The Population Problem
Session 3
What’s the problem?
• The world’s population is growing at an alarming
rate and the problems to be faced are many and
serious.
• Firstly – there is the problem of space – where will
more people live?
• There are the problems of food and resource
provision
• Will the world be able to house and feed the extra
numbers?
• Will there be enough minerals and energy supplies
to provide for sufficient industry, trade and social
services?
Why now?
• These problems are
not new – the ancient
Greeks and Egyptians
were concerned about
the results of there
being too many
people. The world’s
population is not so
much expanding as
exploding
Why now?
80
70
60
Population
50
40
Food
Production
30
20
10
Time
0
• The Rev Thomas Malthus
(1766 – 1834) wrote a
famous essay in 1798
which discussed the
problems caused by
population growth. He
argued that the number of
people always increases
faster than the food
supplies and that
eventually the world
would be unable to feed
its people. When that
point is reached,nature
would impose her own
checks on further growth
in the form of diseases,
famines and wars.
Population Growth
• There is a myth that, since the world’s population might
find standing space on the Isle of Wight, there must be
plenty of land to go round. Wrong. There are vast
stretches of land that are likely to remain unproductive
and therefore unpopulated (EG mountains, forests,
marshes, too hot/cold, too wet/dry). It is estimated that
only 20% of the earth’s land is capable of use for
agriculture and habitation.
• In developing countries this pressure of numbers results
in hunger, poor sanitation and poverty.
• In developed countries it leads to concerns about the
pollution of land, water and atmosphere and the
deterioration of social facilities.
Overpopulation
• Overpopulation is related to the natural and
human resources available in an area and
causes major problems to which solutions
cannot easily be found
• Overpopulation is where there are too many
people for the resources in the country
What are the solutions to
problems of overpopulation
• Case Study: China
• Countries must try to
relieve the pressure of
population on resources.
China offers a system of
‘incentives’ including
fines and job demotions
for over productive
parents
China – The One Child Policy
• With some 1200 million people, China stresses the
need to stabilise its population and to maintain the
recent rise in living standards. Social workers
urge families to comply and provide means of
birth control. Couples with only one child
received social benefits. The rate of increase has
steadily fallen even though rural families have not
readily complied. For those who still work on the
land – a large family can mean a greater income.
China – The One Child Policy
• From 1983 the Chinese government has attempted
to control the ever increasing population. Special
social workers or ‘Nannies’ visit all houses with
women of child-bearing age on a regular basis to
check that they are not pregnant. In fact any
couple who intend to have a child are meant to ask
for permission prior to conception . Needless to
say – family planning measures, contraceptives
and abortions are very common.
Free Education
for your
We want this
baby and we can
afford two. You
will be killing our
baby
ONE child
One child means happiness
It is not a baby until it
is born. An abortion is
painless and will spare
you financial penalties.
We must make
sacrifices if our country
is to feed us
I want my baby
brother
I want a son to
help in the
fields
For you with One child
Free education for your one child
Allowances to help you to bring up your one
child
Priority Housing
Pension Benefits
One child means happiness
For you with Two children
No free education
No allowances
No pension benefits
Payment of a fine to the state from earnings
•
Activity
You must read through the information about the
China and the One Child policy
Answer these four questions
1. Why did the Chinese Government introduce the One
Child Policy?
2. What effect has the Policy had on the population of
China?
3. What are the good and bad points about this
particular policy ?
4. One of the main issues is the ‘Sanctity of Life’ that
the Chinese Government have – what does this mean
and how might the Chinese Government be breaking
fundamental human rights
Other information
• In your revision day pack
you will find some
modern day information
from the Chinese
Government and from the
BBC web site about
overpopulation – do they
consider the One child
policy to be a success?