Discuss Comprehensively How Population Growth Affects The Environment
Uploaded by
Diana Mae BarcomaDiscuss Comprehensively How Population Growth Affects The Environment
Uploaded by
Diana Mae Barcoma1.
Discuss comprehensively how population growth affects the environment,
economy, and development.
Population growth can have a good impact in the economy and development, as the
more people who will work, business establishments will thrive more, and the more value will
be created. Products will evolve, as people will become more inventive to survive in the
competition. However, it can have put pressures on the limited resources, as there will be
more people to feed, but the sources are not increasing. Furthermore, it can have a negative
impact in the environment since more people means more waste that can pollute the air,
land and waters.
2. How population growth rate affects the sustainability of natural resource?
As what I have said, there will be pressures on our limited natural resources since there
will be more people who needs to use it, yet the sources are not increasing. Humans are the
primary consumers of natural resources, yet the natural resources that we use is not enough
to sustain us in the long run. Eventually, it will run out in an alarming rate, making it harder
for us to survive in the future.
3. Discuss the five fundamental properties of the population comprehensively, and
each of them affects each other.
Abundance - refers to the relative representation of a species in a particular ecosystem.
Birth rates -the ratio between births and individuals in a specified population and time,
usually per one thousand population divided by the length of the period in years.
Death rates -ratio of the frequency of occurrence of death in a defined population during
a specified interval, usually calculated as the number of deaths per one thousand people
per year.
Growth rates - the rate at which a population increases. The number of individuals born
in a large population.
Age structure - Divided into three types – pre-reproductive, reproductive, and post
reproductive, which ascertains the population’s reproductive status, thus, predicting the
growth of the population in the future.
They relate to each other because once of these properties will undergo significant
change, they will influence the changes of the whole population as well. They support
each other in making a more accurate projection in population.
4. Discuss comprehensively why it is important to consider age structure of human
population.
Age structure is important to consider since it is crucial in the determination of the
population growth rate, which is also detrimental in a certain area’s economic
development and environmental health. Furthermore, it is also crucial for the
identification of age distribution patterns, and what resources must be allocated for
children, adults and elderly, for them to be equally satisfied with their needs.
5. Why is carrying capacity considered one of the critical factors in maintaining
ecological balance and sustainability?
To create balance and sustainability, we have to consider the carrying capacity of
an area. It is the average number of population a certain area can sustain given its
natural resources. Of course it is important to not to exceed within the carrying capacity
of a certain area, or else, the resources will easily get depleted. The rate of the
consumption of the resources must be slower than the rate of the resource’s
replenishment, or else the organisms will have to adapt to new ways to survive, either by
finding substitutes or adapt to new consumption levels. But either way, they will still have
a hard time to survive, especially if the resources is already exhausted, if close to none.
6. Why population changes? How these changes shape the population structure in
the future?
Population changes because of these major factors: fertility rate, birth rate, death
rate, and migration. Changes in these population rates affects the projection of the
resources a country may need in the future. High fertility rates means high levels of
population, which can lead to higher levels of consumption in the future. High death
rates leads to a decline in population, which can also lead to reduction of a country’s
economic development. Finally, changes in migration can affect the population structure,
as migration can result to overpopulation to a certain area, such as the overpopulation of
cities. Ultimately, changes in the factors that directly influence population allows for the
better prediction and control of the global impact it produces.
7. Is there a need to limit population growth? Why
With the current environmental problems that we are facing today, such as the
depletion of natural resources and pollution, there is indeed a need to limit the
population growth of a certain country. Measures must be implemented by the
government such as strict family planning and birth control policies. Furthermore, people
should also know their limits, become more responsible and implement these measures
on themselves. Although population growth has a positive impact on economic
development, but too much of it would cause stress to the natural resources. In the end,
if the resources will become depleted, the humans will lose their means to survive, and
these economic developments will all just be put to waste.
IN A NUTSHELL
Activity No. 2. Demographic studies play an important role in studying human ecology and
settlement patterns. It enables urban and environmental planners to design sustainable
communities with the utmost comfort and responsiveness to the growing population growth and
demand for resources. Identifying the key factors affecting demography will shape the idea of
projecting future demand for residential units, commercial establishments, industrial, and
institutional facilities. In this portion of the group, you will be required to state your arguments or
synthesis relevant to the topics presented. I will answer the first two items, and you will continue
the rest.
1. Population projection is a significant undertaking in demographic studies. It supplies data
on how we are going to plan communities mindful of the pressing issues on population
growth and quality of life.
2. The holistic evaluation of the triggering factors of uncontrolled population growth, a
decline of environmental quality, and scarcity of resources is deemed necessary to attain
sustainable development.
YOUR TURN
3. It is important to analyse the age structure of a certain population so that the varying
needs of the different age groups will all be catered equally.
4. Almost all of the environmental concerns that we are facing today has overpopulation as
its root cause. Unless the number of the population levels to how much the resources
can sustain, these environmental problems will not go away.
5. Although carrying capacity is an important factor to consider, however, it is hard to
determine. Changes in population could occur in every second due to various factors,
and we are not aware that we might have been exceeding it already.
6. Population growth has both positive and negative effects. The positive effect is that it
contributes to the creation of new products and value, as it leads to the progress of
economic development. The negative effect, however, is the rapid depletion of natural
resources.
7. There are a lot of ways to solve environmental problems and overpopulation. However,
the solution usually conflicts in people’s culture, morals and economic aspect.
Therefore, we must develop efficient solutions that will not completely disregard the
three mentioned aspects.
8. Humans are intertwined with the environment –nature is affected with our daily activities
and we are also affected with the nature’s conditions. Therefore, we must not ignore the
environmental problems that we are facing today.
9. There is a need to limit population growth. Too much population will alter the ecological
balance, trigger pollution and depletion of resources, and the gradual loss of our
environment.
