Category: Overpopulation

Intro

Overpopulation refers to a situation where the number of people surpasses the carrying capacity of the environment. This phenomenon leads to various challenges, including environmental degradation, unemployment, and resource depletion. Overpopulation is about the number of people, the resources available and how humans utilize them. As the global population grows, understanding and addressing the implications of overpopulation becomes increasingly critical. This essay explores the multifaceted aspects of overpopulation, analyzing its causes, effects, and potential solutions through essays of varying lengths.

The root of overpopulation can often be traced to factors such as improved healthcare leading to lower mortality rates, high birth rates in certain regions, and migration due to various socio-economic reasons. These factors collectively contribute to a rapid increase in population density, particularly in urban areas. The consequences of this rapid growth are far-reaching. Environmental concerns include the overuse of natural resources, increased pollution, and loss of biodiversity. Socially and economically, overpopulation can strain infrastructure, increase job competition, and intensify poverty and inequality. Understanding these implications is crucial for developing effective strategies to manage population growth sustainably. This essay series will delve into these aspects, providing a comprehensive view of overpopulation’s challenges and exploring diverse perspectives and solutions.

100 Words Essay on Overpopulation

Overpopulation is a pressing issue where the number of people exceeds the Earth’s capacity to sustain them. It leads to problems like scarcity of resources, environmental degradation, and increased competition for jobs and housing. Rapid population growth, often driven by high birth rates and improved healthcare, challenges our planet’s ability to provide for everyone. Overpopulation demands immediate attention and action to ensure sustainable living conditions for current and future generations. This growth strains the food supply, depletes energy and water resources, and exacerbates climate change effects. Addressing it requires global cooperation in implementing sustainable practices and policies, emphasizing responsible resource use and family planning.

250 Words Essay on Overpopulation

Overpopulation occurs when the number of people in a given area exceeds its capacity to sustain them comfortably. This issue is becoming increasingly significant today, leading to numerous environmental and social challenges. The root causes of overpopulation include reduced mortality rates, improved medical facilities, lack of family planning, and migration to more densely populated areas.

The impact of overpopulation is profound. Environmentally, it leads to the depletion of natural resources, increased pollution, and loss of biodiversity. Socially, it contributes to unemployment, poverty, inadequate public health facilities, and strained educational systems. The competition for limited resources also exacerbates issues like hunger and conflict.

Addressing overpopulation requires a multifaceted approach. Education is key in raising awareness about family planning and sustainable living practices. Governments and organizations must work together to provide access to birth control and healthcare services. Additionally, policies aimed at sustainable resource management and environmental protection are crucial. The challenge is to stabilize population growth and create a balance where our planet can sustainably support the human population.

Furthermore, innovative urban planning and infrastructure solutions can help manage the effects of population density. Developing sustainable agricultural practices, investing in renewable energy, and promoting efficient water and waste management are essential. Economic incentives and support systems can encourage smaller family norms, while international cooperation is crucial for addressing migration-related aspects of overpopulation. Empowering women through education and economic opportunities is a proven strategy to lower birth rates and promote sustainable community development. Overall, addressing overpopulation requires a collective effort that integrates environmental conservation, social equity, and economic sustainability.

400 Words Essay on Overpopulation

Overpopulation is a complex issue characterized by the number of individuals surpassing the ecological capacity of their environment. It is a global concern with far-reaching implications for the environment, economy, and society. The primary causes of overpopulation include decreased mortality rates due to medical advancements, lack of effective family planning methods, cultural norms favoring large families, and migration to urban areas.

The consequences of overpopulation are multifaceted. Environmentally, it leads to excessive consumption of natural resources, resulting in resource depletion and environmental degradation. This includes deforestation, loss of biodiversity, and increased greenhouse gas emissions, contributing to climate change. Social implications encompass strained healthcare and educational systems, increased unemployment, and escalated housing problems. Economically, overpopulation can lead to higher levels of poverty as the growth in population outpaces economic development.

Solutions to overpopulation must be as complex as the issue itself. Education and awareness are crucial; people need to understand the impact of overpopulation and the importance of family planning. Governments and NGOs should focus on providing access to education and healthcare, particularly in reproductive health and birth control methods. Economic development, especially in rural areas, can also help mitigate overpopulation by reducing the dependency on having more children for labor.

Sustainable practices in resource management and urban planning are essential. Policies must promote efficient resource use, renewable energy, and sustainable agriculture. Encouraging smaller family norms culturally can also play a significant role. International cooperation is vital in addressing overpopulation, as it is a global issue that transcends national boundaries.

Additionally, technological innovations in agriculture, water conservation, and waste management can help alleviate resource pressure. Investment in these areas can yield long-term benefits in sustaining a growing population. Urban planning must be reimagined to create more livable and efficient cities that accommodate the increasing population without straining resources. This includes developing public transportation systems, creating green spaces, and ensuring sustainable housing.

Promoting gender equality is another crucial aspect of addressing overpopulation. Empowering women through education, economic opportunities, and reproductive rights can lead to a natural decline in birth rates. Furthermore, global policy frameworks must recognize and address the links between population growth and climate change. Policies should integrate population factors into climate change mitigation and adaptation strategies.

In conclusion, overpopulation is a multidimensional challenge that requires a coordinated and comprehensive approach. It involves a combination of education, healthcare, economic development, sustainable resource management, technological innovation, urban planning, gender equality, and international collaboration.

500 Words Essay on Overpopulation

Overpopulation is an increasingly critical global issue, where the number of people exceeds the capacity of the environment to support life at a decent standard of living. The phenomenon has profound implications on the environment, socio-economic structures, and overall quality of life.

The causes of overpopulation are varied and complex. They include improved healthcare leading to lower mortality rates, lack of access to family planning, cultural preferences for larger families, and urban migration. Technological advancements have also contributed by extending human lifespans and improving agricultural productivity, thus supporting larger populations.

The impact of overpopulation is extensive and multifaceted. On an environmental level, it leads to the overuse of natural resources, habitat destruction, and increased pollution, which contributes to climate change. This ecological strain compromises the health of the planet and, by extension, the health of its inhabitants. Socially, overpopulation results in overcrowded cities, increased demand for housing, and overstretched public services like healthcare and education. Economically, it can hinder development, as the rapid increase in population might outpace economic growth, leading to higher unemployment rates and poverty.

Addressing the challenges of overpopulation requires a comprehensive approach. Education and awareness campaigns are fundamental in promoting family planning and the importance of smaller family units. Access to education, particularly for women, has been shown to correlate with reduced birth rates. Governments and international organizations must also provide access to reproductive healthcare and birth control.

Economic development plays a significant role in addressing overpopulation. By improving economic conditions, particularly in rural areas, families may not need more children for economic support. Development initiatives should focus on creating sustainable livelihoods, improving agricultural practices, and providing market access.

Sustainable resource management is crucial. Policies should aim to reduce resource consumption, promote renewable energy sources, and support sustainable agricultural practices. Urban planning must also adapt to accommodate growing populations sustainably. This includes developing efficient public transport systems, creating green spaces, and ensuring adequate housing.

Lastly, international cooperation is key. Overpopulation is a global issue that requires a coordinated response. Policies and programs need to be implemented internationally to manage the challenges posed by overpopulation effectively.

In conclusion, overpopulation is a complex environmental, social, and economic issue. It requires a multifaceted approach that includes education, healthcare, economic development, sustainable resource management, and international cooperation. Proactively addressing overpopulation can ensure a sustainable and prosperous future for future generations.

To address this issue further, governments and communities must also focus on innovative solutions such as vertical farming and smart city designs to optimize space use. In addition, fostering a global dialogue on sustainable lifestyles and consumption patterns is necessary to mitigate the impacts of overpopulation. Cultivating a global consciousness about the value of sustainable living and the importance of resource conservation is vital. This collective effort can enable a transition to a more balanced and sustainable world where economic growth, environmental stewardship, and societal well-being are harmoniously integrated.

Introduction

The phenomenon of overpopulation represents a critical juncture in the trajectory of human civilization, challenging our capacity to sustainably inhabit the planet we call home. With the global population surpassing 7.8 billion and projections set to exceed 9.7 billion by 2050, the implications of this demographic surge demand meticulous analysis and proactive intervention. This essay embarks on an analytical exploration of the multifaceted impacts of overpopulation, probing into its far-reaching effects on socio-economic structures, ecological systems, and global stability.

At its core, overpopulation engenders a precarious imbalance between human needs and the finite resources of our planet. The exponential growth in population exacerbates pressures on essential resources such as food, water, and energy, magnifying disparities and straining ecosystems. Additionally, rapid urbanization driven by population growth places immense stress on infrastructure, healthcare systems, and social services, hindering equitable development and exacerbating inequalities.

Moreover, overpopulation catalyzes complex socio-political dynamics, fueling conflicts over resources, exacerbating poverty, and driving mass migration. These interlinked challenges underscore the urgent need for holistic approaches to population management, encompassing sustainable development strategies, equitable resource allocation, and universal access to reproductive health services.

In light of these complexities, confronting overpopulation demands nuanced understanding, visionary leadership, and concerted global cooperation. Failure to address this issue risks perpetuating socio-economic disparities, exacerbating environmental degradation, and undermining the prospects for a thriving future for humanity.

