Population and Environment

 

World Population Day

World Population Day is observed every year on July 11th to highlight the importance and severity of population issues.

The Day was founded in 1989 by the UN Development Program in response to the attention generated by the Day of Five Billion that was observed on 11th of July, 1987. On July 11, 1990, more than 90 countries commemorated the first World Population Day. In December 1990, the United Nations General Assembly voted to preserve World Population Day as a way to increase awareness of population problems, including their links to the human environment.

Trends in the Global Population

It took hundreds of years for the global population to hit one billion people, and then it more than doubled in just 200 years. In 2011, the world's population surpassed 7 billion people; it is anticipated to increase to 10.9 billion in 2100. An increase in the number of people reaching reproductive age, as well as major rapid development has been aided by increases in fertility rates, increased urbanization, and accelerated migration. For future generations, these inclinations will have far-reaching effects.

Fertility rates and life expectancy have moved dramatically in recent years for women, the average was 4.5 children in the early 1970s, Global fertility had declined to less than 2.5 children by 2015. In the meantime, global average life expectancy has increased by 64.6 years in 1990s to and 72.6 years in 2019. Furthermore, the world is experiencing increasing levels of urbanization and migration. In 2007, more people lived in cities than in rural areas for the first time, and by 2050, cities would account for roughly 66 percent of the global population.

These megatrends will have enormous ramifications. They have an impact on economic growth, employment, income distribution, poverty, and social safety nets. They also influence efforts to offer Medicare, education, shelter, sewerage, water, nutrition, and fuel. To answer the needs of individuals more sustainably, officials must first understand how many people live on the globe, where they live, how old they are, and how many people will follow them.

Macro cities

More over half of the world's population lives in cities: 54 percent. However, according to various UN-sponsored and approved studies, Tokyo will be the largest macro city by 2050, with a population of 66 percent. In 35 years, more than 6 billion people will be concentrated in cities around the world. By then, several of the cities will have grown into macro cities.

What precisely is a macro city? An urban area with millions of people, a high level of industrialization, and infrastructure that is administered differently than smaller cities by nature.

The creation of resilient urban ecosystems and inclusive cities, as expressed in the United Nations' Sustainable Development Goals, are two of the most fundamental requirements that the urban population will have to meet. Furthermore, because many of these macro cities will emerge in developing countries, resource management, responsible consumption, and sustainability will be critical to ensuring that all people can develop a proper coexistence in an increasingly globalized world with more opportunities but also more threats.

The environmental impact of so many people is divided into two categories:

waste products as a result of consumption such as air and water pollutants, toxic materials, and greenhouse gases waste products as a result of consumption such as land, food, water, air, fossil fuels, and minerals.

Everyone should have the same rights and possibilities in this 7-billion-strong world, from infants to centenarians. As societies around the world work to eradicate poverty, protect citizens' health, and promote education, it's important to remember that these goals apply to individuals of all ages, including the elderly. At the same time, we must acknowledge the value of older people's knowledge, experience, and abilities.

Gender equality, family planning, universal access to reproductive health care, and the formation of a global conscience among the youngest are among the ideals that the international organization strives to communicate through its Development Program.

Despite all of the unknowns that must be resolved in the future, two major challenges must be addressed: how to manage overpopulation and how to establish a social and structural framework that ensures coexistence in metropolitan areas.

Population and environment: a global challenge

Many individuals are concerned that population increase would lead to environmental disaster. However, the issue is much larger and more complicated than simply counting bodies. This is a reasonable fear, and a cursory examination of the evidence shows that as our population has grown, the health of our ecosystem has deteriorated.

Because of the influence of so many humans on the globe, some scientists have coined the name "Anthropocene epoch" to define our period. Unlike past geological epochs, which were called after various geological and climate processes, the proposed Anthropocene period is named after people and their activities' significant influence on the environment. Humans are, in essence, a new global geophysical force.

While population growth is a factor, the problem is larger and more intricate than just counting people.

At work, there are several forces at play. In essence, what happens inside those populations—their distribution, composition, and, most significantly, consumption patterns—are just as essential as the numbers.

To furnish the resources we utilize and absorb our waste, humankind now uses the equivalent of 1.5 planets. This means that the Earth now takes a year and a half to replenish what we use in a year.

The link between human population dynamics and the natural environment is influenced by current technology, legislation, and culture. The most significant technical shift that has had an impact on environmental circumstances is the utilization of energy. Oil, natural gas, and coal usage are all on the rise. The wealthier countries accounted for the majority of this consumption. However, since then, the newly developed countries' industrialization has resulted in a higher reliance on resource-intensive and highly polluting production methods.

Population-Environment Interaction in Two Specific Areas: Climate Change and Land-Use Patterns on a Global Scale

Use of the Land

Providing for the growth of food production through forest clearing, intensifying output on existing cultivated land, or developing the infrastructure all of the land-use changes required to meet the resource demands of an expanding human population necessitate some type of land-use shift. In the previous three centuries, the amount of cultivated land on Earth has expanded by more than 450 percent, ranging in size from 2.65 million to 15 million square kilometers. A related process, deforestation, is also a big concern. During the 15 year 1980–1995, there was a net loss of 180 million acres of forest cover, while changes in forest cover vary widely among regions. Developed countries had a net gain of 20 million acres, while underdeveloped countries saw a net loss of 200 million acres.

These kinds of land-use shifts have several ecological consequences. Soil erosion can occur when land is converted to agricultural use, and fertilizer chemicals can also erode the soil. Deforestation also causes soil erosion, which reduces the land's ability to store water, increasing the frequency and intensity of floods. Habitat fragmentation and loss, which is the primary driver of species decline, are frequently caused by human-induced changes in land use. Current forest-clearing rates continue, one-quarter of all species on the planet might be extinct within the next 50 years.

Changes in the Global Climate

The last few years have been some of the hottest on record. Rising quantities of greenhouse gases, which absorb solar energy and warm the atmosphere, have affected temperatures, according to study. Many changes in atmospheric gas are also thought to be caused by humans, according to research. The demographic influence can be seen in three ways. First, contributions from industrial output and energy use contribute to carbon dioxide emissions from fossil fuel use. Second, land-use changes, such as deforestation, affect carbon dioxide exchange between the Earth and the atmosphere; and third, greenhouse gas emissions especially methane from agricultural processes, such as paddy-rice cultivation and livestock production, are caused by agricultural processes. According to one estimate, population growth would account for 35% of the global increase in CO2 emissions during 1985 and 2100, and in emerging countries, there is an increase of 48%. As a result, both demographic concerns and the development of sustainable production and consumption processes are critical reactions to the global warming processes.

With over 7.3 billion people on the earth, it's tempting to assume that the population and environmental problems will be solved by someone else. However, because it is an issue that affects us all, we must all work toward a sustainable future in which everyone may enjoy a good quality of life without harming the very things we rely on to flourish. It is conceivable, but getting there will necessitate the combined and coordinated efforts of individuals, communities, and governments.