Global Population Change
The increase in the global human population has not kept pace with the available resources. In 2011, the global human population reached the 7 billion mark (BBC, 2011). Projections by the UN Population Division indicate that by 2043, the human global population will have reached 9 billion, and 10 billion people by 2083 (United Nations, 2012). The rapid increase in the global human population poses serious implications to virtually all aspects of human life. These issues range from aging and health, urbanization and mass migration, poverty, inadequate food supplies, demand for housing, and access to potable water (Population Institute, n.d.). This essay will focus on three issues: access to safe drinking water, demand for housing, and poverty.
- Access to Safe Drinking Water
People are highly concerned about how they meet their daily basic needs, such as food, clothing, and housing (Rignheim, 2010). Water is ranked as a basic human need. It is important to note that lack of access to safe and clean drinking water is connected to the incidence of several epidemic diseases, including typhoid and cholera, which pose a threat to child survival (Centre for Affordable Water and Sanitation Technology, n.d.). Prior to 1990, slightly below half of the global human population had access to potable water. However, while the number of people with access to potable water had increased by 75% in 1990, the improvement was short-lived because the increase in global population outstripped the increased supply of safe drinking water (Centre for Affordable Water and Sanitation Technology, n.d.). This will pose a threat to the health care facilities as we are likely to witness an increase in diseases caused by poor sanitation. In addition, poor access to safe drinking water means that nations, especially those in the developing countries, will be forced to channel their merger resources towards finding a solution to the many ailments caused by poor sanitation. These are resources that could have been put to better use, in such areas as health care and education.
- B) Demand for housing
Naturally, the demand for adequate housing increases with an increase in population growth. By the start of the 21st century, over 50% of the global population in developing countries was already living in urban areas. The growth in urban population outstrips the supply of adequate housing facilities. As a result, this leads to an increase in the number of homeless families, and informal housing. In addition, crime levels are likely to increase, and there will be many contagious diseases.
- C) Poverty
Poverty can be described as a state of chronic deprivation of family needs. Poverty is a key issue among all human beings (Ringheim, 2010). In this case, increased population results in limited access to income to fulfill a person’s daily basic needs. In addition, the size of land available for both cultivation and settlement reduces. Beings unable to meet daily basic needs can result in poor health due to physical weakness (United Nations, 2012). On account of the poor health to the human population, the poor are not able to work and hence cannot provide for their families (Population Institute, n.p.). This drives them deeper into poverty. There is a need to limit the population growth because in dense populations, majority of people have no access to adequate food, shelter, health facilities, employment, and education.
References
BBC. (2011). The world at 7 billion. Retrieved from http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world
15391515
Centre for Affordable Water and Sanitation Technology (CAWST) (n.d.). WASH Facts and Figures. Retrieved from http://www.cawst.org/resources/wash-facts-a-figures
Ringheim, K. (2010). Family Planning Improves the Lives and Health of the Urban Poor and
Saves Money. Retrieved from http://www.prb.org/Publications/Articles/2010/worldhealthday2010.aspx
Population Institute (n.p.). Why Population Matters. Retrieved from http://www.populationinstitute.org/resources/whypopulationmatters
Population Institute (2011). From 6 Billion to 7 Billion: How Population Growth is Changing
and Challenging our World. Retrieved from http://www.populationinstitute.org/newsroom/news/view/45/
United Nations (2012). Global Issues: Population. Retrieved from http://www.un.org/en/globalissues/population/
Wilson, R (2004). Empowering Communities to Reduce the Impact of Infectious Diseases. Retrieved from http://www.prb.org/Publications/Articles/2004/EmpoweringCommunitiestoReducethe ImpactofInfectiousDiseases.aspx