Overpopulation Report

Danseco, Joselito Jr. E.Palomares, Cedric MathewEnvironmental Science 1 – WFV-2

University of the Philippines - Diliman

July 18, 2008

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THE PROBLEM

Rapid increase in world human population poses environmental degradation and abuse, deterioration of human living standards, and escalation of poverty.

DEFINITION OF RELATED TERMSPopulation

o Came from the Latin word “populus” meaning people.

o Group of organisms of one particular species.

o Have interbreed and live in the same place at the same time.

Overpopulationo A condition in which the number of people per square

unit of land area or density enlarges to a limit.

o Population that is too large and too poor to be adequately supplied by scarce resources .

DEFINITION OF RELATED TERMS

Sustainable Development o The condition at which the needs of many are being

met without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs.

o Using, conserving and enhancing the community’s resources so that ecological processes are maintained and the total quality of life can be increased.

Optimum Populationo The level of population beyond which the average

product in an economy fails.

o The maximum number of people that can be supported with the existing resources.

CRITICAL ANALYSIS: FACTS AND FIGURES

Source: Lambert Dolphin. “World Population Since Creation”. Idolphin.org. July 31, 2007. July 10, 2008. <http://www.ldolphin.org/popul.html >


Source: “Size of Countries Based on Population”. GeoHIve. 2000-2008. July 10, 2008. <http://www.xist.org/earth/gen_popsize.aspx >

The Size of Countries Based on Their Population


rank country area sq.km.population

2007-07-01 est. 2008-07-01 est.

1. China 9,596,960 1,321,851,888 1,330,044,605

2. India 3,287,590 1,129,866,154 1,147,995,898

3. United States of America 9,826,630 301,139,947 303,824,646

4. Indonesia 1,919,440 234,693,997 237,512,355

5. Brazil 8,511,965 190,010,647 191,908,598

6. Pakistan 803,940 164,741,924 167,762,040

7. Bangladesh 144,000 150,448,339 153,546,901

8. Russia 17,075,200 141,377,752 140,702,094

9. Nigeria 923,768 135,031,164 138,283,240

10. Japan 377,835 127,433,494 127,288,419

11. Mexico 1,972,550 108,700,891 109,955,400

12. Philippines 300,000 91,077,287 92,681,453

13. Vietnam 329,560 85,262,356 86,116,559

14. Germany 357,021 82,400,996 82,369,548

15. Egypt 1,001,450 80,335,036 81,713,517

16. Ethiopia 1,127,127 76,511,887 78,254,090

17. Turkey 780,580 71,158,647 71,892,807

18. Congo, Dem. Rep. of the 2,345,410 65,751,512 66,514,506

19. Iran 1,648,000 65,397,521 65,875,223

20. Thailand 514,000 65,068,149 65,493,298


510,072,000

6,681,237,894

In square kilometers.

World Land Area

World PopulationAs of July 10, 2008 at 11:50:00 PM.

~13 World Population DensityNumber of people per square kilometer

This seemed to be very small but we didn’t take into consideration the “habitable” land area of the world.


150,000,000

6,681,237,894

In square kilometers.

World “Habitable” Land Area

World PopulationAs of July 10, 2008 at 11:50:00 PM.

~45 World Population DensityNumber of people per square kilometer

CRITICAL ANALYSIS: FACTS AND FIGURESFactors Affecting Population Density

A. Physical Factors

1. Relief (the shape and height of the land)

• HIGH DENSITY: Low land (e.g. Ganges Valley in India)

• LOW DENSITY: High land and/or mountainous (e.g. The Himalayas)

2. Resources

• HIGH DENSITY: Areas rich in resources (e.g. coal, oil, and wood on Western Europe)

• LOW DENSITY: Areas with few resources (e.g. The Sahel)


3. Climate

• HIGH DENSITY: Temperate Areas since there is enough rain and heat to grow crops, etc. (e.g. Philippines)

• LOW DENSITY: Areas with extreme climates (e.g. The Sahara Desert)

B. Human Factors

1. Political

• HIGH DENSITY: Stable governments (e.g. Singapore)

• LOW DENSITY: Unstable gorvernments (e.g. Afghanistan)


2. Social

• HIGH DENSITY: Groups of people want to live close to each other for security purposes (e.g. USA)

• LOW DENSITY: Groups of people tend to be isolated from the many (e.g. Scandinavians)

3. Economic

• HIGH DENSITY: Good job opportunities particularly in large cities of developing countries around the world.

• LOW DENSITY: Limited job opportunities (e.g. The Amazon Rainforest)

CRITICAL ANALYSIS: FACTS AND FIGURESBirth rate and death rate are the two major reasons for population changes.