100 Words Essay about Overpopulation

The burgeoning global population, surpassing 7.8 billion, poses a formidable challenge to sustainable development. This demographic surge strains finite resources, exacerbates socio-economic disparities, and accelerates environmental degradation. Rapid urbanization magnifies infrastructure strains, while escalating consumption patterns heighten pollution and climate change. Overpopulation fuels conflicts over resources and drives mass migration, complicating socio-political dynamics. Addressing this crisis necessitates holistic solutions, including comprehensive family planning initiatives, sustainable development strategies, and equitable resource distribution. Failure to mitigate overpopulation risks perpetuating inequality, jeopardizing ecosystems, and undermining global stability. An analytical approach, coupled with proactive intervention, is imperative to navigate the complexities of the overpopulation predicament.

250 Words Essay about Overpopulation

The global population, currently exceeding 7.8 billion, stands as a monumental challenge confronting humanity. Overpopulation manifests as a complex web of interlinked issues, exerting profound impacts on socio-economic structures, ecological systems, and geopolitical stability. This essay undertakes a critical analysis of the multifaceted implications of overpopulation, emphasizing the urgency of proactive intervention and comprehensive strategies.

At its core, overpopulation engenders a stark imbalance between human needs and the finite resources of our planet. The exponential growth in population exacerbates pressures on essential resources such as food, water, and energy, magnifying disparities and straining ecosystems. Additionally, rapid urbanization, spurred by population growth, places immense stress on infrastructure, healthcare systems, and social services, hindering equitable development and exacerbating inequalities.

Furthermore, the environmental toll of overpopulation is profound and pervasive. Accelerated consumption patterns and industrialization contribute to habitat destruction, pollution, and climate change, imperiling biodiversity and jeopardizing the resilience of natural ecosystems.

Moreover, overpopulation catalyzes complex socio-political dynamics, fueling conflicts over resources, exacerbating poverty, and driving mass migration. These interlinked challenges underscore the urgent need for holistic approaches to population management, encompassing sustainable development strategies, equitable resource allocation, and universal access to reproductive health services.

In light of these complexities, confronting overpopulation demands nuanced understanding, visionary leadership, and concerted global cooperation. Failure to address this issue risks perpetuating socio-economic disparities, exacerbating environmental degradation, and undermining the prospects for a thriving future for humanity. An analytical approach, coupled with proactive intervention, is imperative to navigate the complexities of the overpopulation conundrum and forge a sustainable path forward.

400 Words Essay about Overpopulation

Overpopulation stands as one of the most pressing issues facing humanity in the 21st century. With the global population surging past 7.8 billion and projections indicating further growth to 9.7 billion by 2050, the ramifications of overpopulation permeate every aspect of human existence. In this analytical essay, we delve into the complex dynamics of overpopulation, scrutinizing its causes, impacts, and potential solutions.

At its core, overpopulation arises from a combination of factors, including high fertility rates, increased life expectancy, and inadequate access to family planning services. In regions where cultural norms, lack of education, and socioeconomic factors perpetuate large family sizes, population growth outpaces the capacity of societies to sustainably support their inhabitants.

The impacts of overpopulation are manifold and far-reaching. One of the most immediate consequences is the strain it places on essential resources such as food, water, and energy. As the population expands, demand for these resources escalates, leading to scarcity, competition, and inequitable distribution. Furthermore, rapid urbanization driven by population growth exacerbates pressure on infrastructure, healthcare systems, and social services, often resulting in overcrowding, inadequate housing, and disparities in access to basic amenities.

Moreover, overpopulation exerts immense pressure on the environment, contributing to habitat destruction, biodiversity loss, and climate change. Accelerated industrialization and urban sprawl lead to deforestation, pollution, and the degradation of ecosystems, threatening the delicate balance of nature and jeopardizing the planet’s ability to sustain life.

Additionally, overpopulation fuels socio-political tensions and exacerbates security risks. Competition for scarce resources can spark conflicts, exacerbate social inequalities, and drive mass migration. The influx of people into already overcrowded urban centers strains host communities, exacerbates social tensions, and poses challenges for governance and security.

Addressing the complex challenge of overpopulation requires a multifaceted approach. Comprehensive family planning programs and access to reproductive healthcare services are essential to empower individuals and families to make informed choices about their reproductive health. Education, particularly for women and girls, plays a crucial role in changing cultural norms and promoting smaller family sizes. Additionally, sustainable development strategies that prioritize resource efficiency, environmental conservation, and equitable economic growth are imperative to mitigate the impacts of overpopulation on the planet and its inhabitants.

In conclusion, overpopulation represents a significant threat to human well-being and environmental sustainability. By understanding its causes, recognizing its impacts, and implementing proactive solutions, we can work towards a future where population growth is balanced with the planet’s capacity to support life, ensuring a more equitable and sustainable world for generations to come.

500 Words Essay about Overpopulation

Overpopulation stands as one of the most pressing challenges of our time, with profound implications for social, economic, and environmental well-being. This essay delves into the complex dynamics of overpopulation, exploring its causes, consequences, and potential remedies.

Causes of Overpopulation. Several factors contribute to the phenomenon of overpopulation. Firstly, advancements in healthcare have led to a significant decrease in mortality rates, particularly in developing countries. While this is undoubtedly a positive development, it has resulted in an imbalance between birth and death rates, leading to population growth. Additionally, cultural and religious beliefs often encourage large families, further exacerbating the issue. Lack of access to family planning services, particularly in rural areas, also plays a significant role in driving high birth rates.

Effects of Overpopulation. The impacts of overpopulation are far-reaching and multifaceted. One of the most immediate consequences is the strain on resources, including food, water, and energy. As the population grows, demand for these essential resources increases, leading to scarcity and competition. This can result in food insecurity, water shortages, and energy crises, particularly in densely populated regions.

Furthermore, overpopulation places immense pressure on infrastructure and services, particularly in urban areas. Cities become overcrowded, leading to inadequate housing, congestion, and overwhelmed healthcare and education systems. This can exacerbate social inequalities and contribute to social unrest and instability.

Economically, overpopulation can lead to unemployment, poverty, and decreased quality of life. With a surplus of labor, wages may decrease, making it difficult for individuals to escape poverty. Moreover, increased demand for goods and services can strain supply chains and lead to inflation, further eroding purchasing power.

From an environmental perspective, overpopulation poses significant challenges. Increased human activity leads to habitat destruction, deforestation, and pollution, threatening biodiversity and ecosystems. Moreover, overconsumption of resources and production of waste contribute to climate change, exacerbating its impacts on the planet.

Solutions to Overpopulation. Addressing overpopulation requires a holistic approach that addresses its root causes while mitigating its effects. Education plays a crucial role in empowering individuals, particularly women, to make informed choices about family planning. Access to contraception and reproductive health services must be improved, particularly in underserved communities.

Additionally, investments in healthcare and social services are essential for reducing fertility rates and improving quality of life. By providing access to maternal and child healthcare, as well as education and economic opportunities for women, societies can achieve smaller, healthier families.

Policy interventions are also necessary to address overpopulation effectively. Governments must implement measures to promote sustainable development, including urban planning strategies that prioritize efficient land use and infrastructure development. Moreover, incentives for smaller families, such as tax breaks or subsidies, can encourage individuals to make responsible reproductive choices.

In conclusion, overpopulation presents a complex challenge with profound implications for society, the economy, and the environment. By addressing its root causes through education, healthcare, and policy interventions, we can work towards a more balanced and sustainable future for all. Balancing the scales of population growth is essential for ensuring the well-being of current and future generations.

Introduction

[image: ]ASEAN countries are some of those who suffer the most from overpopulation in the world. The majority of the member states have a small landmass, like Singapore (the smallest with 714 square kilometres) or Indonesia (1,86 million square kilometres) and an elevated population, the result of many centuries of colonisation and poverty. However, in recent years, economies have been developing, leading to a diminution of family sizes, going, in some cases, down to an average of 0.86 children per family (South Korea). This rapid urbanisation and sudden change in population output leads to massive issues with overpopulation, heightened by the lack of space. Many nations are turning towards different types of solutions to reduce their overpopulation; however, the majority of these solutions are unsustainable and sometimes detrimental to the nation itself. Overpopulation is truly becoming a crucial topic for the majority of ASEAN.Figure 1: Map from Brilliant Maps; more people live within the circle than outside it

Definition of Key Terms

Overpopulation:

A population density that is detrimental to the environment, the quality of life and can even cause a population crash. It is caused, the vast majority of the time, by high birth rates, lower economic status of the nation or a high level of immigration.

Demographic:

Which pertains to the balance of population especially in regard to density. It can also be used in terms of the population density to landmass ratio.

Demographics:

The characteristics of a population of a nation, more specifically regarding markets.

LEDC (Less Economically Developed Countries):

LEDCs are difficult to define due to the fluctuations in global economies. They tend to have a higher mortality rate, a lower level of education, healthcare and construction. LEDCs have higher populations than MEDCs, due to a higher birth rate, and are often used by MEDCs to outsource labour for western projects (textile companies outsourcing their fabrication to nations like India, Indonesia or Taiwan).

