The analysis is based upon the environmental kuznets curve ekc model, which posits an invertedu relationship between incomes per capita and environmental quality. The sustaining capacity of the globe is shrinking a little bit every year and soon, if the population trend continues at the current rate the sustaining capacity will have reached its peak. The challenge for environmental management david pimentel, x. The major causes of the environmental degradation are modern urbanization, industrialization, over population growth, deforestation etc. Understanding the relationship between population growth and environmental issues may be the first step toward identifying real solutions. Malawi has been ranked by the world bank as one of the poorest countries in africa. In this paper we critically examine the concept of the environmental kuznets curve ekc. Population growth and environmental degradation in malawi. Population growth and the pollution of water, air, and soil are contributing to the increasing number of human diseases worldwide. All life on earth obtains its food and other necessities from this environment.
Each of the above theories identifies one or more ultimate causes for environmental degradation, which if remedied would solve the problem. The argument was that population growth in some developing countries has been so rapid that environmental collapse is the result. At its simplest, it describes how human impact on the environment i is a result of a multiplicative contribution of population p, affluence a and technology t. As might be imagined population growth has positive and negative effects on development. Essays on environmental degradation and economic development. The growing population and the environmental deterioration. In contrast, proximate causes such as rapid population growth are shown to be more situationspecific, contemporary, and of a confounding nature. Over the last half century the population of the world has exploded. Causes of environmental degradation the major causes of the environmental degradation are modern urbanization, industrialization, over population growth, deforestation etc. One of the major causes of environmental degradation in ethiopia could be attributed to rapid growth of population, which is adversely affecting the natural resources and environment. Others argue that, while the concept has some utility in indicating global unsustainability, it is.
The overall aim of this study is to analyse the relationship between economic growth and environmental degradation with particular reference to carbon emissions and deforestation. What are causes and effects of environmental degradation. Population growth and environmental degradation population is an important source of development, yet it is a major source of environmental degradation when it exceeds the threshold limits of the support systems. He believed that social exploitation and oppression of the less privileged people leads to poverty, overcrowding, unemployment, environmental degradation that in turn, causes over population. Pdf population growth and environmental degradation. As indicated by the ipat equation, environmental impact i or degradation is caused by the combination of an already very large and increasing human population p, continually increasing economic growth or per capita affluence a, and the application of resourcedepleting and polluting technology t. Is overpopulation the root cause of environmental degradation. Start the discussion today with the notion of sustainability. The role of environmental degradation in population displacement1. A glimpse ofpopulation dynamics in nepal, population has been unprecedentedly growing. Aug 16, 2008 population growth and environmental degradation. While the causes are complex, one significant contributor to the problem is population growth.
Malawis only resources are its people and fertile soil, which comprises about 55% of land area. Today the world population is estimated at over six billion. A ofpopulation trends and causes glimpse ofpopulation. Pdf malawi has been ranked by the world bank as one of the poorest countries in africa. The growing population and the environmental deterioration face the challenge of sustained. The aim of this paper is to examine impact of population growth on various facets of environment which is. Water and air pollution are unfortunately the comm on causes of environmental degradation. Pollution introduces contaminants into the environment that can m aim o r even kill plant and animal species. The major causes of the environmental degradation are modern urbanization, industrialization, overpopulation growth, deforestation etc.
Environmental degradation and population growth conditions in malawi were used to illustrate the model of environmental degradation linked to population pressure on land resources and government. Different kinds of the human activities are the main reasons of. The primary people in india affected by environmental degradation are the farmers because they rely on the land to provide them with the resources they need in order to survive. Mahatma gandhis principle of enoughness in his saying the earth provides enough to satisfy every persons need but not for every persons greed. Global population growth creates environmental problems. The impact of population on environmental degradation in south asia. The pressure of population on land has increased at a high speed. The ipat equation, first devised in the 1970s, is a way of determining environmental degradation based on a multiple of factors. Overpopulation and environmental degradation the planet on which we live is dying, harsh.
Interaction between population and environmental degradation core. Impact of population growth on environmental degradation. The environmental effects like ground water and surface water contamination. In the case of neomalthusianism, population growth is the primary problem, and the solution is population programs. Although the global rate of human population growth peaked around 1963, the number of people living on earth and sharing finite resources like water and food has grown by more than twothirds since then, topping out at over seven and a half billion today, and human population is expected to exceed nine billion by 2050. The theoretical framework linking population growth. Chapter 1 effects of population growth and urbanization in. Essay on overpopulation and environmental degradation bartleby. Dec 05, 2017 is overpopulation the root cause of environmental degradation. According to karl marx, population growth is a symptom rather than the cause of poverty, resource depletion, pollution and other social ills. Currently an estimated 40% of world deaths are due to environmental degradation. Aug 31, 2018 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.
