Essay on effects of population growth on environment. While population growth, of any species, may be beneficial to a certain extent, there may come a time when the number in the population exceeds the natural resources available to sustain it. The concept of population growth is tricky because populations can grow exponentially similar to the way a bank or credit card company compounds interest. Population growth, pollution and the global environment. These have a negative effect on the environment and also impact human daily lives. As in any contested fieldand populationenvironment studies certainly fit this descriptiona wide array of theories have emerged to describe the relationship among the variables of interest, and each of these theories leads to starkly different conclusions and policy recommendations. One of the motives that drove to the spread of the virus was to wipe out human kind in order to. Dr felix eigenbrod, lecturer in ecology and ecosystem services at the university of southampton, led the study while at the university of sheffield. 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. Pimentel introduction a h e a l t h y and prudently managed environment is a major benefit to humans and other species. The effects of population growth are varied and vast. Population and the environment the link between population growth and environmental impact seems obvious at first glance. Humans impact the physical environment in many ways.
Effects of overpopulation onthe environment schooled by. In this chapter, learn more about the ins and outs of this impact. These negative impacts can affect human behavior and can prompt mass migrations or battles over clean water. The journal publishes cuttingedge research that contributes new insights on the complex, reciprocal links between human populations and the natural environment in all regions and countries of the world. The changes in human environment increases the incidence of many diseases. The sole social science journal focused on interdisciplinary research on social demographic aspects of environmental issues. One of the factors responsible for environment degradation is population growth or population density. Human impacts on the environment national geographic society. Human population growth and its effect environmental. Researchers investigated how a projected 16 per cent increase in the human population in britain by 2031 would affect key ecosystem services depending on how cities expanded to meet the growing demand.
This rapid growth in the human population has significant effects on the physical environment by generating pollution, influencing climate change and threatening species diversity. Overall, eight of the twentytwo pacific countries are now predominantly urban. Overpopulation can further be viewed, in a long term perspective, as existing when a population cannot be maintained given the rapid depletion of nonrenewable resources or given the degradation of the capacity of the environment to give support to the population. The population growth of india from 1951 to 2001 is presented in table 1. Global population growth creates environmental problems. The term human overpopulation also refers to the relationship between the entire. Changes like these have triggered climate change, soil erosion, poor air quality, and undrinkable water. A new environment over the past few years there has been a tremendous increase in the human population, which is having a constant effect on our environment. Human health and environment the huge population pressurizes and degrades the environment physically, chemically and biologically. Help your students understand the impact humans have on the. It can lead to the deforestation, water pollution, and air pollution.
There is an inverse relationship existing between population growth and environment as overpopulation will lead to adverse effect on the environment. Environmental effects of human population growth emerge from interactions between national economic development and. Human geography effects of population on the environment. Population affects the course of national economic development. Pdf rapid population growth effects on environment. Nature and natural resources are destroyed as human populations grow. The impact of human population growth on the worlds. What are the environmental impacts of human population. Human population growth and the environment an overview human population growth and the environment human population an explosive growth human needs limited resources our natural environment under attack roles of technology and engineering an uncertain future humans are recent arrivals earth 5 billion years multicell biota 600 million years.
It can be a tough subject to pinpoint exactly, but one of the ways we can begin to do that is through investigating one of the ways that human population growth affects the planet most visibly. The challenge for environmental management david pimentel, x. Impact of population growth complacency concerning this component of mans predicament is unjustified and counterproductive. Impact of a growing population on natural resources. How does human population growth affect the environment. Victor fodeke, an expert on waste management and environmental issues, to discuss how population impacts the environment. World population growth and environmental degradation. Human population impacts environment science in many ways.
In particular, population density plays the most important role in shaping the socioeconomic environment. Even differences in fertility rates between urban and rural regions, which were prominent until the midtwentieth century, have almost disappeared. Human population effects on the environment chapter summary. Effects of population growth and urbanization in the pacific islands more than 35 percent of the people of the pacific islands live and work in towns, and the rate of urban population growth throughout most of the region is high figure 1. Variation in population growth is therefore not rooted in different levels of human development or broad cultural values, factors that could also affect the environment. Environmental impacts of population growth big societies consume more resources compared to small ones, patterns of consumption and choices of technology may result in more environmental impacts compared to the number of people. The ipat equation, first devised in the 1970s, is a way of determining environmental degradation based on a multiple of factors. How is the environment affected by the growth of human population. Its effects are felt on the natural environment also. Population growth, ecosystem services and human wellbeing. Some scientists fear that global warming will lead to rising sea levels and extreme weather. In the end, population growth plays a key role in environmental sustainability. Rising populations put increasing demands on natural resources such as.
