Rapid population growth and environmental degradation. May 12, 2010 it goes on to describe government strategies to improve settlements and human welfare. The relation between population and environmental degradation is often considered straightforward. In this unique situation, environmental degradation is a specific instance of utilization or generation externalities reflected by uniqueness amongst private and social. I urbanization and environmental degradation in jordan david l. Urbanization and environmental degradation in jordan. Industrial advancements, land and soil degradation, global warming, climate change, air and water pollution, deforestation, physical. Three countries china, india and the usa accounts for 40 percent of the world population. 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.
If you plot this equation, you see a curve arching upward over time as the population increases exponentially, assuming no change in the rate. These concerns are linked to overuse or misuse of the natural resources base. To this end, the study seeks to assess the impact of population pressure on indias. Deforestation and forest degradation as an environmental behavior. National academy of sciences, national academy of engineering, and institute of medicine. Available formats pdf please select a format to send. During the last few decades, ethiopia has experienced massive environmental degradation due to natural factors, unwise use of its natural resources, unsound ecological practices and population pressure. It addresses some of the most important factors assumed to be strongly influenced by global warming. It is defined as any change or disturbance to the environment perceived to be deleterious or undesirable. And we suggest that two inherent characteristics of institutionslimitation and biasare responsible. Interaction between population and environmental degradation core.
It has energy and environmental characteristics of global importance and. Population pressure driven overexploitation of the surface and underground water resources by the poor has resulted into contamination and exhaustion of the water resources. Population pressure, agricultural change and environmental degradation in the western himalayan region of india article pdf available in forum for development studies 252 january 1998 with. Population pressure and cpr conservation the link between population pressure and cprs could be traced back to malthus1 in 1798 who argued that there are diminishing returns to additional labour to land wilber, 1978. Higgitt encyclopedia of life support systems eolss 354 particularly within the last five decades, making jordan a classic example of primacy with an overconcentration of population, economic activity and services in the urban core.
The findings imply that as pressure from people and livestock exceeds some threshold, a rapid degradation of land take place. Assessment of linkages between population dynamics and. Human population as a dynamic factor in environmental degradation. When natural habitats are destroyed or natural resources are depleted, the environment is degraded. Environmental pollution refers to the degradation of quality and quantity of natural resources. The increasing population numbers and growing affluence have resulted in rapid growth of energy production and consumption in india. It could reach 8 billion by 2025, 9 billion by 2040, and a whopping 11 billion by 2100. The underlying causes are found in increasing population pressures on land and the patterns of resource use. Population pressure, agricultural change and environmental. 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 development strategies that favored largescale agricultural farms. The process of population induced technological change is by no means automatic. The formula for exponential population growth is nn 0 e rt where n 0 is the starting population, e is a logarithmic constant 2. Humans have sought to understand the relationship between population dynamics and the environment since the earliest times 1, 2, but it was thomas malthus essay on the principle of population in 1798 that is credited with launching the study of population and resources as a scientific topic of inquiry.
Land degradation is a major problem in many areas of tanzania. Population increased very fast in the post independence period and it. Some fear environmental degradation will produce waves of. The predominant school of thought argues that poverty is a major cause of environmental degradation and if policy makers want to address the environmental issues, then they must first address the poverty problem. Climate change, environmental degradation and armed. Demographic and environmental factors have claimed a dominant position in the postcold war security discourse. Population in india has been regarded as not only the root cause of many of our economic problems but has also severely affected the environmental conditions in india. One of the primary causes of environmental degradation in a country can be attributed to rapid growth of population, which adversely affects the natural resources and environment. Environmental degradation can be seen in local and global effects.
Often it has been gained at the expense of longterm human health status and environmental assets, and sometimes with an increase in social inequity. Desertification has been defined as land degradation in arid, semiarid, and dry subhumid areas resulting from various factors, including climatic variations and human activities11. 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. As indicated by the ipat equation, environmental impact i or. It may be that population change plays a more conclusive role in affecting other aspects of the environment.
