Environmental Engineering Reference
In-Depth Information
supported by the given sustainability on Earth. In addition, there is a growing concern among ecologists who
suggest that the total population must be lowered to support sustainability.
The continued research and study of population sustainability recognizes the importance of the preservation of
human-valued natural resources (land, air, and water) to sustain the population and preserve quality of life for
future generations. There is no way to measure whether global population has reached the carrying capacity of
Earth, or if there are sufficient renewable resources to support the number of living organisms for future gener-
ations. What we do know is that over 6 million children die every year from preventable or treatable diseases,
nearly 1 billion people do not have access to clean water, nearly 1 billion people are malnourished, and 96 per-
cent of the population growth between 2005 and 2050 will occur in the developing countries. In addition, sub-
Saharan Africa has high levels of HIV/AIDS—as high as 50 percent in some regions. Other issues that affect
population growth include religion, the availability of family planning, education, income, attitudes toward
birth control, the role of women, and cultural norms.
Population Policies
In order to slow population growth, many countries have established policies and programs to educate people
and promote family-planning programs. The efforts to institute programs with the goal of lowering the growth
rate, in both developed and developing nations, have been successful. For example, Iran has successfully
lowered growth based on a campaign for contraception. Many nations, including Thailand, Brazil, and
Bangladesh, have some form of family planning programs, public awareness, and policies in place to focus on
reducing population growth. China's one-child policy, where limitations have been established for the number
of children a couple can have, is the only one of its kind, though. Countries sometimes address immigration as
opposed to birth rates as a way to reduce population growth.
Impacts of Population
There are two distinct population-related impacts on the environment. The populations of developing countries
have one impact, while the populations of industrialized countries have a different impact. In developing coun-
tries, populations are continually occupied with acquiring and sustaining basic needs (food, water, and shelter).
In comparison, industrialized countries have the basic needs and are more concerned about their desires (cell-
phones, cars) than basic needs.
Poverty
In countries in which a large percentage of the population lives in severe economic hardship, people are gener-
ally more concerned about food, water, and shelter than they are about environmental impact. Many of these
impoverished countries have large populations that rely on biomass (wood fuel) for their energy needs. Denud-
ing the landscape depletes the habitat needed for native plants and animal species to flourish and erodes the
soil. As farming becomes less productive, it necessitates hunting for game, with the possibility that some spe-
cies of animals may be hunted to extinction.
Economics
Populations, economics, and the environment are interrelated. A wealthy population requires a wealthy eco-
nomy and, in an industrialized society, is supported by natural resources. Conversely, an abundance of natural
resources will infuse wealth into an economy and has the possibility of creating wealth for the population. As a
wealthy population's natural resources are depleted, it has the economic wealth to expand and/or locate new re-
sources. This often occurs at the expense of poor populations and their natural resources. Wealthier nations (the
