Human overpopulation is one of the biggest causes of the depletion of natural resources. The world population has increased from 1 Billion in 1800 to 7.7 Billion in 2020. The global population is increasing. More people means more requirement and thus more usage of resources. At the current growth rate, it is expected that the global population will reach about 11 Billion until 2100.
Every time we use any natural resource, the Earth needs time to regenerate and replenish. But now we are using resources at speed faster than Earth can restore it. So, we are experiencing a shortage of funds. Did you know that about 700 million people in the world live in extreme poverty, as reported on June 19th!
Overpopulation is one of the root causes of environmental issues like climate change. More people not only means more need for resources but more carbon emission too. India is currently the world’s second-largest population and is expected to become the largest in the coming decade. With so many people using natural resources, carbon emissions are skyrocketing. Climate change is accelerating, and the population is a significant reason why.
To address climate change, it is necessary to treat the root causes, which include the population. If we look at the trends of population growth, it can be observed that population growth balances out with a higher literacy rate. It means- more the literate people a region has, lesser will be the population there. Thus, education is an excellent tool in tackling population growth and, therefore, climate change.
The second fascinating trend which can be observed is that the economic development in the region is inversely proportional to population growth. This means the more well off a region is economical, the lesser the population in that region. European nations like Norway, Netherlands, and Finland are a few examples.
Thus, we can significantly decrease the ‘population threat’ by directly investing more in the education sector, which will produce more literate people and produce more skilled professionals, thereby shall boost the region’s economy.
Therefore, we should keep in mind the importance of education and always try and create environmental awareness and raise our voice, which is, in fact, as simple as upvoting this blog!
About the Author: Aaditya is an inquisitive XII grade science student from Eastwood International School, Doomwali, Punjab. He is a nature lover. And has a youtube channel-‘The Viking Show’.