MEDC (More Economically Developed Country):

MEDCs are the leaders in globalization and have the most control over global trade, finances and intervention. They tend to control much of the actions of the UN (due to a near monopoly over Security Council) and thus almost all international affairs are heavily influenced by MEDCs. They have the strongest economies and have better healthcare, education and urban systems, with often lower birth rates.

Baby boom:

A temporary marked rise in the birthrate.

General Overview

Overpopulation is caused globally by different factors, although the two largest are high birth rates and a high level on immigration (coupled with low emigration).

High birth rates are incredibly common in LEDCs and immigrants coming from LEDCs into MEDCs.

[image: Résultat de recherche d’images pour ‘south korea population collapse’]Much of ASEAN are current or former LEDCs, such as Myanmar, Laos and Indonesia, and with these nations comes the characteristics of LEDCs in the modern world. Their status means that they have a lower level of development compared to the richer nations of the world, MEDCs, and a lower industrialization than the NICs (Newly Industrialized Countries, like China or India), and therefore a lower level of education, healthcare and infrastructure. However, in the modern world of globalization in which the status of nations is relative and in constant evolution, these factors change all the time, which leads to the main issue concerning overpopulation in this specific region. Many countries in the ASEAN+ region have evolved in the last couple of decades from “Third World” countries (A term that is now no longer in use since we have an understanding of the relativity of global poverty) and with this rapid evolution come issues that were solved by the slow evolution of Western nations, notably the sudden drop in family size. As countries pursue their rapid and drastic development in recent decades, the fertility rate is seen to be dropping far swifter than any other nations on the planet, especially in LEDCs that have become MEDCs far faster than any other nation in history. As an example, take South Korea. According to an article in The Guardian (Benjamin Haas, September 2018), South Korea’s birth rate is set to fall to an all time low of 0.96, much lower than the expected global fertility rate in 2100, of two births per woman. In South Korea, one of the main issues is women marrying at an older age than in other nations, the average woman having their first child at 31.6 years of age, making it biologically difficult to have more than one child. Indeed, their number of babies born in 2017 (357,000) is far lower than the number that it was a decade ago, 493,000. This collapse in birth rates is fairly common amongst all nations in ASEAN undergoing a Figure 2: A chart explaining the fluctuations in South Korea’s population from 1950

[image: Résultat de recherche d’images pour ‘how much has japan spent on people over 65’]rapid development or indeed a rapid transition from LEDC to MEDC, as are many of them. Although a lack of births could be seen as an asset for reducing the issue of overpopulation, the result is a sudden drop in the number of young people, and a bulge of elderly people who are, in many cases, unable to work and therefore contribute to the development of the nation. This swell of older citizens can be detrimental to the workforce since many are over the retirement age and are therefore either physically or mentally incapable of working for their nation and aiding their development. Individuals over 65, although some are put to work, like in Japan, tend to need funding for their pension, healthcare and other needs that they cannot pay for themselves and that are therefore coming from the state. This can effectively make it difficult for governments with ageing populations at the heart of their overpopulation issues to grow economically. For example, Japan has the oldest population in the world, with a projected ratio of over 1 in 3 individuals being over 65 by 2040. Their system for taking care of their elderly is one of the most sophisticated globally, with large international powers like the UK being told to take notes from them in order to better care for their elderly population. However, this demographic that, in many cases, cannot work, are also costing the government economic growth, according to the IMF (International Monetary Fund). The IMF states that, as of early 2018, Japan was set to be the slowest growing G7 economy that year. Their GDP is currently the second lowest of the G7 nations, the lowest being Italy with a GDP of 1.9 billion USD, and shrinking labor force seems to be the main cause of the issue:” The impact of ageing could potentially drag down Japan’s average annual GDP growth by 1 percentage point over the next three decades” (IMF).

Inversely, the other main factor in overpopulation in the ASEAN region is the poverty-large families circle. ASEAN is a very split region, with massive wealth divides between MEDCs, such as South Korea, Singapore and Japan, and LEDCs, such as Indonesia, Cambodia and Lao PR, and so issues faced by the former group are not identical those of the latter group. So, while MEDCs face the issue of a large swell in their elderly population, LEDCs tend to suffer from a high birth rate linked to large families. Although it is commonly thought that poverty leads to overpopulation, or vice versa, that is not entirely factual, as indeed, they influence each other. Poverty tends to induce large families as parents will want to produce as many possible bread-winners within one family, but this leads to overpopulation in many cases. Overpopulation further induces poverty in the nation as the sheer amount of people leads to a large demographic of uneducated manual labour who demand supplies and do little for the nation in terms of high-ranking jobs, which are mainly carried out by a caste of elite or wealthy families who are able to educate their children and have no need for large families. And the cycle continues. Nations in which this is especially noteworthy include Indonesia, India and Cambodia. The Philippines suffers in particular from this issue, with a notably high fertility rate. Its population amounted to roughly 100 million inhabitants in 2014 and reached 104.9 million inhabitants in 2017, with an incredibly high percentage of the population being under 15, and therefore unable to work effectively for the nation. Rosalinda Marcelino, Population Commission director for Metro Manila, told the House Committee on Population, that “…More than 50% of [Filipinos] are young and, in due time, would become parents. And even if each couple would only have two children, our population will still continue to grow in the next 50 years”. The Philippines can theoretically support a total population of 200 million inhabitants, but only if the cause of their poverty is [image: Résultat de recherche d’images pour ‘the philippines high population’]properly addressed and, ideally, solved. Indeed, the Philippines’ overpopulation trouble, according to the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) who opposed the population equals poverty concern, is the over-concentration of their population in urban areas. They stated, “Our own government statistical office has concluded that there is no overpopulation in the Philippines but only the over-concentration of population in a number of urban centers.”. So it proves incredibly difficult to properly pinpoint the exact cause of the issue of overpopulation, and the solutions that must be introduced.Figure 3: The GDP growth in G7 nations, as published by the IMF through the Financial Times

Figure 4: The Philippines has an incredibly densely packed population, 13th highest in the world

Major Parties Involved

China: China has the largest population in the world, with 1.386 billion people inhabiting its territory. China is well known for having a large population, much of which is concentrated in large cities to the east, like Shanghai, Beijing and Guangzhou. China attempted to solve its population boom with a one-child policy (with exceptions for ethnic minorities, rural couples and 1st children who were disabled). The policy backfired, and so they gradually relaxed the legislation until introducing the two-child policy in 2015 to combat their ageing population. However, many couples rejected the new legislation and continued having only one child.

[image: Résultat de recherche d’images pour ‘china population’]Figure 5: Population predictions comparing China and India

India: India has the second-highest population in the world and it only keeps rising. Their main issue is a lack of education among women in rural areas which tends to lead towards large families. Unlike the stark opposition between the fertility crisis in nations like Singapore and South Korea, and the baby booms in nations like Indonesia and the Philippines, India suffers from a large swell in all demographics, old and young. Its population is roughly 1.20 billion inhabitants, and even some of its regions outnumber entire countries (Uttar Pradesh has a population of 166 million compared to Russia with a population of 146.9 million).

Figure 6: India’s overpopulation issues makes public transportation incredibly difficult

[image: Résultat de recherche d’images pour ‘India overpopulation’]

USA: The USA has the third-largest population on the planet after China and India, with a total of 325.7 million inhabitants, a stark contrast to the other two nations, who each have populations that exceed 1 billion. The US has one of largest landmasses that is almost entirely inhabitable (unlike Canada, Russia or Australia which all have large areas that are uninhabitable) with a strong emphasis on religion in its society, which can easily explain the high population number.

WHO: The World Health Organisation has a section dedicated to monitoring the world population and population numbers in various areas, and predicting the health impact in those areas of their population (airborne diseases, toxic gasses linked to large cities, etc.)

World Bank: The World Bank also has a section dedicated to monitoring the numbers of the population all over the globe. They specialize notably in the evolution if the population since the mid-20th century.

UN Commission on population and development: The UN commission for population and development was created in 1946 by the Economic and Social Council of the UN but was renamed in the UN Resolution 49/128 of 19 December 1994. They advise the Council on population evolution and trends and see to the proper implementation of the Programme of Action of the International Conference on Population and Development on various levels (national, regional, local) and further advise the Council.

Timeline of Key Events

• 18th century: The Industrial Revolution leads to one of the first global baby booms, with the global population reaching an estimated 1 billion by the end of the century.
• 1940: The world population reaches 2.3 billion people, and over the years, the time it takes to gain a billion global inhabitants reduces with each billion.
• 3 October 1946: The Economic and Social Council creates the Population Commission to monitor the global population.
• 1950: The global population growth begins to dramatically increase with the boost in agricultural production know as the Green Revolution
• 1976: India begins its emergency sterilization process that would kill thousands and leave a lasting impact on future generations
• 1980: China officially implements the one child policy as a temporary One-Generational policy to reduce their rapidly growing population, formerly encouraged by Chairman Mao as part of the great leap forward.
• 1994: The Population Commission is officially renamed the UN Commission for Population and Development
• November 2018: The world population reaches its highest point of 7.7 billion inhabitants, many of which are situated in South and South-East Asia (ASEAN+)

Previous attempts to resolve the issue

There have been many previous attempts to resolve overpopulation, the most notable of which was China’s one child policy. Established in 1979, the one-child policy essentially prevented families from having more than one child, although exceptions were introduced for ethnic minorities and rural families whose first child was a girl. The Chinese government claims this legislation prevented 400 million births until its repeal to a two-child policy in 2015. It is predicted that this policy will have eliminated a possible 1 billion births by 2060.However, this legislation proved, clearly, ineffective and detrimental to Chinese society as many women were forced to have unsafe abortions and/or sterilisations, and many families chose to get rid of their first-born if it turned out to be female, due to China’s patriarchal system that prioritises men. This ultimately led to a deficiency in women, according to the National Population and Family Planning Commission, there will be approximately 30 million more men than women in China. Women from nearby countries, such as Myanmar, Laos and Vietnam, suffered as well, often being forced into the sex industry for a female-deprived society run by men.

