What will happen if overpopulation occurs

Human population growth and climate change have grown hand in hand as the use of fossil fuels has exploded to support industrialized societies. Most fossil fuel consumption comes from developed countries. Deforestation is another important component of greenhouse gas emissions. Globally, forests store more than twice the amount of carbon dioxide than is found in the atmosphere.

There are issues aplenty to overcome. Clearly, initiatives to switch to clean energy sources such as solar, improve agricultural practices, better manage water resources and fully embrace the principles of the circular economy will help us mitigate the impact of population growth.

At the other end of the spectrum, policies that encourage family planning, education, gender equity and other measures to help slow population growth will help reduce pressure on the planet.

Take time to understand the issues, and support policies that will make a difference. Census Bureau. Census Bureau Estimates 7. United Nations. World Economic Forum. National Institutes of Health. Accessed Feb. World Wildlife Fund. United States Environmental Protection Agency. American Association for the Advancement of Science. ACS Publishing. Freshwaters: Analysis of Potential Economic Damages. Norwegian University of Science and Technology.

Energy Information Administration. Bureau of Reclamation. United Nations University. Good and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations. Congressional Budget Office. Actively scan device characteristics for identification.

Use precise geolocation data. Many factors contribute to these unsustainable trends, including falling mortality rates, underutilized contraception, and a lack of education for girls. The primary and perhaps most obvious cause of population growth is an imbalance between births and deaths. The infant mortality rate has decreased globally, with 4. This is welcome public health news, of course.

At the same time, lifespans are increasing around the world. Those of us who are alive today will likely live much longer than most of our ancestors. Global average life expectancy has more than doubled since , thanks to advancements in medicine, technology, and general hygiene. Falling mortality rates are certainly nothing to complain about either, but widespread longevity does contribute to the mathematics of increasing population numbers.

The global fertility rate has fallen steadily over the years, down from an average of 5 children per woman in to 2. Yet, on the whole, contraceptive use is still underutilized. For example, according to the WHO, an estimated million women in developing countries who want to avoid pregnancy are not using modern contraceptives. Getting more women the access and agency to utilize family planning methods could go a long way in flattening the population curve. Although female access to education has increased over the years, the gender gap remains.

Roughly million girls worldwide are out of school currently, and an estimated 15 million girls of primary school age will never learn to read and write, compared with 10 million boys. Increasing and encouraging education among women and girls can have a number of positive ripple effects, including delayed childbearing , healthier children, and an increase in workforce participation. Plenty of evidence suggests a negative correlation between female education and fertility rates.

If increased female education can delay or decrease fertility and provide girls with opportunities beyond an early marriage, it could also help to mitigate current population trends. More people means an increased demand for food, water, housing, energy, healthcare, transportation, and more. And all that consumption contributes to ecological degradation, increased conflicts, and a higher risk of large-scale disasters like pandemics.

Here we will cover both causes and effects of overpopulation in order for you to have a more informed view of the risks that come with it. Causes of Overpopulation are different for many countries but are mostly associated with poverty, reduced mortality rates, poor medical access, poor contraceptive use, as well as immigration. With overpopulation comes a decrease in resources and an increase in symptoms of illness and disease.

There are a number of factors that contribute to overpopulation. These are the leading causes:. Poverty is believed to be the leading cause of overpopulation. A lack of educational resources, coupled with high death rates leading to higher birth rates, result in impoverished areas seeing large booms in population.

The effect is so extensive that the UN has predicted that the forty-eight poorest countries in the world are also likely to be the biggest contributors to population growth. Their estimates state that the combined population of these countries is likely to balloon to 1. This issue is exacerbated in underdeveloped areas. As distressing as it may be to hear, child labor is still used extensively in many parts of the world.

UNICEF estimates that approximately million children are currently working, primarily in countries that have few child labor laws. This can result in children being seen as a source of income by impoverished families. Furthermore, children who begin work too young also lose the educational opportunities they should be granted, particularly when it comes to birth control. Improvement in medical technology has led to lower mortality rates for many serious diseases.

Particularly dangerous viruses and ailments such as polio, smallpox and measles have been practically eradicated by such advances. While this is positive news in many ways, it also means that people are living longer than ever before.

Though it only plays a minor role in comparison to the other causes of overpopulation, improved fertility treatments have made it possible for more people to have children. The number of women using various fertility treatments has been on the rise since their inception. Now most have the option of conceiving children, even if they may not have been able to do so without such treatments. Unchecked immigration into countries may lead to overpopulation to the point where those countries no longer have the required resources for their population.

This is particularly problematic in countries where immigration numbers far exceed emigration numbers.