Crude Birth Rate =

No. of childbirths for year X

Current PopulationX 1000

Crude Death Rate =

No. of deaths for year X

1000 people

CRITICAL ANALYSIS: FACTS AND FIGURESWhen birth rates are higher than death rates, there will be an increase in the population.

Over the past 150 years developments in health care and sanitation around the world have led to a drop in the death rate. While birth rates have dropped in More Economically Developed Countries (MEDCs), birth rates are still elevated in Less Economically Developed Countries (LEDCs). Thus, the human population has grown very fast.

CRITICAL ANALYSIS: THE CONSEQUENCESProlific Poverty

Poverty is a condition of chronic deprivation and need at the family level. 28 Poverty, is a major concern of humankind, because poverty everywhere reduces human beings to a low level of existence. Poor people lack access to enough land and income to meet basic needs. A lack of basic needs results in physical weakness and poor health. Poor health decreases the ability of the poor to work and put them deeper into poverty.

CRITICAL ANALYSIS: THE CONSEQUENCESProlific Poverty

At the present growth rates, the population of economically developed countries would double in 120 years. The Third World, with over three quarters of the world's people, would double its numbers in about 33 years.

This rapid doubling time reflects the fact that 37 percent of the developing world's population is under the age of 15 and entering their most productive childbearing years.

CRITICAL ANALYSIS: THE CONSEQUENCESIncreased Energy Demands

Increasing population numbers and growing affluence—at least for some—have already resulted in rapid growth of energy consumption. Over the next 20 years, the demand for energy will grow more quickly in Asia than in any other region. The fastest growth will be in Asia’s developing countries.

CRITICAL ANALYSIS: THE CONSEQUENCESIncreased Energy Demands

This increase in energy consumption will be fueled primarily by economic development and changing consumption pattern caused primarily of increasae in population.

CRITICAL ANALYSIS: THE CONSEQUENCESUnplanned Urbanization

According to United Nations estimates, the urban population in Asia will nearly double in the next 30 years. By 2030, more than half of Asia’s population will live in cities—some 2.6 billion people. By 2015, the urban population of Asia will be larger than the urban population of all the other regions of the world combined.

CRITICAL ANALYSIS: THE CONSEQUENCESUnplanned UrbanizationThis rapid—largely unplanned—expansion of urban areas has robbed many Asian countries of some of their most productive agricultural land and has resulted in serious problems of air, soil, and water pollution.

CRITICAL ANALYSIS: THE CONSEQUENCESGlobal Warming

CRITICAL ANALYSIS: THE CONSEQUENCESGlobal Warming

In the 1950s, Asian countries produced about one-fifth of the CO2 emissions produced by Europe, but by the mid-1980s carbon emissions from Asia surpassed those from Europe. If current trends continue, carbon emissions from Asia will double between 2000 and 2020. By 2010, Asia in will be the leading producer of CO2 the world.

CRITICAL ANALYSIS: THE CONSEQUENCESFreshwater Scarcity and Water Pollution

Today, Asia has the least fresh water available per person of any region. Water pollution is also a serious problem, mainly caused by the disposal of untreated sewage and industrial waste, nitrates from animal waste and chemical fertilizers, and the intrusion of seawater.Largely because of widespread pollution, one out of three Asians does not have access to safe drinking water, defined as a reliable source within 200 meters of the home. Polluted, unsafe water causes millions of deaths every year, particularly among infants and young children.

CRITICAL ANALYSIS: THE CONSEQUENCESRuined Biodiversity and Habitat Destruction

Due in part to population pressure, forests and wetlands have been cleared and drained, resulting in the loss of an estimated 70 to 90 percent of the region’s original wildlife habitat. Habitat destruction and pollution also threaten fresh-water and marine fish and coral reefs in the region.

CRITICAL ANALYSIS: THE CONSEQUENCESPressure on Land

CRITICAL ANALYSIS: THE CONSEQUENCESPressure on LandAsia faces the most acute pressure on agricultural land of any region. Over the past 30 years, while Asia’s total population increased by about 68 percent, the total area of land under cultivation increased by only 21 percent—from 355 to 430 million hectares.

Throughout Asia, it is estimated that about one-third of all cropland has already been damaged by agricultural practices that are not sustainable. And every year, good agricultural land is lost to industrial and infrastructure development and urban sprawl. As a result, the area of productive farmland may actually decrease in coming decades.

SUMMARY

Overpopulation poses ominous effects on one’s living standards and the ecological balance of nature. Increasing number of people living in the planet causes more demand on the basic needs such as food and shelter, thus pressuring their immediate environment.

FINThank you.

Overpopulation Report

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