[image: Résultat de recherche d’images pour ‘china one child policy’]In 1975’s India Sanjay Ghandi, son of former Prime Minister Indira Ghandi, launched a dark and violent act to help lower the population levels. Encouraged by funding from the World Bank and the UN Population Fund (amongst others), they began a program of male sterilization that turned violent and forceful. Around 6.2 million men were sterilized in a year, “which was ’15 times the number of people sterilised by the Nazis’, according to science journalist Mara Hvistendahl” (BBC) and over two thousand men died from the process. However, this process has not stopped, and the focus has moved to women, as 4 million sterilizations were carried out between 2013-2014, although over 700 deaths have occurred between 2009 and 2012. According to the BBC article written by Soutik Biswas in 2014, it is not only India that carries out forced sterilizations and abortions, but also China during the era of the one-child policy (mainly since the 1980s) and the health affects can be disastrous to the poor women who are most often sterilized, due to the lack of affordable healthcare in many of these nations. Figure 7: Poster promoting the one child policy in China

Possible Solutions

Finding possible solutions can be difficult for overpopulation, as many solutions are either medium-term and therefore are unsustainable on a long-term basis. Nations such as Japan are turning more and more towards immigration to solve their diminishing workforce, but again, this is unsustainable on a long term, especially due to their issues based on population-land ratio. Japan’s population is already becoming unsustainable for the size of the archipelago, who’s nature forces the inhabitants to live on the coastline due to the mountain and volcano ranges in the center of the islands. The population is incredibly densely urbanised, living in massive cities filled with apartment blocks and prioritizing bureaucratic industry. Some ASEAN nations are also attempting to recruit more women into the workforce, in an endeavor to optimize their working population, but also based on the principle that working women prioritise their families less and will have fewer children. [image: Résultat de recherche d’images pour ‘women workplace malaysia’]Figure 8: One way for Malaysia to further develop is having women in the workplace

In order for proper economic development and the halt of large families, what truly needs to be done is the education of women, as educated women tend to have far fewer children and later in their lives. It is also likely that these women will go into the workforce and aid the nation through their actions. Another solution to prevent overpopulation is showing the importance of contraception in all its forms. Governments should propose, perhaps, publicity program, or lectures on safe, effective contraception, and the removal of high taxes on contraception. Finally, removing the stigma around abortion and proposing funding for safe and accessible abortions would also help in keeping the birth rate down.

Appendix/Appendices

• Further, in depth reading can be done with the UN Population Plan of Action, providing an incredibly detailed and thorough view of the global population and solutions to this crisis (link here): http://www.un.org/popin/icpd/conference/bkg/wppa.html
• The Un Commission on Population and Development has various sessions, one per year, and while the topic changes, it can be interesting to look through at certain sessions that apply to this issue and see what they put in place: http://www.un.org/en/development/desa/population/commission/sessions/index.shtml

Bibliography

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2. “China’s Two-Child Policy Is Having Unintended Consequences.” The Economist, The Economist Newspaper, 26 July 2018, www.economist.com/china/2018/07/26/chinas-two-child-policy-is-having-unintended-consequences.
3. Choudhury, Saheli Roy. “East Asia’s Latest Worry: Aging Population.” CNBC, CNBC, 10 Dec. 2015, www.cnbc.com/2015/12/08/east-asia-could-be-in-trouble-due-to-aging-population-world-bank-says.html.
4. Hayes, Adrian C., and Zhongwei Zhao. “Population Prospects in East and Southeast Asia.” East Asia Forum, 30 Jan. 2012, www.eastasiaforum.org/2012/01/30/population-prospects-in-east-and-southeast-asia/.
5. Investments, Indonesia. “Indonesia Investments.” Indonesia-Investments, 18 Mar. 2016, www.indonesia-investments.com/news/news-columns/family-planning-program-of-indonesia-a-strategic-investment/item6615.
6. Kweifio-Okai, Carla, and Josh Holder. “Over-Populated or under-Developed? The Real Story of Population Growth.” The Guardian, Guardian News and Media, 28 June 2016, www.theguardian.com/global-development/datablog/2016/jun/28/over-populated-or-under-developed-real-story-population-growth.
7. “Leveraging on ASEAN’s Growing Economy to Tackle ASEAN’s Ageing Population.” ERIA: Economic Research Institute for ASEAN and East Asia, 1 Dec. 2017, www.eria.org/news-and-views/leveraging-on-aseans-growing-economy-to-tackle-aseans-ageing-population/.
8. Nair, Chandran. “Population Prospects in East and Southeast Asia.” East Asia Forum, 30 Jan. 2012, www.eastasiaforum.org/2012/01/30/population-prospects-in-east-and-southeast-asia/.
9. Romei, Valentina. “How Japan’s Ageing Population Is Shrinking GDP.” Financial Times, Financial Times, 16 May 2018, www.ft.com/content/7ce47bd0-545f-11e8-b3ee-41e0209208ec.
10. “World Population Plan of Action.” United Nations, United Nations, www.un.org/popin/icpd/conference/bkg/wppa.html.
11. Haarlem Model United Nations 2019 Research Report

The increasing or an extreme number of people occupying a particular area at a certain time within limited space with different mindsets is often termed Overpopulation. The Earth’s total population in 2015 has reached exactly 7.3 billion and was assumed that before 2050 it will increase rapidly up to nine billion or ranges between 9-12 billion. And that suggests it clearly as the actions and outcome of uncontrolled natality rates and or advances in medicine and immigration rates by the population which easily accelerate the changes in ecological niches by destroying all the biomes in different diversities (Sala et al., 2000; UN, 2015). Out of the 49 least civilized countries, their yearly population growth status is exactly 1.2% and these will be tripled by the developing regions in different hemispheres of the globe with an estimation of 1.2% annually in 2009 (UN, 2009). The constant diminishing and degradation of biodiversity will be a classical result of accelerated population growth worldwide (Harte, 2007). Rapid population growth has resulted in a decline in the bio-capacity, that causes desertification and global warming. And these are the points or ideas that will be elaborated further in the following paragraphs.

The human consumption rate of resources is accelerating rapidly when the Earth’s population has boomed over the past years. And that actions simultaneously erupt and rise by putting more pressure on our environment through the continuous elimination of its purity at an alarming rate. And that is often called the decline in Biocapacity. Biocapacity is the sum of resources available to people at a specific moment in time to a specific population, supply and to differentiate it between ecological footprints that is the demand constructive to the half of the growing population in a regional ecosystem. Vinod (2012), stated that; “A rapid growth of the Earth`s population between the previous centuries has provoked the destruction of various biomes in different geographical locations that affects their ecological diversities (niches) by permitting species to extinct’’. An increase in the global population can result in a decrease in the biocapacity. The World`s population increases rapidly at an annual or yearly rate of about 2% between 1960 to 2000, which caused ecological unsustainability which has produced the population growth ability to triple every 35 years (Bloom, 2011). The availability of water at productive hectares of landmasses in a geographical isolation`s Biocapacity tends to sucks up carbon dioxide excretions (Ecological Footprint Atlas, 2010). Biocapacity reduces to extreme points when ecological or environmental resources are under great stress or pressure, and as a result, the total number of the Earth`s population could not be supported fairly in terms of consumption (daily requirements) depending upon the resources available. The WWF Living Planet (2012) stated that; “In 1961, the individual’s biocapacity has reduced from 3.2 global hectares (gha) per capita to somewhat unbelievable figure compared with that of 2002 which was 1.8 gha, despite the rapid changes encountered in overall biocapacity around the globe”. The Ecological follow-ups and traces highlights and points out that a fast-growing population’s needs will not be met in required locations in terms of waste consumption or removal because overpopulated areas would mean more waste being used and the landfills would overflow with waste and absorption (Wackernagel & Rees, 1995). The sustainability of the ecological resources with its utilization and consumption rates can track the availability of resources for later usage. The Ecological Footprint accounts stated that; ‘’ There has been a major demanding increase between 1961 to 2010 in terms of the natural recycling of renewable resources up to 18.1 billion global hectares compared with 7.6 billion hectares back then, accompanied by an indication status that it is unsupportive or not valid (Global Footprint Network, 2015). On the other hand, an ecosystem’s habitat cannot be sustained which results directly in species loss and extinction. For example, overpopulated areas cannot be supported with limited availability of resources. Advances in technology satisfy the increasing demand for human needs and mismanagement of resources contributes or causes the environment to lose its freshness together with other related factors like carelessness such as agricultural practices results in or causes deforestation.

