Define the Threats Associated With Excessive Population Growth

Threats of Excessive Population Growth

Excessive population growth can pose the most serious long-term threats to the world. The phenomenon often used to go un-noticed or was less emphasized but, it's a well established fact now that our lives are going to get affected more than ever before if population continues to grow at alarming levels. The current surge in population started from 1700s. Before that, during the early 0.5 million years of human inhabitance on earth, population grew with negligible rates. That changed much as world's annual growth rate rose to 0.5% between 1850 and 1900 and rocketed up to 2.0% during the 1960s (Pimentel). Right now, we are going through a critical phase of population explosion, as in the last 50 or so years, the recorded growth rate is faster than ever before, and probably faster than it will ever get (Prb.org).

Excess of every thing has its fallouts - population is no exception. Researches worry that the increasing growth rate, which has already started to deplete natural resources of earth, would one day threaten millions of people with famine, disease and shortage of vital necessities of life. Major risk that population outbreak pose is the strain it introduces on the fixed supply of natural resources of the planet. Proper functioning of the eco system is at stake as forests get chopped off since population has to grow. In making room for housing, to provide additional wood needed for construction purposes, and for fulfilling the fuel needs, massive deforestation drives could occur - much intense than the current operations and could wipeout the forest lands. Effects of population growth are well observed even now and these factors (ill effects) would certainly grow with the growth in population. World Bank and the U.N. reports that currently there are 1 to 2 billion people devoid of adequate food supplies, i.e. they are malnourished - the largest figure recorded to date, and expected number could rise up to 3 billion in less than 50-year's time (Pimentel). Access to better nutrition, sanitation and healthcare would become a dream for millions of people if population is left to grow excessively. Water is one such commodity that would become scare as population increases unchecked. Importance of fresh water as a resource is not only linked to its drinking utility - it is also essential for industries, power production, and most importantly, for the irrigation of land. It's the land which is responsible for generating 99% of total food that's produce in the world (Pimentel). As the number of people dependent upon ever decreasing shared water supplies increases, tensions leading to chances of conflict between nations are also expected to mount. Future wars are anticipated to occur as over-populated nations compete with each other to gain control of as much of water as they could - possibly, to guard against draught and thirsty populace.

In many countries, excess of population could ultimately lead to exhaustion of its resources by bringing their usage to the ceiling. If, from a long running river, water is taken out by increasing number of channels at the upper half, it will leave the river dry for the population counting on it at the lower end. In the same way, number of fish caught per capita can't keep pace with the rate at which human population grows. Although, number, capacity, technology and speed of fishing trawlers has increased over a period of time, per capita production of fish is at its lowest point in history (Pimentel). Thus, there are limits to natural resources beyond which they can't deliver - no matter how much the machinery advances. And, population growth has started to stretch the very limits of what is available for the generations to come.

Growing population doesn't only require (and consume) extra resources but at the same time, pays back negatively to the planet. Increased population means increased amount of waste material released back in the eco system - the atmosphere, water and land gets polluted as a direct result of population growth (Ucsusa). Population surge increases population density in urban areas of the world, and also pushes people from rural suburbs to city areas. Considering that urban areas do not expand as rapidly as the population - the population multiplicity results in problems related to healthcare, environment (air and water pollution) and increased hunger. In some cities, the population could double as fast as every 10 to 20 years causing major urban problems. And, it's not only the humans and their surroundings that are at stake due to population outburst but also the animal kingdom. Many of the endangered species might cease to exist altogether, along with a number of undomesticated plants as mass deforestation continues.