I M PA C T O F O V E R P O P U L AT I O N O N E N V I R O N M E N T

Group
Environmental Effects of
Overpopulation
Nelson Mandela
 Overpopulation and environmental consequences are frequently
intertwined and complicated. Some of the major sustainability issues
linked with overpopulation are going to be discussed here.
 What is
Overpopulation?
"Overpopulation is an undesirable situation in
which the current human population exceeds
the Earth's real carrying capacity."
"Overpopulation happens when a species'
population outnumbers its ecological
niche's carrying capacity. It can be caused
by a rise in births (fertility rate), a
decrease in mortality, an increase in
immigration, or an unsustainable biome
with resource depletion."
In the last fifty years or so, population growth has
exploded, resulting in overpopulation. Birth and
death rates have always been able to balance one
other in the history of our species, allowing us to
maintain a sustainable population growth rate.

The population has been steadily increasing since

the Bubonic Plague in the 1400s. There have been
hundreds of thousands of battles, natural disasters,
and man-made risks between the time of the
plague and the twenty-first century.
None of these, however, were able
to make a significant difference in
the population. Overpopulation
impacts developing countries more
than developed countries, yet it
currently affects the majority of
the planet. When discussing
overpopulation, we must first
attempt to comprehend the
fundamental causes.
Various Causes of
Overpopulation
1. The Death Rate Is
Declining
The disparity between the general birth and mortality rates in populations
is at the foundation of overpopulation. The population will stable if the
number of children born each year equals the number of people who die.

When it comes to overpopulation, it's important to remember that while

many variables might raise the death rate for a short period of time, those
that raise the birth rate do so over a lengthy period of time.

Our forefathers' development of agriculture was one factor that enabled

them to survive without hunting. The first disparity between the two rates
resulted from this.
 2. Improvements in Agriculture
At the same time, technological revolutions and population explosions occur.
Three great technical revolutions have occurred. The tool-making revolution,
the agricultural revolution, and the industrial revolution are the three major
revolutions.

Humans have been able to boost food production and yields utilising fertilisers,
herbicides, and pesticides thanks to agricultural developments in the twentieth
century. This provided humanity with greater access to food, resulting in
population expansions.
3. Improved Medical Services
The industrial revolution began as a result of this. The most
important reason why the equilibrium has been irreversibly
disrupted is technological growth.
Science was able to develop more efficient methods of food
production, allowing families to feed more mouths.
Furthermore, medical research has made numerous
breakthroughs that have allowed them to conquer a wide
spectrum of disorders.

Vaccines have cured diseases that had previously claimed

thousands of lives. When the rise in food supply was
combined with fewer ways of mortality, the balance tipped
and overpopulation began.
 4. More Hands to Help People Get Out of
Poverty
When it comes to overpopulation, however, we must keep in mind that
there is a psychological component as well. Poverty is widely regarded
as the primary factor of population growth. Because of a lack of
educational resources, as well as high death rates, which resulted in
greater birth rates, impoverished areas are seeing enormous population
booms.
For thousands of years, only a small percentage of the population could
afford to live comfortably. The rest were poor, therefore they would
have big families to compensate for the high infant death rate.
 Overpopulation is exacerbated by families that have experienced hardship,
natural calamities, or simply require additional hands to work.
Most of these extra offspring survive and absorb resources that are not
abundant in nature, as opposed to former eras.

According to the United Nations, the world's forty-eight poorest countries are
also the most likely contributors to population growth.
According to their projections, the total population of these countries would
reach 1.7 billion in 2050, up from 850 million in 2010.
5. Working Conditions for
Children
Child labour is still widely used in many parts of the world,
which is nothing short of a tragedy. According to UNICEF,
150 million children are currently employed in countries with
limited child labour legislation. Children who are considered
as a source of income by destitute families start working too
early and lose educational chances, especially when it comes
to birth control.
 6. Fertility Treatment Advancement
Technologically
Couples who are unable to conceive can now undergo fertility therapy and
have their own babies thanks to the newest technological advancements
and medical science discoveries.