Deforestation is the permanent removal or clearance of large areas of trees. It occurs primarily as a result of overpopulation globally. Forest cover about 30% of the Earth’s landmass and plays an important role in sustaining life in different biological ecosystems globally. Deforestation occurs as the result or consequences of overgrazing, practice of shifting cultivation, adverse effect of industries, need for progress, requirement of raw materials in larger quantities, need for fuelwood and the continuous increase in demand in terms of food supply in order to meet the basic needs and wants of the overpopulated areas with larger populations. Deforestation is a problem that has been happening all over the world that affects many ecosystem functions and has been for many years. Urbanization, agriculture and other developmental reasons or purposes stated above has erased the rainforests at an alarming rate upon human satisfaction. Overpopulated areas tend to sacrifice our rainforests for short term benefits without realizing the long term environmental side effects of it in terms of habitat destruction. In addition to that, continuous rural to urban migration changed forest areas into residences and settlements that forcefully changed or causes the land to lose its life sustainable fertility through bad usage of it. According to the World Migration Report (2015), In India; ‘’the migration rate increased from rural to urban between 1981 to 1991 with a sum of 11 million which then erupted to 19 million from 2001 to 2011’’. And to sustain such bulk of population, more agricultural practices which mean clearance of rainforests must be done or practiced upon the reason to feed many mouths or to meet their daily needs and wants in terms of food. Because agriculture is the major source that causes deforestation widely by clearing hectares of forests in a single minute globally. On the other hand, the natural beauty of the rainforests slowly diminishes when more pressure has been exerted on it which directly promotes species extinction leaving the soil unsupportive or lifeless. The rapid change in population growth resulted in landmass shortage due to the distribution and practices of land usage skills or patterns upon sustainable reasons. Examples include the usage of fuel, wood, agricultural products, timber, and many others. For instance, the result of an economic survey conducted in India in between 1989 to 1999 from Nagdeve, which had been published in 2002 reported or suggests that; ‘’In order for the conversion of large hectare of landmass (rainforest) to residences, agricultural and industrial places, there are certain laws and amended regulations established that govern the individual to act upon in an understanding to preserve and conserve their or our rainforests’’. Although it was a good conservative and preventive measure individuals seem not to understand its risks and consequences due to overpopulated areas with poor educational understanding regarding related environmental issues globally. Moreover, Depletion of natural resources by over-crowded human beings occurs or accelerates nowadays through human attitudes such as hunting of wildlife and cutting down trees unnecessarily accompanied by increased production pollution from agriculture through factories that accelerates ecosystem dysfunction and habitat loss or flora and fauna extinction. The impacts of overpopulation changed our environment greatly. For example, continuous logging, burning of wood and fossil fuels together with other toxic emissions increased carbon dioxide in the atmosphere because there are fewer plants or trees on Earth for the compensation of oxygen for every molecule of absorbed carbon dioxide. Overpopulated towns and cities produced carbon dioxide at a larger amount into the atmosphere daily. Moreover, Deforestation is also described as one of the driving factors behind the enhanced greenhouse effect and does as a contributing factor towards global warming.

Overpopulated areas produce or resulted in a gradual increase in the temperature of the Earth’s atmosphere due to the constant increase of gases such as carbon dioxide that causes a greater change in the general weather conditions in a particular geographical location or area over prolonged periods. And that is often called Climate change. Global climate rapidly changes over the past decades and continues nowadays to a greater extent without nobody’s concern. Carbon dioxide is the most prevalent greenhouse gas in the atmosphere that contributes mainly and badly to global warming. Climate change starts to occur since the industrial revolution begin. Factories, power plants and the usage and burning of fossil fuels such as oil and coal by trucks and vehicles release a large amount of carbon dioxide and other gases into the atmosphere. These greenhouse gases trap heat beside and or near the Earth through a naturally occurring process called the greenhouse effect, and thus results in decreased trees to maintain the absorption of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere during photosynthesis together with other emissions from factories, burning of fossil fuels, and various carbon-containing compounds in larger quantities in order to meet and satisfy the demanding population’s needs. Previous analysis and reports on issues related to the changes in climate highlighted an increased frequency and destructions beyond the weather patterns pointing towards an expensive and unwanted reduction of an individual’s wellbeing or lives together with other infrastructural developments (Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, 2007). The Levels of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere has been overloaded in the mid-19th century with over or approximately 1100Gt, in terms of fossil fuels usage by the overpopulated towns and cities worldwide (IPCC, 2001). On the other hand, agricultural activities and practices had been increasing to a greater extent as the demand for food supply by overpopulated regions increases, provoking the release of carbon dioxide to about 300 billion tons. An example would include the production of methane from other agricultural practices such as livestock breeding and rice farming. In addition to that, the total amount of greenhouse gases that have been emitted into the atmosphere in 2014 through agricultural activities or sources was about 24% compared with the world in terms of emission in 2010 (IPCC, 2014). Moreover, continuous emission of greenhouse gases into the atmosphere destroys the ozone layer by allowing the ultraviolet rays to penetrate and reach the Earth directly. And that forces the albedo or polar icecaps to melt which results in sea-level rise and floods all the sea areas and small islands around the world. Weather patterns continue to change with more frequent hurricanes, together with severe droughts that can become more common in warm areas will cause a major decline in sustainable biodiversity which accelerates species extinction because floras and faunas will be unable to survive or take time to adapt to their new ecological niche or habitat. Environmental changes and destruction occur constantly in overpopulated areas because their demand for natural resources is very high while the supply is very low. And that is a contributing factor towards global warming and climate change because overpopulated areas or developed nations release larger amounts of greenhouse gas annually. In addition to that, long term exposure towards ultraviolet radiation from the sun can also cause skin cancer especially the Caucasians, rapid evaporation rate by ecosystems, and many other related problems. Overpopulated countries with higher annual income generation in terms of revenue should be known as a possible cure when or as their population status declines and reduces to a certain rate because their carbon dioxide production and emission are very high compared with that of developing countries (Rosnick, 2014). With that in mind, we need to change the toleration and mode of our energy usage by using other forms such as tidal, solar, wind energies with advances in agricultural activities to help reduce the global issue about or on changes in climate as a consequence of overpopulation.

Finally, Overpopulation has changed the face of the Earth’s ecosystem with related practices and activities that resulted in a declined biocapacity, deforestation and climate change. A handful of preventive and conservative measures had been developed globally to eliminate the related problems associated with overpopulation. These brilliant ideas take time with increased population growth problems. Therefore, powerful and effective measures must be made known to every citizen globally so that the explosion of the population should be minimized.

Mariama Jones and her husband, Samuel, were living comfortably in a home in Lawrenceville, Georgia. She had two children, a 10-year-old son, Ahmed, and 2-year-old daughter, Sonya. She had moved to Atlanta when she was 20 and built a productive and happy life over the course of the nex 16 years. Ms. Jones, a nursing assistant at a local health-care facility, was 19 weeks pregnant;the pregnancy was progressing well and that the baby was showing normal movements. Soon after, a family crisis required Ms. Jones to travel to to her home country, Sierra Leone, as soon as possible. She knew that she would be exposed to malaria, a dangerous disease that was very common in Africa. As a precaution, Ms. Jones had taken antimalarial pills as to protect herself and her unborn baby against the disease. When she was back in Atlanta, she went back to work; after a couple of days, however, she felt tired and weak and noticed a changed taste in her mouth. Within only a week back in the States, she developed symptoms such as fever and chills, and she had trouble going to work. She believed her illness could be malaria, so she visited her family doctor, who drew blood for a malaria test and prescribed a general antibiotic while waiting for the lab results. Her condition only worsened over the course of the next few days. She had no desire to eat, yet she was constantly feeling dehydrated. Her head and body ached, making it impossible for her to walk— she then deemed it necessary to be admitted in the hospital (CDC – Malaria – People With Malaria Speak).

The seemingly exponential growth of the human population since 1950 — growing from 2.5 billion to 6 billion — already has begun shifting the way in which infectious diseases spread (Gholipour).

Due to overpopulation, many problems have risen in such a short time; disappearance of nonrenewable resources, desertification, unemployment, rising conflict between territories, and environmental damage to name a few. However, there were also food shortages, which lead to starvation; additionally, water supply contamination greatly fueled easily spread diseases. Natural changes driven by climate change, such as temperature or precipitation, aren’t the only factors influencing malaria transmission; population size and the immunity levels among populations also have a great impact (The Effect of Overpopulation on Public Health).

Scholars suggest that public health is at risk, considering the alarming rate at which the work population is growing. The adverse side effects of overpopulation already have impacted most countries, and as the rate at which the population grows continues to increase, the bigger this issue is for the general public’s health. When there’s overpopulation, the aforementioned issues such as food shortages, water supply contamination, and easily spread diseases arise.. When there are unsanitary conditions and crowded living spaces, chances of contracting these easily spread diseases, such as malaria, become extremely high.

