The world’s population is growing at an alarming rate. According to the most recent estimates, the world’s population is now 8 billion, and it is projected to reach 9.7 billion by 2050. India alone accounts for more than 1.4 billion. This rapid population growth is causing problems for the planet and its inhabitants. The increase in population has been so rapid in the past few decades that it may be described as ‘population explosion’. In an average 200,000 people are added to the world population daily.
Reasons for the population explosion:
Some of the reasons for population explosion include better health care which contributed to low death rates, low infant and maternity mortality rate and increase in birth rates. Another factor responsible for growth of population is the rise in life expectancy. Also, in search of better job and lifestyle, more and more people are moving to cities making them overcrowded. In 1950, about 30% of the world’s population lived in cities. Today, more than 55% of the world’s population is urban, and that number is projected to increase to 68% by 2050.
The global fertility rate has been in decline for the last few decades, but the world’s population is still growing because the number of people of childbearing age is increasing. With more than 808 million people (or almost 66 percent of the total population) under the age of 35, India has the largest young population in the world. Over 40% of Indians are between the ages of 13 and 35. In most developed countries, the fertility rate is now below the replacement level of 2.1 live births per woman. However, in many developing countries, the fertility rate is still high. For example, in Africa, the fertility rate is 4.2 live births per woman.
The world’s population is growing older as well. The median age (the age at which half the population is older and half is younger) has increased from 24 in 1950 to 30 in 2020. In developed countries, the median age is even higher, at 43. In some countries, such as Japan, more than a quarter of the population is 65 or older.
Effects of increased population:
Overpopulation is a major cause of many of the world’s most pressing problems. It exacerbates poverty, degrades the environment, increases conflict and contributes to a range of social and economic problems.
The increase in population has far more reaching consequences in agricultural and developing countries like India. The serious issue that crop up is the scarcity of barest necessities of life like food, shelter, clothing and employment opportunities. Epidemics frequently break out because of the filthy conditions in the tenements where people live are packed close together. The demographic shift puts more pressure on the land, forcing people to live in slums. Urbanization brings in its own problem of multiplication of slums, juvenile delinquency, prostitutions and increase in activities that are illegal in nature.
How to address the problem of overpopulation?
One of the solutions to overcome population growth is birth control. This could be implemented by providing free contraceptives or educating people about birth control methods. This would reduce the number of unwanted pregnancies and lead to fewer births over time. India is the first country that took family planning on a government level in 1951. The importance our government gave to birth control can be clearly understood in the allotment made for it in the Five year plan.
Empowering women can bring out a great change. Early marriage should be prevented by prescribing minimum age requirement for marriage. Furthermore, it is important to include sex education as a part of the basic educational curriculum.
The population explosion is a major global problem with far-reaching implications. The trouble is intensified by the fact that the world’s population is becoming more urban. Urban migration increases population density putting strain on natural resources, the environment, and social and economic systems. The main cause of urban migration is employment, so creating employment opportunities in rural areas can solve this problem to a great extent.
Another way to prevent cities from overcrowding is providing incentives such as free housing or money in exchange for moving into a certain place. Recently, to reduce population concentration in the Japanese capital, the government is planning to grant families moving away from the Tokyo metropolitan area up to 1 million yen per child, up from 300,000 yen.
Conclusion:
Whatever may be the steps government takes in order to check rise in population, without the cooperation of people, it could only remain a distant objective. So must do our part in raising awareness against population explosion and make this world less chaotic.