Environmental pollution refers to the degradation of quality and quantity of natural resources. Human population as a dynamic factor in environmental degradation. The result has been deforestation, overgrazing, overuse of land for subsistence, and increased population density. Population and the environment the impact of population growth on economic development is a complex issue. Higgitt encyclopedia of life support systems eolss 352 countries are, at the present time, overshooting the sustainable resource base. It proposes that there is an inverted ushape relation between environmental degradation and income per capita, so that, eventually, growth reduces the environmental impact of economic activity. At the time of writing there are seven billion people on the planet and this number is projected to grow in a short period of time. Overpopulation and environmental degradation term paper. Effects of population growth and urbanization in the pacific islands more than 35 percent of the people of the pacific islands live and work in towns, and the rate of urban population growth throughout most of the region is high figure 1. The process of environmental degradation in india has also only accelerated with the growing effects of climate change. The scholarly literature on this issue labels this view, which stresses the mixed and ambiguous impacts of population growth on economic change, revisionism. Of all of the environmental challenges facing the planet today overpopulation is one that sometimes slips under the radar. A major cause of environmental degradation in african countries is a population growth. Environmental degradation an overview sciencedirect topics.
Ultimate causes include polluting technologies, affluencerelated wastes, environmental consequences of warfare, land and urban mismanagement policies, and so on. Pdf the rapid increase of human population is putting an incredible strain on our. Most studies on this link have so far analyzed crosscountry data, finding contradictory results. One of the major causes of environmental degradation in india could be attributed to rapid growth of population, which is adversely affecting the natural resources and environment. Nov 11, 2014 perhaps rural poverty contributes to environmental degradation on the very small proportion of the worlds forests, soils and water to which the poor have access so it is not a major contributor to global environmental degradation but a serious contributor to environmental degradation in particular places alder, graham 1995, tackling. In particular, feedbacks, thresholds, and synergies generally amplify risk, causing degradation to grow disproportionally faster than growth in population size. Population is an important source of development, yet it is a major source of environmental degradation when it exceeds the threshold limits of the support systems. Citizen science as a valid approach to address climate change and contemporary environmental issues. Internal migration does not make any changes but international migration makes the differences in the size of population.
In the environmental implications of population dynamics, lori hunter synthesizes current knowledge about the influence of population dynamics on the environment. Accounting for outsourcing to chinas carbon footprint during the apportionment of liability for greenhous gas emissions. In the last hundred years the population has more than. Sustainable development means a emphasizing the role of the market.
There is a longstanding dispute on the extent to which population growth causes environmental degradation. Impact of a growing population on natural resources. Rapid population growth and environmental degradation in. Does the simultaneous occurrence of population growth and environmental decline over the past century indicate that more people translate into greater environmental degradation. What are environmental problems due to population growth. Birth increases the population while death decreases the population. Here we briefly outline the conclusions of this school of thought as expressed in an overview of the population. Jul 31, 2007 the world health organization who and other organizations report that the prevalence of human diseases during the past decade is rapidly increasing. Thus growth of population leads to pollution of air. In other words, the population exceeds the region or planets carrying capacitythe number of people, other living organisms, or crops that can be supported without environmental degradation. One of the main causes of environmental degradation is population explosion or rapid growth of population. Notes on causes of population growth extra references. Poverty, still remains a problem at the root of several environmental problems.
If population is truly relevant to global environmental degradation, they say, then rich countries should be most concerned with promoting economic growth and. Overall, eight of the twentytwo pacific countries are now predominantly urban. The effect of population growth on the environment. Pimentel introduction a h e a l t h y and prudently managed environment is a major benefit to humans and other species.
The world bank joined the consensus when in the 1992 world. Overpopulation and environmental degradation at the time of the agricultural revolution, nearly ten thousand years ago, the population of the globe was no more than ten million. Rapid population growth and environmental degradation. The main reasons responsible for environmental degradation are as follows. Moreover it has caused substantial conversion of forest land into land for industrial use or construction activity.
But as a whole, migration does not effect in the size of population change. Environmental degradation has been cited as one of four root causes of refugee flows, together with political instability economic tensions and ethnic conflict unhcr 1993. Its no secret that the planet faces serious environmental concerns from water and air pollution to deforestation. Economic growth and environmental degradation in a global. I urbanization and environmental degradation in jordan david l. Urbanization and environmental degradation in jordan.
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