Chances of contracting malaria can be increased due to climate change in certain spots around the world; however, in other places, climate change may have little to no impact on the spread of this horrible disease. “Temperature and precipitation changes driven by climate change aren’t the only factors influencing malaria transmission,” said the speakers at the October 23 event, held as part of Harvard Worldwide Week. Eltahir, an expert in hydrology and climate, discussed studies conducted in several locations in Africa in which researchers examined a host of variables—such as precipitation, temperature, altitude, the mosquito life cycle, and patterns of water availability that could influence mosquito breeding—in order to create computer models predicting future malaria transmission. He noted that, in some locations, climate change is expected to produce wetter weather—which could help mosquitoes breed—but that temperatures are also predicted to increase, which could harm mosquitoes. In essence, these two effects could cancel each other out, resulting in either similar or even decreased levels of malaria in parts of Africa. “In general, the story of climate change and malaria in Africa is not a terribly bad story,” Eltahir said (Feldscher).

To add on, Johanna Lindahl and Delia Grace talk about the consequences of human actions and the risks that come with these infectious disease. In the article they wrote they talk about how not only are these infectious diseases causing sufferinf and death but also causing severe economic implications. An example the give in their article is the outbreak of foot-and-mouth disease in the UK in the beginning of the twenty-first century which led to the culling of four million animals for the purpose of disease control, and cost the nation more than £3billion, not including losses from decreased tourism. “Economic losses may in addition be caused by secondary effects. Death of bats in North America, due to the infectious white-nose syndrome, caused by an emerging fungus, and other anthropogenic causes of death, may cause agricultural losses of at least US$3.7 billion per year” (Lindahl).

Malaria is a difficult disease to control largely due to the highly adaptable nature of the vector and parasites involved. While effective tools have been and will continue to be developed to combat malaria, inevitably, over time the parasites and mosquitoes will evolve means to circumvent those tools if used in isolation or used ineffectively. More than 800,000 African children under the age of five die of malaria each year. Malaria also contributes to malnutrition in children, which indirectly causes the death of half of all children under the age of five throughout the world. Fifty million pregnant women throughout the world are exposed to malaria each year. In malaria-endemic regions, one-fourth of all cases of severe maternal anemia and 20 percent of all low-birthweight babies are linked to malaria. Currently, no licensed vaccine against malaria (or any parasitic disease that afflicts humans) exists. The complexity of the Plasmodium parasite and the lack of understanding of critical processes, such as host immune protection and disease pathogenesis, have hampered vaccine development efforts.

A solution to the cause could be managing your risk of malaria properly by planning your travels and checking the risk where you’re going. You could also use insect and mosquito repellents after applying sunscreen. Stay covered up, make sure you’re behind screen doors or windows at night, and always use bed net treated with insecticide. If you need them, make sure you take antimalarial tablets and you take them properly, every day while you’re then and as directed afterwards. Keep an eye out for malaria symptoms, such as fever, and always discuss any symptoms you do get with your doctor as soon as possible (Malaria Prevention).

In conclusion, there is an undoubtedly growing problem in the epidemic of Malaria in Africa due to the lack of knowledge and sanitary conditions. It is important that we educate these people so the chances of an outbreak occuring lessen. Throughout history the disease has been responsible for the decline of many populations. It is important for people to be aware as Mariama Jones was. Mariama would have daily checkups at the hospital whenever she felt something going wrong; she was very cautious of all her actions. With better education and knowledge the chances of being able to prevent malaria and other disease will be much higher as well as making our enviornment more sanitary.

If overpopulation continues we will begin to see many changes in the way we live. Air pollution would become extremely deadly, rise in respiratory diseases and asthma. Air pollution will also see a rise in lung and bladder cancer as well as skin cancer. Hospitals will become overcrowded due to the increase in diseases. There would be higher rates of HIV/AIDS due to more uneducated people. Natural disasters will appear more often due to the increase in carbon dioxide in the environment. Amplified climate change, the increase in the number of people will only intensify the problem. This will lead to an increase in carbon dioxide, and this will lead to an increase in natural disasters. Due to climate change, the world will experience the mass extinction of animals as well as plants. Deforestation will continue to happen on a global scale. Deforestation leads to an increasing amount of carbon dioxide and the impacts that will have already been discussed.

Since there will be more people on the planet there will be significantly more cars on the road leading to huge traffic jams as well as overcrowded public transport. Food prices will begin to skyrocket because of the high demand and a lack of supply. Because of the lack of food, there will be overfishing which can never be good. The need to produce more food for a bigger population would put pressure on local and commercial farms. This could lead to the rigorous consumption of plants by farm animals, which is known as overgrazing. The lack of rotation of grazing animals combined with their overconsumption of natural resources would ruin the soil and lead to a range of other issues concerning the environment. A larger population would lead to more plastic being produced and it is known that the human species are prone to dumping their unwanted things wherever they please so this is a massive problem when it comes to the ocean. The ocean will be flooded with unwanted items such as plastic. Though an overwhelming majority of the planet is water, only a limited amount of that water is consumable freshwater. What’s more, the population at its current size is already facing issues related to water scarcity so adding even more humans will lead to water scarcity everywhere on earth. When dry land is overused for cultivation or other purposes, it eventually leads to desertification. Unemployment rates will increase due to the number of people compared to jobs currently available. With a higher unemployment rate, businesses will begin to close due to the number of people able to afford goods being minimal which will weaken a country’s economic growth. The strain overpopulation puts on resources and opportunities can lead to tension between nations and communities, and this tension can start wars.

If overpopulation continues we will begin to see many changes in the way we live. Air pollution would become extremely deadly, rise in respiratory diseases and asthma. Air pollution will also see a rise in lung and bladder cancer as well as skin cancer. Hospitals will become overcrowded due to the increase in diseases. There would be higher rates of HIV/AIDS due to more uneducated people. Natural disasters will appear more often due to the increase in carbon dioxide in the environment. Amplified climate change, the increase in the number of people will only intensify the problem. This will lead to an increase in carbon dioxide, and this will lead to an increase in natural disasters. Due to climate change, the world will experience the mass extinction of animals as well as plants. Deforestation will continue to happen on a global scale. Deforestation leads to an increasing amount of carbon dioxide and the impacts that will have already been discussed.

Since there will be more people on the planet there will be significantly more cars on the road leading to huge traffic jams as well as overcrowded public transport. Food prices will begin to skyrocket because of the high demand and a lack of supply. Because of the lack of food, there will be overfishing which can never be good. The need to produce more food for a bigger population would put pressure on local and commercial farms. This could lead to the rigorous consumption of plants by farm animals, which is known as overgrazing. The lack of rotation of grazing animals combined with their overconsumption of natural resources would ruin the soil and lead to a range of other issues concerning the environment. A larger population would lead to more plastic being produced and it is known that the human species are prone to dumping their unwanted things wherever they please so this is a massive problem when it comes to the ocean. The ocean will be flooded with unwanted items such as plastic. Though an overwhelming majority of the planet is water, only a limited amount of that water is consumable freshwater. What’s more, the population at its current size is already facing issues related to water scarcity so adding even more humans will lead to water scarcity everywhere on earth. When dry land is overused for cultivation or other purposes, it eventually leads to desertification. Unemployment rates will increase due to the number of people compared to jobs currently available. With a higher unemployment rate, businesses will begin to close due to the number of people able to afford goods being minimal which will weaken a country’s economic growth. The strain overpopulation puts on resources and opportunities can lead to tension between nations and communities, and this tension can start wars.

1. Introduction

An alarming number of prisoners are placed into custody around the world every day. There are over ten million inmates who reside in prison and overcrowding is a serious issue that must be addressed (Yeager, 2019:3). There are numerous causes related to prison overpopulation. These causes may include issues such as a significant increase in felonies, widespread poverty, and an increase in the number of arrests made (Victor-Zietsman, 2015:162). Furthermore, the student will examine why prison overcrowding is a critical sentencing issue and the adverse consequences thereof. When dealing with serious offenses, overpopulation in prisons needs to be considered. To ensure that justice is served, the country needs feasible solutions for the overcrowding issue. Different forms of punishment need to be explored for example, and imprisonment should be limited. Housing offenders in prison is costly, therefore incarceration should be treated sensibly (Victor-Zietsman, 2015:162-163).

2. Key definitions

Victor-Zietsman (2015:161) defines prison overcrowding as “the conditions that arise when several prisoners …in the prison system exceeds the capacity of the basic infrastructure”. The student, therefore, infers that certain adverse consequences ensue when too many inmates are incarcerated. Jails are constructed to house only a certain number of inmates. An overrun prison system is overwhelmed by a lack of services and resources. Victor-Zietsman further describes a critical sentencing issue as “aspects [that] also need to be considered before deciding on a sentence” (Victor-Zietsman, 2015:161). Therefore, the student interprets this as the conditions that must be evaluated before sentencing an offender to prison. For this study, the student will only refer to overpopulation in South African prisons as a critical sentencing issue.

3.1 Causes of prison overpopulation in South Africa

According to Cameron, the prison population in South Africa exceeded its maximum capacity by twenty-five percent in 2014, due to prolonged incarceration (Cameron, 2017:22). The number of offenders condemned to life imprisonment rose by more than two thousand percent from 1995 to 2016 (Cameron, 2017:22). Furthermore, escalation in serious crimes in the country is also of great concern, as they call for prolonged sentences. These offenses include inflicting grievous bodily harm, sexual assault, larceny, and auto theft (Victor-Zietsman, 2015:162).

