Overpopulation

Overpopulation is a condition in which the amount of human population exceeds the carrying capacity of a given location. It is the state of the human population that rises in a measure that produces an overload on the capacity of the ecological environment. In an overcrowded environment, the number of people exceeds the availability of the place to provide water, shelter, food or social services. This is one of the main causes of environmental deterioration, worsening quality of life or even causing the population to disintegrate.

Related topics

Social stratification, gentrification

What is overpopulation?

Overpopulation is the state in which the human population increases in such a way that it exceeds the capacity of a place to provide social services such as water, food, shelter and medicine causing environmental deterioration and in the quality of life.

Causes of overpopulation

There are a number of factors that have allowed overpopulation, among them we can mention the following:

• Lower mortality rate: thanks to medical and scientific advances, a series of diseases that had previously been fatal were defeated. The invention of vaccines and antibiotics has saved thousands of lives and, consequently, the population grows, lowering the mortality rate of a place.
• Adequate food production progress: This improves and contributes to a better and healthier population at the same time.
• The process of migration and urban concentration: it occurs in some specific countries and accumulates large numbers of people that causes disproportionate population growth. Whether for work, health or simply to change the environment, migration is one of the most important processes that cause overpopulation in cities.

Consequences and problems

Human overpopulation is one of the most important environmental problems of today’s society, silently aggravating global warming, pollution, habitat loss, agricultural practices and inadequate consumption of natural resources such as fresh water, arable land and fossil fuels. Some of them are mentioned below:

• Depletion of natural resources: this is the main effect of overpopulation as natural resources are not used correctly.
• Natural resources are consumed at a faster rate than the planet is able to generate them.
• The conflicts generated by the use of resources produce political tensions and wars.
• The environment is degraded.
• The deforestation that takes place in order to build buildings is destroying the flora and fauna.
• More greenhouse gases are produced, which greatly increase global warming.
• As there are many people looking for work, the demand for labor is limited which causes unemployment and in turn, generates a high rate of crime and delinquency.
• The cost of living is rising.

Environmental impact of overpopulation

The impact of environmental overpopulation has been enormous. A large number of animal and plant species have become extinct over time, as large urbanizations and companies have displaced them to create new structures. With these large companies, a high rate of environmental pollution has come from the use of automobiles and factories that produce toxic waste. In overpopulation, there are more means of transport that generate air pollutants that damage the ozone layer and contribute to global warming.

Prevention

Among the preventive plans to avoid overpopulation, migration plans are fundamental. It is important that people do not look for places that are already overcrowded and try to broaden their horizons to less populated places. Better education, teaching couples proper family planning and birth control can help prevent overpopulation.

Solutions

The main solutions given to avoid overpopulation are the following:

• Government incentives for villagers.
• Sex education and planning
• Migratory

Overpopulation in Mexico

Poor urban planning and overpopulation have had a major impact on the country’s biological diversity; in fact, some of these species have already become completely extinct. Poorly organized urban development affects both the country’s environment and produces more pollution. The large number of people and little work, makes people to seek easy money through crime, increasing the insecurity of the country.

Overpopulation in Japan

Japan has the most serious population problem in the world because it is not giving the necessary resource to produce: human life. The Japanese population has started to decline since 2005. The little interest of the Japanese in sex, marriage or paternity has forced the government to try, without success, to create programs to encourage women to have children, necessary resources for the country to continue its great growth.

In China

China is the most populous country in the world with more than 1.3 billion inhabitants. Starting in the 1970s, population policies were implemented to control excessive population growth and family planning became part of the fundamental policy of the state.

In India

Most of India’s poor states suffer from very slow economic growth and disproportionate population growth. Environmental impacts are also a serious threat to the country. The country is able to have a better economy and improve the environment, but everything has been going against it.