There are efficient drugs available today that can enhance the likelihood
of conception and thus the birth rate. Pregnancies are also far safer today
thanks to contemporary technology.
7. Immigration
Many people choose to relocate to developed countries such as the United
States, the United Kingdom, Canada, and Australia, where the best medical,
educational, security, and employment opportunities are available. As a
result, those individuals gravitate to those areas, eventually overcrowding
them.

When the number of people leaving the country exceeds the number of
persons entering, there is frequently a surge in demand for food, clothing,
energy, and housing.

As a result, there is a scarcity of resources. Though the overall population

remains unchanged, the density of the population increases, making the area
overcrowded.
 8. Inadequate Family Planning
A huge percentage of individuals in most developing countries are
illiterate, live in poverty, and have little or no awareness about
family planning. Furthermore, getting their children married at a
young age raises the likelihood of their having additional children.

These people are unable to comprehend the negative consequences

of overpopulation, and a lack of adequate knowledge leads them to
shun family planning.
9. Misuse of Contraceptives

Even though contraceptives are widely available in

industrialised nations, poor family planning on the side of
partners can lead to unplanned pregnancies.

According to data, 76% of women aged 16 to 49 in the

United Kingdom utilised at least one type of contraception,
leaving a quarter vulnerable to unintended pregnancies.
According to a research by the World Health Organization
(WHO), this proportion reduces to 43% in developing
countries, resulting in increased birth rates.
FATAL EFFECTS OF
OVERPOPULATION
 1. Natural Resource Depletion
Overpopulation has serious consequences. The first of these is resource exhaustion. The
Earth can only generate a certain amount of water and food, both of which are in short
supply today.
The majority of the environmental harm experienced in the previous fifty years is due to the world's
expanding population. Cutting down forests, hunting wildlife recklessly, polluting the environment,
and producing a slew of other issues are among them.

Those involved in discussions concerning overpopulation have noticed that outside of a war zone,
acts of violence and aggressiveness have increased dramatically as people compete for resources.
 2. Environmental Degradation
Overuse of coal, oil, and natural gas has begun to have major
consequences for our ecosystem. Furthermore, the exponential increase
in the number of automobiles and enterprises has had a negative impact
on air quality.

Global warming is caused by an increase in CO2 emissions. Melting polar ice

caps, shifting climate patterns, and rising sea levels are just a few of the potential
repercussions of environmental pollution.
 3. Wars and Conflicts

Overpopulation puts a strain on the resources that

should be used for development in
underdeveloped countries. Water disputes are
becoming a source of friction between countries,
with the potential to lead to war. It accelerates the
spread of infections and makes them more
difficult to control.
 Hunger is a major problem that the globe is dealing with, and it is
contributing to the high death rate among youngsters. When it comes to
overcrowding, poverty is the most visible symptom.

All of this will only get worse if answers to the problems influencing our
population are not addressed. We can't stop it from happening, but we can
control it.
4. Unemployment
When a country gets overpopulated, there are
fewer jobs available to support a high number of
people, resulting in unemployment. As people try
to feed their families and provide them with basic
necessities of life, they turn to criminality, such as
theft.
5. HIGH LIVING
COSTS healthcare, rises as the gap between demand and supply widens
The price of numerous vital commodities, such as food, shelter, and

owing to overpopulation. People will have to pay more to survive and

feed their family as a result of this.
 6. PANDEMICS AND EPIDEMICS

Poverty is linked to a variety of environmental and socioeconomic factors,

such as overcrowding and unsanitary living conditions, hunger, and
inaccessible, inadequate, or non-existent health care, all of which increase
the risk of infection among the poor. Furthermore, large population
densities enhance the likelihood of new pandemics and epidemics arising.
 7. Malnutrition,
Famine, and
Starvation
When resources are short, famine, malnutrition,
as well as ill health and diseases caused by a
lack of nutrition, such as rickets, are more
common.