Many other inmates have been arrested and are waiting for their court hearings to take place. Sarkin (2019:11) thinks that the length of the waiting period before trial needs to be assessed. If people cannot afford to pay bail, they may also be stuck in prison for a longer period. Stringent measures apply for those who request bail and minimum sentencing was also introduced in 1996 (Victor-Zietsman, 2015:162). Releasing former inmates is usually a drawn-out process in South Africa and this may also lead to extended imprisonment (Sarkin, 2019:12).

Although many people support incarceration as a punitive measure, it does not always produce the desired outcome. When offenders enter the criminal justice system, they often end up having a criminal record. This hampers their reintegration into society. Former inmates struggle to find jobs and may resort to crime yet again to make ends meet (Yeager, 2019:5). This seems to be a snowball effect, as offenders may enter the prison system for a minor offense, only to return after committing a more serious crime.

Even though South Africa boasts higher conviction rates, the country has not made provisions to accommodate the large number of prisoners that enter the system. However, the erection of more prisons may not be the solution either. According to Victor-Zietsman (2015:162) having more cells available to house inmates may encourage judges and magistrates to convict more criminals.

Moreover, community-based risk factors should be considered in addition to inadequacy and a lack of employment opportunities. Population growth among those at risk of misconduct also leads to countless arrests and convictions (Victor-Zietsman, 2015:162). Some authorities tend to abuse their powers by incarcerating more underprivileged individuals (Victor-Zietsman, 2015:162). The increase in the financial gap between the wealthy and the poor may very well exacerbate this abuse of power.

3.2 The adverse consequences of overcrowded prisons

According to Cameron’s (2017:23) evaluation of Pollsmoor correctional facility, he was stunned by the dreadful circumstances in which prisoners are kept. With the prison exceeding its capacity by two hundred percent, the dire living arrangements were evident. The prison cells were unhygienic and crowded. Some inmates appeared to be severely malnourished or sickly. Cameron (2017:23) also reports that overpopulation in Pollsmoor is not an isolated incident, but rather a widespread issue in South Africa. The Bill of Rights in the Constitution of South Africa aims to protect the rights of inmates and those charged with a crime (Republic of South Africa, 2016:20). However, overpopulation in prisons may lead to infringement of these rights. This includes the right to physical activity, suitable living courters, nourishment, access to books, and health care (Republic of South Africa, 2016:21). As stated in the Bill of Rights, inmates also have the right to be treated by their inherent human worth (Republic of South Africa, 2016:21).

Keehn and Nevin (2018:3) report that more than six million people in South Africa are HIV-positive. In 2016, fifteen percent of prisoners tested positive for this virus. Tuberculosis is the primary cause of natural mortality in South African correctional facilities. Reasons for increased transmission of these diseases consist of badly ventilated areas, staff shortages, delayed diagnosis, poor prison conditions, financial shortfalls, interrupted healthcare, rape, a lack of proper medical services, and inadequacy of precautionary measures (Keehn & Nevin, 2018:3). Other concerns that arise in detention centers include psychological disorders, aggression and other emotional disturbances that may emerge due to confinement (Victor-Zietsman, 2015:163).

The organization and management of prisons are inhibited by overpopulation. In 2014, South Africa declared that fifty prison guards were attacked by inmates (Sarkin, 2019:14). Be that as it may, fights among inmates are rampant, this is partially due to agitation caused by proximity which is related to overcrowding. This may lead to the rape of fellow inmates, homicide, disruptive behavior, and/or riots (Victor-Zietsman, 2015:163). Criminals form groups in prison and they frequently engage in violent and illegal activities. Gangs often become a nuisance for prison wardens (Victor-Zietsman, 2015:161). This poses a challenge to prison officials as they are responsible for the welfare of the prisoners and they must protect them from harm. Custodians also need to prevent escape and they need to ensure that inmates follow prison rules and abide by the law (Victor-Zietsman, 2015:161).

Correctional facilities aim to enrich the lives of offenders to reduce recidivism. It is of utmost importance that prisons encourage learning and provide services such as casework, counseling, and religious services (Victor-Zietsman, 2015:161). Overpopulation of prisons reduces access to these essential services and may, therefore, lead to higher rates of recidivism.

3.3 Feasible solutions to overcrowding

Snyman (2019:24) performed a study to evaluate the effectiveness of rehabilitation to reduce crime. She found that rehabilitation can be very effective if prison officers take part in the rehabilitation process. This can transform the lives of offenders and improve their moral standards this, in turn, could reduce recidivism. If inmates are released and there is no change in their moral values and principles, they are bound to return to prison.

By keeping over one hundred and fifty thousand prisoners locked up, South Africa must budget for at least twenty billion rand annually. The annual cost of imprisonment of a single inmate is over one hundred and thirty thousand rands (Cameron, 2017:27). Therefore, offenders should only be subjected to imprisonment if they are known to relapse, commit serious crimes, or if they are responsible for numerous offenses (Victor-Zietsman, 2015:163).

Other forms of correction may include non-custodial sentencing, such as community service or house arrest. Although these alternative sentencing options are available, citizens of South Africa are not aware of the advantages thereof. This causes a social dilemma (Mfeketo, 2019:79). For non-custodial sentencing to be accepted by society, the citizens of the country should be educated regarding its benefits.

By rehabilitating offenders, only condemning them to prison in serious cases, and using alternative forms of sentencing; overcrowding in prisons can be kept at a minimum. Snyman (2019:19) suggests that communities get involved to assist with the rehabilitation process. This includes preachers from local churches, therapists, and non-profit organizations. These people from the community play a significant role in the transition process that a prisoner goes through before they are re-integrated into society (Snyman, 2019:19).

4. Conclusion

Many people would prefer that prisoners be locked up, but this is one of the issues that lead to overcrowding in South African prisons. Instead of locking offenders up and throwing away the key, their right to be treated with dignity should be considered. Prisoners live in dire circumstances, as with Pollsmoor prison. There are more effective alternatives to sentencing and society needs to be educated on the matter. Not only are their rights being infringed upon, but it is also very costly to keep inmates in prison for extended periods. South Africa should imprison violent and serious offenders but also consider the lack of services and resources in their correctional facilities. Non-violent and less serious offenses can be effectively dealt with through non-custodial sentencing and rehabilitation.

6. List of references

1. Cameron, E. 2017. Imprisoning the nation: Minimum sentences in South Africa. Dean’s Distinguished Lecture. University of the Western Cape Faculty of Law. Available at: https://www.groundup.org.za/media/uploads/documents/UWCImprisoningThe%20Nation19October2017.pdf (accessed on: 20 March 2020).
2. Keehn, E.N. and Nevin, A., 2018. Health, human rights, and the transformation of punishment: South African litigation to address HIV and tuberculosis in prisons. Health and human rights, 20(1), p.213. Available at: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6039737/ (accessed on: 18 March 2020).
3. Mfeketo, M. 2019. A study on leadership in the implementation of non-custodial sentencing by the Department of Justice and Constitutional Development and the Department of Correctional Services. Available at: https://etd.uwc.ac.za/bitstream/handle/11394/7092/mfeketo_m_ems_2019.pdf?sequence=1&isAllowed=y (accessed on: 20 March 2020).
4. Republic of South Africa. 2016. Constitution of the Republic of South Africa, 1996. Juta’s Pocket Statutes. (14th edition). Cape Town: Juta Law.
5. Sarkin, J. 2019. Prisons in Africa. In Oxford Research Encyclopedia of Politics. Available at: https://oxfordre.com/politics/view/10.1093/acrefore/9780190228637.001.0001/acrefore-9780190228637-e-893?print=pdf (accessed on: 18 March 2020).
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Overpopulation and Birth Control

The inherent problem with the concept of overpopulation is that the finite resources available on Earth cannot hope to support the potentially infinite expansion of humanity. The Earth itself is a closed-off ecosystem with no resources entering into it. As such, its surface can only support a certain population of species, both human and animal alike, before the ecosystem inevitably collapses in on itself due to a severe strain on the planet’s natural and ecological resources.

Nature itself has a certain prevention system in place that prevents populations from growing beyond their means due to the predator and prey dynamic. Humanity, which long ago evolved to be the dominant species on the planet, does not have an imposed system of control placed upon it by natural forces and, as a result, can expand exponentially due to this apparent freedom. In her article explaining the repercussions of overpopulation, Julia Whitty explains that in 1965 the global population stood at a mere 3.3 billion people who collectively taxed the Earth’s resources to only 70 percent of its bio-capacity (Whitty, 1).

This means that only 7/10 of the land, water, and air the planet could regenerate or repair yearly to produce various life-sustaining products were consumed as well as its ability to absorb greenhouse gas emissions (Whitty, 1). Unfortunately, the rapid expansion of the global population following the period of the 1960s resulted in humanity consuming more resources than the planet could replenish, resulting in the present day conditions wherein 6.8 billion people are consuming the equivalent of 1.4 Earth’s (Whitty, 1).

