is quite toxic, and even landfills which are double-lined are finding that some toxic substances are leaching into the soil and the groundwater supply. This poses even more of a risk to our freshwater supply, and can contribute to the decimation of many species sharing the earth today. Gender Inequality Women represent 50% of the world population. Out of the 550 million working poor in the world, an estimated 330 million, or 60%, are women.(International Labor Organization) 53% people living with HIV in 2008 were women.(UN) 1/4 to 1/2 of girls in developing countries become mothers before they turn 18.(The Girl Effect) One out of every three women worldwide will be physically, sexually or otherwise abused during her lifetime with rates reaching 70 percent in some countries. 50 millions of women are ‘missing’ due to neglect or violence.(Women Thrive Worldwide). 80% of the world’s 35 million refugees and IDPs are women and children.(UNFPA) Women and girls are targeted as a tactic of war to humiliate, dominate, instil fear in, punish, disperse and/or forcibly relocate members of a community/ethnic group.(UNIFEM) Women perform 66% of the world’s work, produce 50% of the food, but earn 10% of the income and own 1% of the property.(UNIFEM) Women are a driving force behind Africa’s economy running an estimated 48% of small and medium-sized businesses and growing 80% of the food.(ONE INternational) Women’s invest 90% of their earnings into the health, education and well-being of their families, compared with 30-40% for men.(ONE INternational) There is a direct link between increased female labour participation and growth: It is estimated that if women’s paid employment rates were raised to the same level as men’s, America’s GDP would be 9% higher; the euro-zone’s would be 13% higher.(UNIFEM) In many parts of the world, women and girls are responsible for collecting water and firewood. As these resources become scarcer in the face of increasingly erratic rainfall, they must spend more time looking for and collecting them, further reducing the time they have available to engaging in economic activities, or attending school.(Amy North, University of London) It is estimated that African women and children spend 40 billion hours fetching water every year, equivalent to a year’s labour for the entire workforce of France.(UN Millennium Development Project) If the average distance to the moon is 394,400 km, South African women together walk the equivalent of a trip to the moon and back 16 times a day to supply their households with water.(UNIFEM) www.thefreedictionary.com/overpopulation http://www.worldometers.info/world-population/ http://www.buzzle.com/articles/causes-of-overpopulation.html http://planetsave.com/2012/05/27/over-population-the-most-serious-environmental-problem-for-science/ http://www.thegreatinitiative.com/resources/gender-imbalance-facts-and-figures/