Population and the environment the impact of population growth on economic development is a complex issue. In fact, the growth of the human species is the main factor in. The formula for exponential population growth is nn 0 e rt where n 0 is the starting population, e is a logarithmic constant 2. If the human population continues to grow unchecked, the effects of overpopulation on the environment will leave us with a planet no longer be able to sustain us. How population growth impacts the environment wecyclers. What are environmental problems due to population growth. It could reach 8 billion by 2025, 9 billion by 2040, and a whopping 11 billion by 2100. Population is growing rapidly, far outpacing the ability of our planet to support it, given current practices. The recent resident evil the final chapter movie has the answer for thissort of. Human population and the environment 215 3 to 4 billion, in 14 years. Population growth, ecosystem services and human wellbeing by lynne gaffikin. An island once lush with diverse plant and animal species and fertile volcanic soil became nearly uninhabitable 1,300. Population growth and its impacts on nature and natural resources.
Since populations can grow exponentially, resource depletion can occur rapidly, leading to specific environmental concerns such as global warming, deforestation and decreasing biodiversity. Start the discussion today with the notion of sustainability. In september of 2009, the journal environment and urbanization showed that the places where population is growing the fastest are those where carbon emissions have been growing most slowly. Various diseases hiv aids, tb, malaria, water borne diseases.
In order to diminish negative impacts on the worlds resources by increasing human population growth, many strategies for sustainability, improvements, and technological advances should be researched, studied, considered, and implemented. The world population is about 6 billion and is projected to reach 10 billion by 2040 pimentel. The state of health of people depends on clean environment. Human population has had a significant impact on the environment.
As might be imagined population growth has positive and negative effects on development. Effects of population growth on environment this is not the latest jackpot prize, but 6. Population growth is the increase in the number of people living in a particular area. The geometric rise in human population levels during the twentieth century is the fundamental cause of the loss of biodiversity. New technologies may lead to better management and distribution of resources. To what extent does human population growth impact global warming, and what can be done. Although the global rate of human population growth peaked around 1963, the number of people living on earth and sharing finite resources like water and food has grown by more than twothirds since then, topping out at over seven and a half billion today, and human population is expected to exceed nine billion by 2050. The effects of population growth on the physical environment. What is affecting our environment 31 what is affecting our environment 31. Between 1980 and 2005, 63% of the worlds population growth took place in countries with very low emissions. Populations in developed countries trend toward using substantially. Population growth affect ecosystem services university. Holdren the interlocking crises in popula tion, resources, and environment have been the focus of countless papers, dozens of.
Chapter 1 effects of population growth and urbanization in. Does the rate at which people are reproducing need to be controlled to save the environment. But so do modern institutions such as competitive markets, flexible public policies and wellrun government programs, which help economies adjust to the rapid changes produced by population growth. A number of theoriesoften subscribed to by demographersstate that population is one of a number of variables that affect the environment and that rapid population growth simply exacerbates other conditions such as bad governance, civil conflict, wars, polluting technologies, or distortionary policies. Of the many organizations involved in researching and discussing these associations, the international social science council established a working committee on population and the environment, which held a symposium in january 1991. The total population size of india had grown from 361 million in 1951 to around 1027 million in 2001. This article originally published on 11618 and was updated on 52119 to include solutions to reversing the effects of overpopulation.
Human population effects on the environment videos. The consequences of such an event are severe and major. The population of india increased by three times during the period of 19512001. With more people coming, how is this going to affect the. The effects of human overpopulation have been documented in the history of easter island, where a human population with finite resources was nearly wiped out when their consumption increased beyond what the island could sustain.
One of the largest environmental effects of human population growth is the problem of global warming. The effect of population growth on the environment. All life on earth obtains its food and other necessities from this environment. Growth of human population and its effect on the environment. As population growth accelerates, human demand for space and resources increases. Thats more than seven billion three hundred million bodies that need to be fed, clothed, kept warm and ideally, nurtured and educated. Effects of population growth on environment essay 2373 words.
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