effect of overpopulation on urban centres

8/10/2019 Effect of Overpopulation on Urban Centres

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EFFECT OF

OVERPOPULATION

ON URBAN

CENTRES

Human Settlement Sciences


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INTRODUCTION

Overpopulationis a generally undesirable condition where an organism's numbers exceed

the carrying capacity of its habitat. The term often refers to the relationship between the

human population and its environment, the Earth, or smaller geographical areas such as

countries. Overpopulation can result from an increase in births, a decline in mortality rates,

an increase in immigration, or an unsustainable biome and depletion of resources. It is

possible for very sparsely populated areas to be overpopulated if the area has a meager or

non-existent capability to sustain life (e.g. a desert).

The population has been growing continuously since the end of the Black Death, around the

year 1400, although the most significant increase has been in the last 50 years, mainly dueto medical advancements and increases in agricultural productivity. Although the rate of

population growth has been declining since the 1980s, the United Nations has expressed

concern on continued excessive population growth in sub-Saharan Africa.As of May 11,

2012 the world human population is estimated to be 7.013 billion by the United States

Census Bureau, and over 7 billion by the United Nations. Most estimates for the carrying

capacity of the Earth are between 4 billion and 16 billion. Depending on which estimate is

used, human overpopulation may or may not have already occurred. Nevertheless, the rapid

recent increase in human population is causing some concern. The population is expected to

reach between 8 and 10.5 billion between the year 2040 and 2050.

In May 2011, the United Nations increased the medium variant projections to 9.3 billion for

2050 and 10.1 billion for 2100.

The recent rapid increase in human population over the past two centuries has raised

concerns that the planet may not be able to sustain present or larger numbers of

inhabitants. Steve Jones, head of the biology department at University College London, has

said, "Humans are 10,000 times more common than we should be". The Inter Academy

Panel Statement on Population Growth has stated that many environmental problems, such

as rising levels of atmospheric carbon dioxide, global warming, and pollution, are aggravated

by the population expansion.Other problems associated with overpopulation include the

increased demand for resources such as fresh water and food, starvation and malnutrition,

consumption of natural resources faster than the rate of regeneration (such as fossil fuels),

and a decrease in living conditions. However, some believe that waste and over-

consumption, especially by wealthy nations, is putting more strain on the environment than

overpopulation.


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Limiting birth rates through legal regulations, educating people about family planning,

increasing access to birth control and contraception, and extra-terrestrial settlement have

been suggested as ways to mitigate overpopulation in the future. China and other nations

already have regulations limiting the birth rate, with China using the one child policy.

Contraception is a response to the fact that nearly 40% of pregnancies are unintended andthat in the poorest regions mothers often lack information and the means to control the size

of their families.

EFFECTS OF OVERPOPULATION ON CITIES

Food Shortage

The more people there are, the greater amount of food is needed. If there is not enough

food to feed people in a specific place, then there is food shortage in that place.

When people do not get enough food, their health is affected. People become

undernourished when they do not have enough food to eat. Undernourished children are

more likely to get sick.

Starvation, malnutritionor poor diet with ill health and diet-deficiency diseases (e.g.rickets) becomes common.

Water Shortage

When population increases, the demand for water also increases. Farmers need more water

to irrigate their fields so that they can produce more crops. Factories need more water to

use in manufacturing more goods. More households need more water for drinking, cooking,

washing clothes, personal hygiene and many other activities. Water shortage is evident

when people have to walk a long way to get water, or when they have to queue up to get

it.Many people do not have access to potable water. They get their water from springs,

rivers, wells and rain.

The quality of water that people get may be poor.

Water shortage in a community can bring about problems related to sanitation and health.

Inadequate fresh water for drinking water use as well as sewage treatment and effluent

discharge. Some countries, like Saudi Arabia, use energy-expensive desalination to solve the

problem of water shortages.


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Limited Space

The population of a place increases in just a short time. However, the space in a place

remains the same.

When the houses in a neighborhood are overcrowded, it shows that the population in the

area is too big. This is a common sight in a city.

Many poor people build shanties along creeks, in dumpsites or along railroads. More than

one family may share a shanty.

Overpopulation in a community can limit space for housing.

Health Problems

Food shortage, overcrowding, poor water supply and environmental pollution affect the

health of the people, particularly the children.

Poor environmental sanitation is a major cause of diseases such as diarrhea, typhoid and

cholera. Dirty insects such as flies and cockroaches contaminate food with disease-causing

germs.

Many children who play barefoot in dirty areas and do not wash their hands before eating

become infected with worms.

Some respiratory diseases such as tuberculosos, pneumonia and bronchitis are worsened by

polluted air.

Communicable diseases can easily be transferred from one person to another in an

overpopulated area.

Environmental Degradation

More people generate more waste. Solid wastes such as plastics, tin cans and bottles, when

not properly disposed of, become eyesores in a place. Garbage and sewage, if left

untreated, can pollute the water supply.

More people need more things to use so more factories are built, more transportation

facilities are made and more products are manufactured. This means more fuels are burned.

The more fuels are burned, the more polluted the air becomes.

Increased levels of air pollution, water pollution, soil contamination and noise pollution.

Once a country has industrialized and become wealthy, a combination of government


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regulation and technological innovation causes pollution to decline substantially, even as

the population continues to grow.

Deforestation and loss of ecosystems that sustain global atmospheric oxygen and carbon

dioxide balance; about eight million hectares of forest are lost each year.

Changes in atmospheric composition and consequentglobal warming.

Irreversible loss of arable landand increases in desertification. Deforestation and

desertification can be reversed by adopting property rights, and this policy is successful

even while the human population continues to grow.

OTHER ISSUES

High infant and child mortality.High rates of infant mortality are caused by poverty. Rich

countries with high population densities have low rates of infant mortality.

Intensive factory farmingto support large populations. It results in human threats including

the evolution and spread of antibiotic resistant bacteria diseases, excessive air and water

pollution, and new viruses that infect humans.

Increased chance of the emergence of new epidemics and pandemics. For many

environmental and social reasons, including overcrowded living conditions, malnutrition and

inadequate, inaccessible, or non-existent health care, the poor are more likely to beexposed to infectious diseases.

Low life expectancyin countries with fastest growing populations.

Unhygienic living conditionsfor many and formation of slums and squatters.

effect of overpopulation on urban centres

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