This phenomenon described as an “ecological overshoot” can be seen in the rapid degree of deforestation in various countries around the world, the rampant overpopulation in developing and Third World countries, as well as the sheer amount of pollution currently in the planet’s ecological system. This has affected weather and climate patterns to such a degree that it has caused artificial climate change, resulting in an increasingly hot atmosphere due to the accumulation of pollutants such as C02 in the air due to cars and fossil fuel burning power plants. Based on the information presented, it can be seen that the current growth of the human population is unsustainable in the long run due to the finite resources on the planet. One method of controlling this inexorable growth towards destruction is birth control properly administered through family planning programs.

Various studies show that family planning programs utilizing birth control methods account for about a quarter of the worldwide decline in fertility rates since the 1950s and, as such, could be considered a viable means of controlling the growth of the human population. Although people argue that birth control is against the human will and that people are free to have as many kids as that want, I believe that birth control can help solve the problem of overpopulation since it presents itself as an effective and viable means of population control.

Birth Control and the Concept of Choice

In her article on overpopulation, Julia Whitty explains that one of the main reasons behind overpopulation is the inability to choose (Whitty, 1). While it may be true that a person can choose whether or not to have sex, Robert Kunzig, in his article explaining the rise of the global population by 2045, explains that at times people cannot help but have sex because it feels good and that it is a natural part of human nature (Kunzig, 1).

For example, even during the height of China’s one-child policy, people still on occasion had more than one child. Unfortunately, due to the illegal nature of such action-heavy fines or even death usually followed such an action (Mosher, 71- 86). In countries such as the Philippines, more than half of the pregnancies are unplanned, resulting in greater population densities. It must be noted that studies conducted by the Guttmacher Institute show that if easy access to birth control such as contraceptives were available to the general Philippine population, this would result in nearly 800,000 reductions in overall births in the country, which would result in $16.5 million in savings for the Philippine government per year due to the cost of healthcare (Whitty, 1).

It must be noted that since the Philippines is a predominantly Catholic country, it was the influences of the Catholic Church that made the use of birth control highly controversial, resulting in a drop in its usage. The Church advocated using natural methods of birth control such as “natural” family planning and the use of the rhythm method; unfortunately, such methods have proven themselves to be highly ineffective in controlling the growing population of the country (Whitty, 1). The problem in this case, as explained by Kunzig, is the fact that the concept of actually being able to choose when to have a child and how many cannot be relied upon due to the inherent aspects of human nature (Kunzig, 1).

The only viable method that gives people the ability to choose while at the same time is a viable method of population reduction is the use of birth control. Various studies support this claim and those conducted by the Guttmacher Institute, as such in cases where basic human nature has to be taken into account, natural methods fail in truly being effective compared to methods of birth control nearly 100% effective.

Birth Control and Modern-Day Precedent

On the side of birth control as an effective means of population control is the fact that modern-day precedent has shown that birth control works in reducing populations. In the period between 1988 and 1996, Iran experienced a plunge in fertility rates where the rate of births plummeted to 50% of its original number 7 to 1.7 today (Whitty, 1). Studies show that this was due to a combination of government education programs and the media showing the value of having small families and the use of birth control with free distributions of contraceptives among the local population.

The result was an almost overnight change in Iran’s population demographic aptly named “the Iranian Miracle,” which reversed Iran’s overpopulation into a viable one. Such reversals through the use of education and birth control can also be seen in countries such as Costa Rica, Cuba, South Korea, Taiwan, Thailand, Tunisia, and Morocco, wherein through the embrace of birth control methods and contraceptives, the populations of such countries were lowered to manageable levels (Whitty, 1). While it may be true that such methods run the risk of creating pressure for quick results while increasing the temptation to resort to extraordinary measures, the fact remains that they have been proven to effectively and as such a viable method of controlling global populations (Connely, 1).

Birth Control and Historical Precedent

Birth control as a means of preventing unwanted pregnancies and control populations is not a modern concept at all and can be seen in various cultures throughout history. For example, the Chinese used certain oiled silk paper forms to prevent semen from entering the vagina. At the same time, the Japanese, on the other hand, utilized an entirely different, if not strange, the concept of using fine leather or tortoiseshells to cover the head of the penis and capture the semen within (Whitty, 1). While it may be true that such methods seem laughable today, they were one of the first attempts at trying to prevent women from having unwanted pregnancies.

The fact is even cultures from the past recognized the need to limit children; however, they understood the folly of relying on human will or abstinence as an effective means of birth control since many among them usually broke such vows within a few weeks of enacting them. The fact is man is an inherently sexual creature described by Freud in his various studies examining human nature. While there are few historical records on whether such methods of birth control were effective, the fact remains that since they continued for several thousand years shows that even in the past, they were considered an effective means of population control and as such could also be considered effective as well in the future due to vastly more effective means in the present.

Birth Control and Science

Various studies conducted throughout the years have shown that birth control has been scientifically proven to effectively reduce and control the rate of pregnancies within a country. The use of birth control in the form of condoms, birth control pills, vaginal sponges, and vasectomies have over the years proven their worth in populations in Europe and the U.S. it has been shown that their use has effectively been able to control the rate of pregnancies in such regions despite the growing rate of sexual promiscuity brought about by the popularity of sex and sexually related themes seen in pop culture.

Based on this information, if it has been shown to be effective in 1st world countries such as the U.S., it is likely such methods would be just as effective in developing, or Third World countries should the proper educational programs be instituted such as what was instituted in Iran.

Works Cited

Connelly, Matthew. “Controlling Passions.” Wilson Quarterly 32.3 (2008): 60-66. Academic Search Complete. EBSCO. Web.

Kunzig, Robert. “By 2045 global population is projected to reach nine billion. Can the planet take the strain? (Cover story).” National Geographic 219.1 (2011): 36-69. Academic Search Complete. EBSCO. Web.

Mosher, Steven W. “China’s One-Child Policy: Twenty-five Years Later.” Human Life Review 32.1 (2006): 76-101. Academic Search Complete. EBSCO. Web.

Whitty, Julia. 2010. “The Last Taboo.” Mother Jones 35, no. 3: 24-43. Academic Search Complete, EBSCOhost.

Overpopulation has become one of the main challenging trends over the past centuries. Governments accept the fact that they are no longer capable of managing this problem. According to Rieder, the significant aftermath of this event is that “the Earth will, at some point, be unable to provide for our population, even without more growth” (2). Commonly proposed ways of solving the problem and treating its current consequences are widely discussed in the literature. The purpose of this paper is to examine the causes and effects of overpopulation, potential threats to society, and the ecosystem, as well as the ways to overcome the problem.

The United Nations (UN) forecasts that the world’s population is expected to increase by 2 billion in 30 years. Despite the aging population and downtrend of fertility in European countries, the amount of people is growing because of developing states. For example, the people in Africa is expected to double by 2050 (Uniyal et al. 21). Scientists provide numerous reasons for overpopulation, which include historical, sociological, psychological, and other factors (Uniyal et al. 21). It is commonly believed that overpopulation is caused by the growth of natality, the decrease of mortality, and migration flows. Other causes are attributed to cultural and religious beliefs as well as lack of education (Farraji et al. 16). Overall, there is a complex set of multiple interrelated reasons that should be examined altogether.

Overpopulation carries many environmental and social risks. Approximately 40% of the land is used for agriculture, and this figure has to grow to keep up with the growth of the population (Uniyal et al. 22). To cover up the scarcity of food, companies, and farmers are required to increase production. Therefore, a fragile balance of the global ecosystem is directly and indirectly threatened by harmful human activities. Uniyal et al. state that “deforestation, the effect on welfare, climate change, the decline in biocapacity, urban sprawl, food security, increase in energy demand and effect on the marine ecosystem are amongst most severe impacts of overpopulation” (20). Overpopulation affects the overall well-being of the society: thus, overcrowded urban cities demonstrate high rates of unemployment and unhappiness.

There are several ways of reducing the rate of overpopulation, and the main actors responsible for implementing proper policies are the national governments. Chen suggests that governments should provide citizens with affordable healthcare and social security (57). Actions such as the promotion of smaller families, gender equality, and education are considered to be effective by the UN (Farraji et al. 16). Additionally, young people should have easy access to birth control. Developing countries must create partnerships with major non-governmental organizations to fight the threat. Including these measures on the agenda may help to reduce poverty and depletion of resources.

Sustaining a population remains a great struggle, and it is going to impact the development of society. Overpopulation is caused by a set of various anthropological and natural reasons. It imposes a massive risk for life on Earth due to the exploitation of natural resources and makes the lifestyle of future generations more challenging. If the issue is not treated, the surplus population will highly likely face the scarcity of food, accommodation, and fresh air and water. However, the situation may change with the help of a global community and national governance. Many types of research and enthusiasts have proposed a system of actions, such as the adoption of “small family” policies and welfare.

Works Cited

Chen, Ying. Trade, Food Security, and Human Rights. Ashgate, 2014.

Farraji, Hossein, et al. “Overpopulation and Sustainable Waste Management.” International Journal of Sustainable Economies Management, vol. 5, no. 3, 2016, pp. 13-36.

Rieder, Travis N. Toward a Small Family Ethic: How Overpopulation and Climate Change are Affecting the Morality of Procreation. Springer Nature, 2016.

Uniyal, Shivani, et al. “Human Overpopulation: Impact on Environment.” Megacities and Rapid Urbanization: Breakthroughs in Research and Practice, edited by Information Resources Management Association, IGI Global, 2019, pp. 20-30.