The major causes of the environmental degradation are modern urbanization, industrialization, overpopulation growth, deforestation etc. Population summit of the worlds scientific academies. The linkages between land degradation, poverty and social capital in uganda. What are environmental problems due to population growth. Unless the relationship between the multiplying population and the life support system can be stabilized, development programs, howsoever, innovative are not likely to yield. The above mention fact indicates that in the northern plain main cause of environmental degradation is rapid growth of population that puts severe pressure on natural resources. The effect of population growth on the environment.
Pdf population growth and environmental degradation. The impact of population on environmental degradation in south. Population growth and environmental degradation in malawi. Efforts to counteract this problem include environmental protection and environmental resources management. Population pressure contributes to land degradation and soil erosion, thus affecting productive resource base of the economy. The environmental effects like ground water and surface. Aug 31, 2018 the current population of the earth is over 7. Impacts of population pressure and poverty alleviation. The pressure of over population is much higher in the greater plain of india having 33% of the total population of india. The relationship between population growth, resource depletion and environmental degradation has been a matter of debate for decades. Population pressure, agricultural intensification and changes in rural systems in bangladesh. A symposium on population pressures upon physical and social resources in the developing lands, pp. Higgitt encyclopedia of life support systems eolss 352 countries are, at the present time. One of the main causes of environmental degradation is population explosion or rapid growth of population.
According to the neomalthusian conflict scenario, population pressure on natural renewable resources makes societies more prone to lowintensity civil war. Theoretical accounts on the population environment link. Environmental degradation, to a large scale, is the result of market failure, namely the nonexistent or poorly functioning markets for environmental goods and services. The pressure of population on land has increased at a high speed. 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. Rapid population growth and environmental degradation in. Population growth, resource consumption, and the environment. It goes on to describe government strategies to improve settlements and human welfare. Interaction between population and environmental degradation. Causes and consequences article pdf available in european researcher 8182.
Growth of population in india and its impact on natural. Impoverishment, population, and environmental degradation. Because the linkage is unclear, it seems premature to conclude that curbing population growth is the only or most important remedy for land degradation. Faster population growth in developing countries, changing age structures, increasing oldage dependency ratios and the pressure on jobs and livelihoods have severely strained vulnerable sections of the population. The role of environmental degradation in population displacement1. Another study with a focus on the role of markets has shown that market forces and government subsidies or lack thereof can have environmental impacts 5. Four theories of population change and the environment. More people should have a greater impact on the environment, if all other factors such as per capita consumption remain unchanged. In the region as a whole, however, population growth rates have declined in recent years. As the human population keeps on enlarging, there is a lot of pressure on the utilization of natural resources. The relationship between population and the environment. Evidence about environmental degradation the evidence is wellsummarized by article by fprestong. On the contrary, resourceoptimists concede that agricultural land scarcity caused by high population.
The ipat equation, first devised in the 1970s, is a way of determining environmental degradation based on a multiple of factors. Malawis only resources are its people and fertile soil, which comprises about 55 % of land area. Unless the relationship between the multiplying population and the life support system can be stabilized, development programs, howsoever, innovative are not likely to yield desired results. The environmental policy of ethiopia epe, was launched in 1997. Environmental degradation and the development process from a broader development perspective, environmental degradation appears as a proximate cause of migration. However, the recent experience is that the pace of environmental degradation is faster in developing countries than in developed countries. Population impacts on the environment primarily through the use of natural.
Previous studies on this relationship have primarily focused on the impact of population growth on the environment, while the impact of the environment on population has. Environmental degradation, migration and conflict astri suhrke chr. It is relevant to note that this paper has focussed only on land degradation. Population pressure, environmental degradation, and armed conflict revisited henrik urdal, 2005. For example, haitis napa states that population growth is an important factor of pressure on the environment, and population pressure is directly linked to deforestation in the napas of sierra leone, solomon islands. The major causes of the environmental degradation are modern urbanization, industrialization, over population growth, deforestation etc. The linkages between land degradation, poverty and social. Submitted in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of. The interplay between population growth, resource depletion, and environmental degradation has been a matter of debate for decades. Meaning and relation population growth is the main cause of the socioeconomic problem including environmental degradation, pollution, desertification, deforestation, intensive cultivation, over utilization of grazing and other environmental problems. The growing population and the environmental deterioration face the challenge of.
