Population and environment have been inseparable since the beginning of time. They have always enjoyed a symbiotic relationship. Population derives its existence from the environment and there is also interplay of dependence between the two for mutual benefits. As a result of man’s natural urge to reproduce, there is overpopulation which eventually has adverse effects on the environment. According to available statistics, the planet earth is populated by over 7 billion people. In Nigeria, the population is estimated to be over 180 million, ranking 7th in the world.
Three areas in which the environment suffers the most due to consequences of over-population are related to water, land and air. Desertification, food and water scarcity, deforestation, soil erosion, air and water pollution and the greenhouse effect are some of the challenges that many over-populated countries face.
A bloated population leads to squalid and congested environment – a major cause of outbreak of epidemics – water shortages both for consumption and agriculture which eventually result in dearth of food supply and poor sanitary conditions. Other major problems of over-population on the environment are conflicts and wars as well as the depletion of the ozone layers, environmental pollution and social problems such as increasing rates of adolescent pregnancies, transmission of diseases such as HIV/AIDS, among others.
It is a known fact that the fewer the number of people occupying a given space, the happier and healthier they will be. This assertion can be proven using individuals living in the urban centres in comparison to their counterparts in the rural areas. The former usually suffer physical and behavioural problems and they tend to be unfriendly and aggressive.
Over-population can also indirectly cause outbreak of water-borne diseases like cholera and typhoid, among others. In addition, the number of times a piece of land is deployed for farming affects its productivity. Thus, there is low yield on an over-used land and subsequently shortage of food supply. Conflicts arising from fights over land matters also cause environmental problems like killings and maiming of opponents.
In the rural communities of developing countries, cutting of wood from forests for cooking and heat production is still fashionable due to poverty brought about by the national wealth not being able to cater for the large population; a fallout from this practice is environmental pollution that has led to increase in the rate of childhood asthma in the affected countries.
But by far the most devastating of all the effects over-population has on the environment is the growing army of the unemployed. These groups of people are being recruited for the various wars and insurgencies all over the world. Their lack of hope for the future and low self-esteem are channelled into an orgy of violence against those who supposedly are to blame for their misfortunes.
An increase in population means disproportionate land mass available for use by the populace leading to over-crowding and not necessarily an increment in the source of income which could affect the quality of care made available to the children in terms of education, food and shelter. A man with low source of income but with many children will not be able to provide basic things needed to ensure his family’s comfort. And since most adolescents are restless, if they are not positively engaged, they tend to expend their energy on frivolous things such as sexual activities which ultimately result in adolescent pregnancies.
It is in realization of the enormity of the problems of over-population that the United Nations instituted the World Population Day in 1989. Marked on July 11 every year, approximately the date when the world’s population reached 5 billion, the global body authorized the event as a vehicle to build an awareness of population issues and the impact they have on development and the environment.
Through this great awareness celebration, people are encouraged to participate in the event to know more about population issues like importance of family planning towards the increasing population, gender equality, maternal and infant health, poverty, human rights, right to health, sexuality education, use of contraceptives like condoms, girl-child education, child marriage and sexually transmitted infections.
As the world population increases, it has deep implication for development if properly harnessed and given favourable environment to thrive. It also has challenges with implication on sustainability, urbanization, access to health services and youth empowerment. In order to maximize the potentials inherent in the world’s growing population while planning towards controlling the rapid growth, the young who form the bulk of the global population should be empowered. Today’s 1.8 billion young people are shaping social and economic realities, challenging norms and values, and building the foundation of the world’s future. Yet, too many of these young people continue to grapple with poverty, inequality and human rights violations that prevent them from reaching their personal and collective potential.
As the global community celebrates this year’s World Population Day, searchlights should be beamed on how to invest in support of the largest-ever generation of youth through education, empowerment, rights protection and better health care. The overall objective of this empowerment should be job creation to reduce the level of poverty and stimulate sustainable development. The project will contribute towards this objective by providing an effective and sustainable job creation programme targeted at the youths as well as demonstrate models of technical and vocational education and training combined with training in life skills. This intervention will in the long run assist in controlling the population. In the words of Nobel laureate Henry W. Kendall, “If we don’t halt population with justice and compassion, it will be done for us by nature, brutally and without pity – and will leave a ravaged world.”
Bilikis Bakare
