The effects of overpopulation are the reasons why it has become one of the big problems now. It not only causes damage to human life but also to the Earth. In developing countries, inadequate fresh water for drinking, as well as sewage treatment and effluent discharge are problems that need to be improved immediately. According to the United Nations over 1.1 billion people are currently without safe drinking water. In addition, starvation, malnutrition or poor diet with ill health and diet-deficiency diseases occur in many countries. Especially in Africa, there are so many poor countries with very low life expectancy and they’re also the fastest country in growing population. Many people live under the average of life quality. They have to live in the unhygienic living conditions due to water resource depletion. This water resource problem also increases incidence of hemorrhagic fevers, HIV and other infectious diseases, disturbance of ecological systems and scarcity of available medical resources. Besides, overpopulation in poor countries has become one of the best conditions for increasing graft and corruption. The consequences of those effects are unimaginable.
Overpopulation also causes many troubles for developed countries. There are not enough places and jobs for people downtown leading to an increasing number of poor and unemployed people. Many big cities are exploding with millions of people. It is the big reason that leads to the traffic jams which happen every time and everywhere. The amount of harmful gas from thousands of factories and millions of vehicles is increasing a rapid rate. Air pollution, water pollution, soil contamination, and noise pollution increases daily. With the highest technology and science development, many countries have over-utilized infrastructure, such as mass transit, highways, and public health systems.
Right now in the world, overpopulation is a big menace for human life and for the Earth. Every year, about eight million hectares of forest are lost by many reasons either from deforestation or natural disasters. According to “The Future of life” by Wilson E.O., “It causes the loss of ecosystems that sustain global atmospheric oxygen and carbon dioxide balance, also changes in atmospheric composition and consequent global warming”. Many arable lands were irreversibly lost and increased desertification. Besides, many natural resources are depleted, especially fossil fuels. This has led to elevated crime rates due to drug cartels and increased theft by people stealing resources to survive. Many conflicts over scarce resources and crowding led to increased levels of warfare. Many big countries don’t have enough resources to satisfy their huge requirements so they have to import the resources from other countries either by negotiation or by constraint, the threat not to trade with other countries if they don’t export resources to their countries. This could lead to the loss of the friendship between many nations all over the world. The effects of overpopulation are really great.
Many solutions and plans were applied to reduce the effects of overpopulation, such as birth control, sexual abstinence, contraception, abortion, etc... Population control is the first solution which was the most agreed upon by many countries. It was the practice of limiting population increase, usually by reducing the birth rate. There are many ways to reduce birth rate. First we need to develop more action plans and strategies to increase public understanding of how rapid population growth limits chances for meeting basic needs. The spirit of open communication and empowerment of individual women and men will be the key to a successful solution to many population problems. Collective vision about health care, family planning, and women’s education at the community level build a basis for action. The creation of action plans help to meet challenges to find cooperative solutions. Free and equal access to health care, family planning, and education are desirable in their own right and will also help reduce unwanted fertility. In addition, individual choice, human right and collective responsibility are keys to allowing families to plan the size and spacing of their children. It is essential to achieve a balance between population and the available resources. Teachers, parents, community workers, and other stakeholders should extend the range of choices about available resources to individuals, especially women, and by equalizing opportunities between the genders from birth onwards. People can practice how to make good decisions in everyday life. Decisions about family and resources will affect future generations.
The other solution for overpopulation is birth control education. Many teenagers, most commonly in developed countries, receive some form of sex education in school. What information should be provided in such programs is hotly contested. Following many researchers, possible topics may include reproductive anatomy, human sexual behavior, information on sexually transmitted diseases; social aspects of sexual interaction, negotiating skills intended to help teens follow through with a decision to remain abstinent or to use birth control during sex, and information on birth control methods. Teachers as well as students can use the information to gain knowledge about our country and other countries populations’. Teachers can help students with problems and decision making on a daily basis. Besides, parents are the most important parts in teaching their kids about birth control education. Parents should have knowledge about birth control and about how to teach their children. It is the best way to reduce birth rate. Teenagers must have the background about sex and sexual behavior.
Right now, in the world the population keeps increasing but the population growth is reduced at the minimum rate by population control. The effects of overpopulation will be decreased if we have the cooperation of each individual government in following and executing population control. Hopefully, some day in the future people will realize more about the importance of overpopulation and have more sense about population control.