Demography and political economy, in other words, are the most salient. 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. A typology of population pressure on resources in west africa. A rapidly growing population exerts pressure on agricultural land and raises demand for food and shelter which encourages the conversion of forest land for agricultural and residential uses, now we know that growing population is a major cause of air, water, and solid waste pollution. There are many examples of environmental degradation throughout the world. The environmental implications of population dynamics. Because the dependent variable is categorical and ordinal, an ordinal cumulative logit model was chosen for the analysis. Michelsen institute t he environmental refugee has appeared in the literature on environment and security, and with it the refugee as both a cause and victim of conflict. This therefore, illustrates a firm interlocking between underproduction, food insecurity, environmental degradation and population pressure in the region complying largely with the malthusian interpretations. Population growth and the resultant human activities generate pressures to the natural and manmade environments. The relationship between population and the environment is a significant issue due to its impact on chances for achieving sustainable development, especially in developing countries. Brazil is an ideal candidate to represent the construction of a countrys profile on the relationship between economic development and environmental degradation.
Population pressure driven overexploitation of the surface and underground water resources by the poor has resulted into contamination. Poverty, environmental degradation and sustainable. Ultimate versus proximate factors volume 16 issue 3 r. Deforestation and forest degradation as an environmental. Unesco eolss sample chapters human settlement development vol.
Overpopulation is associated with negative environmental and economic. Yet the world bank views population pressure as a major hindrance to economic development and a cause of. Paul shaw skip to main content accessibility help we use cookies to distinguish you from other users and to provide you with a better experience on our websites. According to the neomalthusian conflict scenario, population pressure on natural ren. The main reasons responsible for environmental degradation are as follows. Population pressure an overview sciencedirect topics. Hunter concludes that population dynamics have important environmental implications but that the sheer size of population represents only one important variable in this complex relationship. Population is growing rapidly, far outpacing the ability of our planet to support it, given current practices. Aug 16, 2008 population growth and environmental degradation.
Environmental degradation is the deterioration of the environment through depletion of resources such as air, water and soil. Malthus viewed population increase to cause declines in agricultural output and impoverishment of land resources. As population pressure is one of the key drivers of environmental degradation and poverty, the chapters authors write, the implementation of the population policy, especially aspects that address high fertility rates, gender and reproductive. Global concerns the impact of human activity on the natural resources. Among t he harmful consequences of environmental degradation, land degradation is the most serious environmental problem in ethiopia. Thats more than seven billion three hundred million bodies that need to be fed, clothed, kept warm and ideally, nurtured and educated. Portney expects localities and international organizations to play a larger role. It contains 11sectoral and another 11 crosssectoral policy elements. Paul shaw skip to main content accessibility help we use cookies to distinguish you from other users and to provide you with a. Mahatma gandhis principle of enoughness in his saying the earth provides enough to satisfy every persons need but not for every persons.
What are causes and effects of environmental degradation. Unpacking realities shaping community actions lalisa a. Other demographic dynamics, including changes in population flows and densities, can also pose challenging environmental problems. Introduction there is an increasing recognition of the linkages between rapid population increase and the quality of the environment. Environmental economics in the department of agricultural economics, extension and rural development. Objective the objective of this paper is to assess the effect, relationship and situation analysis scenario on population growth and environmental degradation in ethiopia. There is much controversy surrounding the poverty environmental degradation nexus. Population pressure, environmental degradation, and armed conflict revisited article pdf available in journal of peace research 424. Mahatma gandhis principle of enoughness in his saying the earth provides enough to satisfy every persons need but not for every persons greed. Two billion people have been added in the last 25 years and the world population has moved from 5. While population growth and density are associated with increased risks, the effects of land degradation and water scarcity are weak, negligible or insignificant.
1666 1390 621 969 190 492 1624 1160 313 1607 873 340 903 1267 1670 1461 1461 355 540 1600 857 553 150 1624 1416 1401 1348 1133 606 263 552 840 184 485 1413 472 1320 683 919 1303