Issues arising from the changing size and distribution of population including
environmental, economic and social impacts…
Economic
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Resources, Congested, Braindrain, Welfare, Dependants
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Natural resources become scarcer as more people increase demand. Prices rise
which benefits the rich and disadvantages the poor.
Quality of life falls as living conditions become congested. This snowballs with
effects such as the easy spread of disease and strain on the ecology.
Rural populations experience a ‘brain drain’ as skilled workers migrate to cities.
Essential services and welfare systems are pushed to the limit. Increased need for
additional provisions for the poor.
Economic strain on the working population if there is a large dependant
population.
Social
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Resource Tension, Shortages, Stresses Crime, Government Planning
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As resource scarcity and economic inequality increase, social, ethnic and political
tensions increase, along with migration and immigration as responses.
As resources encounter shortages, transboundary conflict over these resources
increases.
Instances of antisocial behaviour, crime, social stresses and even suicidal
tendencies, increase with population density.
Increased pressure on governments to control population size. Makes a dilemma
for social planning.
Environmental
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Carbon Dioxide, Waste, Desertification, Water, Forests, Soils
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Increased consumption as more consumers consume… The richest fifth of the
population consumes 86% of the world’s goods and services and 53% of
greenhouse emissions.
Per capita industrial waste grew 30% in industrial nations since 1975 and is now 5
times the level of developing nations
Spreading deserts and declining water tables in one-third of the planet are
contributing to famine, social unrest and migration.
Two thirds of the world’s population lives within 60km of an ocean, inland sea or
freshwater lake. The impact includes increasing amounts of sewage, drainage of
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wetlands, destruction of prime fish nurseries and development of beaches.
300000000 people live in regions that already have water shortages. By 2025, the
number could be 3000000000.
The world’s forests have shrunk from 11.4 to 7.3 square kilometers per 1000
people since 1970. This is due to the demands of developing nations to meet the
demands for wood and paper by the industrial world.
Over the last 50 years, 17% of the planets soils have been severely degraded. That
is nearly 2000000000 ha, the size of China and India combined.
Taken from Macmillan Geography 1