Population Growth: Can Environmental Catastrophe Be Avoided?
A new study, published in the journal Frontiers in Public Health on March 5, explores the direct relationship between population size and environmental decline.
The study, funded by Population Matters and led by Chitra Saraswati, a researcher with the Telethon Kids Institute, and Corey Bradshaw, Professor of Global Ecology at Flinders University, assesses the risks that an expanding global population will have on global ecosystems and human societies. These risks include increasing greenhouse-gas emissions, climate disruption, pollution, loss of biodiversity, and the spread of disease – all potentially catastrophic for our standard of living and wellbeing.
Despite declining fertility rates in some Western nations, the new research confirmed that population growth is continuing globally, increasing the likelihood of environmental catastrophe.
The study highlighted that empowering women to make choices about their fertility and family planning is a core issue when it comes to addressing overpopulation.
Professor Bradshaw said working to increase child health and introducing government policies that addressed food security and climate change would also help reduce unprecedented population growth.
“While a smaller human population will benefit the most people on Earth, we emphasise that we are not advocating an end to childbirth. Instead, we join the globally progressive voice of promoting the empowerment of girls and women worldwide through ethical and practical solutions to determine their own fertility,” he said.
Professor Bradshaw added: “Unfortunately, some national attitudes still obscure the links between population and environmental degradation, so traction for quality family planning in such regions has stalled. We also emphasise that determining family size should not be left to women alone; men also need to be educated adequately and provided with contraceptive options to allow them to promote prosperous and just outcomes for their family.”
To quantify the enormity of the problem, the experts scoured online databases to identify all relevant peer-reviewed and grey-literature sources examining the consequences of human population growth on the Earth’s environment. Their assessment shows that a global population of between 9 and more than 10 billion by the end of this century is likely. The experts argue that growing concerns over population decline ignore evidence of the economic and wellbeing advantages of smaller populations, as well as the fact that there is zero possibility of a ‘population collapse’ over the coming century.
Chitra Saraswati said a combination of factors linked to population growth would deplete natural resources and accelerate environmental degradation.
“We have to look at the big picture on unabated population growth to ensure progress occurs within planetary boundaries and promotes equity and human rights. Ensuring the wellbeing for all under this aim itself will lower population growth and promote environmental sustainability,” said Saraswati.
Dr Melinda Judge from The University of Western Australia, co-author of the study, highlighted the need for increased global equity.
“Providing women and men the opportunity to determine their family size free of any form of coercion cannot be deemed population control,” said Judge. “Rather, it is an important human right that has been neglected. In particular, empowering women — especially disadvantaged women — to make decisions about when and how many children they have, will have positive impacts on their lives and the lives of their children, and is a proven path to overall development.”
Although the study confirmed the importance of fertility and family planning, it did suggest that addressing these issues alone would not be sufficient to prevent increased human overpopulation which could lead to environmental catastrophe.
Submitted by Friends of Retha
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