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The term overpopulation is used to describe a situation in which the world or area has a population so large that the people there are suffering as a result. In other words, the population exceeds the region or planet’s carrying capacity–the number of people, other living organisms, or crops that can be supported without environmental degradation.
Overpopulation is largely attributed to trends stemming from a spike in birth rates in the mid-20th century. Overpopulation of specific locations can also result from migration. The relationship between overpopulation and environmental impacts is often interrelated and complex. In my opinion, I agree that there are many factors adding to the degradation. As the global population increases, more food is needed. Such measures may be met through more intensive farming, or through deforestation to create new farm lands, which in turn can have negative outcomes. For example, surveys by the World Environment Council issue repeated warnings to curb overpopulation.
Also, while there is plenty of water on the planet, it is very much a scarce resource. Only 2.5 percent of water resources are fresh water, and just a small fraction of that is available as unpolluted drinking water. Human population growth and climate change have grown hand in hand as the use of fossil fuels has exploded to support industrialized societies. More people necessitates more demand for oil, coal, gas, and other energy sources extracted from below the Earth’s surface that spew carbon dioxide into the atmosphere when burned, trapping warm air inside like a greenhouse.
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.