Famine is usually linked with less developed

areas, and there is a strong link between poverty
and famine.
 Only about 1% of the world's water is fresh and usable. Overpopulation
is a huge problem that puts enormous strain on the world's freshwater
resources.
8. Water Scarcity
According to the study, by 2025, human demand for freshwater will
account for almost 70% of all freshwater available on the earth. People
living in disadvantaged communities who already have limited access to
such water will be particularly vulnerable.
 9. Lower Life
Expectancy

Less developed countries account for a major percentage of global population growth. As a result, less-
developed countries suffer from reduced life expectancy as a result of population growth.
This results in a scarcity of resources in many countries, leading in decreased access to medical care, clean
water, food, and jobs, as well as a steep drop in life expectancy.
 10. Extinction

Overpopulation has a devastating effect on the world's fauna. As the

demand for land grows, natural habitats, such as forests, are increasingly
being destroyed.

Data has also been gathered to demonstrate a direct correlation between human
population growth and extinction of species on the world. According to some
scientists, up to half of the world's biological species will face extinction if current
trends continue.
11. Increased Intensive Farming
Farming systems have evolved to produce enough food to
serve a bigger number of people as the world's population
has grown through time. Intensive farming methods, on
the other hand, harm local ecosystems and the soil, posing
future concerns.

Furthermore, the machinery necessary for intensive

farming contributes to climate change. This effect will
undoubtedly worsen if the population continues to rise at
its current rate.
12. CLIMATE CHANGE IN A
HURRY

Larger countries, such as China and India, are forced to

continue to grow their industrial capacities because to
overpopulation. Apart from the United States, they are
currently two of the world's top three sources of emissions.

Human actions are influencing global temperatures, according to

97 percent of scientists. Larger populations may accelerate these
changes if more is not done to reduce individual carbon footprints
on a big scale.
Incredible Solutions To Overpopulation
 1.Better
Education
 Implementing policies that reflect social change is one of the first steps. Educating the general public helps them
comprehend the need of having only one or two children at maximum.
Similarly, education is critical to comprehending the most cutting-edge technologies that are causing major waves in the
computing world. Families with four or five children should be discouraged if they are going through a difficult time.

Women can make their own reproductive decisions with the support of family planning and effective birth control. When
discussing overpopulation, an open discourse on abortion and voluntary sterilisation should be seen.
2. Education for
Girl Child
Over 130 million young women and girls around the world are currently
out of school. The vast majority of these people reside in male-dominated
societies, mainly in Sub-Saharan Africa and South and West Asia, where
women do not have the same educational opportunities as men.

Gender stereotypes and underage marriage obstruct their access to

education even more. A female with less education is more likely to have
children at a young age, making her open to exploitation. Furthermore,
poor families are less likely to send their female children to school.
3. Raising Public
Awareness About
Family Planning
Because the world's population is rapidly increasing, promoting public
knowledge about family planning and informing people about the dire
consequences of overpopulation can assist to slow population increase.

One of the greatest ways to avoid an unexpected pregnancy is to inform

them about the many safe sex techniques and contraceptive methods
available.
4. Tax Breaks or
Exemptions
To combat overpopulation, governments in various countries may be forced
to implement a variety of tax exemption schemes.

One of them may be waiving a portion of income tax or cutting income tax
rates for married couples with one or two children. Because we humans are
more prone to valuing money, this could have a good impact.
5. Understanding of
Sex Education
It should be mandatory to teach sex education to young children in
elementary school. Most parents are hesitant to discuss such topics with
their children, which leads to their children searching for such information
on the internet or discussing it with their peers.

The information is frequently insufficient, resulting in sexually active

youth being uninformed of contraceptives and feeling embarrassed to seek
information on them. It is, thus, necessary for parents and teachers to lose
their old inhibitions and make their kids or students aware of sound sex
education.
6. Social Marketing
Some civilizations have already begun using social marketing to educate
the public about the implications of overpopulation. At a cheap cost, the
intervention can be widely implemented. Flyers, pamphlets, fact sheets,
and stickers can be distributed in a range of locations, including local
houses of worship, athletic events, local food markets, schools, and car
parks.
Thank you