UNIVERSITY OF PETROLEUM & ENERGY STUDIES

SCHOOL OF LAW

B.A.LL.B. (HONS.)
SEMESTER-VII

ACADEMIC YEAR: 2018-19 SESSION: AUG-DEC

PROJECT
For
ENVIRONMENTAL LAW
On
Overpopulation And The Impact On Environment

Name: SUMIT AGARWAL

Roll no. : 109

SAP ID: 500046864

 INDEX

 Overpopulation and the impact on environment

 Overpopulation Effects
 Causes of Overpopulation.
 Problems of Overpopulation
 Solutions for Overpopulation
 Population and sustainable development
 Conclusion
 Overpopulation and the impact on environment

Overpopulation refers to a population which exceeds its sustainable size within a particular
environment or habitat. Overpopulation results from an increased birth rate, decreased death rate,
the immigration to a new ecological niche with fewer predators, or the sudden decline in
available resources. Therefore, overpopulation describes a situation in which a population in a
given ecosystem limit the resources available for survival.
The primary recognition is on the issue of overpopulation and its impact on the surroundings.
The developing length of the worldwide population isn't a problem that appeared inside the
beyond couple of many years, but its origins come from the prehistoric time and extend to the
very current.
Throughout the history, mentioned scientists introduced the idea of “overpopulation” and
predicted the future effects if the sector follows the equal behavioral pattern. According to
predictions, scientists invented the birth control pill and set populace manage via eugenics.
Despite that, population persisted to boom and combat with constant illnesses. Migration was
every other factor that encouraged populace rise, which imposes intense threats to the
surroundings. Urbanization destroys herbal habitats and reinforces carbon dioxide emissions,
which reason climate change and worldwide warming. Species are getting extinct and humanity
is at danger that it installation for itself. Food scarcity and shortage of water as well as lack of
process possibilities and inadequate training are the outcomes of world inequality. Uneven
distribution of herbal assets, financial means, and man or woman rights supply upward push to
poverty and define the worldwide culture as grasping, regardless of the resource of worldwide
businesses and groups. Solutions to overpopulation lie in the efforts of countrywide institutions
to put into effect regulations so as to correspond to the recommendations given with the aid of v
global institutions that paintings for the first-class of the global community. Within this
worldwide network, people act in their best interest, leaving the relaxation in extreme poverty
and shortage. The inequality supports issues that make contributions to overpopulation and leads
to a humanity’s extinction.
 Overpopulation Effects

Overpopulation can have several effects on the environment, as well as other species within an
ecological system. Indeed, human overpopulation has resulted in technological advances which
have increased human lifespan and fertility, and consequently placed pressure on global
resources. Such effects are such that the planet is currently in a novel geological epoch called the
Anthropogenic. In general, overpopulation results in an ecological disruption as resources are
depleted. This disruption can lead to the decline of other populations which compete for the same
resources. Typically, such effects result in the cycling between periods of population growth and
periods of population decline until it can reach homeostasis within a particular ecological niche.
Some examples of naturally regulated population growth are rodents, rabbits, and various insect
populations (e.g., army worms and locusts).
In situations of overpopulation caused by the introduction of a foreign species for which they
have no natural predators, they can become an invasive species. An example is the inadvertent
introduction of zebra mussels to the North American water systems. Since zebra mussels are
natively from the Black Sea and Caspian Sea, they have no natural predators in the foreign
ecosystems of North America and parts of Europe. As such, zebra mussels quickly became an
invasive species, clogging water treatment pipes, affecting power plants, and impacting the local
freshwater fish populations. It is estimated that the overpopulation of zebra mussels has cost
approximately $5 billion USD since their introduction. The image below illustrates an infestation
of zebra mussels on a North American lock due to the overpopulation of zebra mussels in the
North American waterways. Other economic effects of overpopulation include those caused by
crop destruction, as seen with the overpopulation of rabbits in Australia. While the
overpopulation of rabbits destroyed farmer’s crops, leading to poor yields, the continent also
experienced a loss of native plant species, as well as the removal of precious topsoil due to
erosion.
Another effect of the overpopulation of one species, is the increased population growth of the
natural predators of such species. This effect is generally considered to be positive, as the
predator population serves to control the overpopulated prey species. Such effects also serve to
drive evolutionary changes as the prey species evolves to avoid increased predation.
 Causes of Overpopulation.

The overpopulation of a species can result from a variety of factors. The most common include:
1. The introduction of a foreign species for which it has no natural predators. Often, such
species become invasive, as seen in the above examples of zebra mussels and the introduction of
rabbits in Australia.
2. An increased birth rate will result in population growth, which can lead to the
overpopulation of a species if such growth exceeds the resources within a particular geographic
area.
3. Decreased mortality rates can result in the overpopulation of a species if the increased
lifespan of a species results in limiting the available resources within an ecological niche.
4. A reduction in available resources can result in overpopulation if the amount of available
resources cannot sustain the population within that region. Some examples include desert
environments or times of drought which make crops and other sources of food scarce.

Problems of Overpopulation

Overpopulation thus contributes to some of the most compelling environmental problems which
encompass:

 Depletion of Natural Resources

As human population keeps on enlarging, exhaustible natural resources such as arable land, coral
reefs, fresh water, fossil fuels, and wilderness forests continue to drop sharply. This creates
competitive demands on the vital life-sustaining resources and contributes to an incredible
decline in the quality of life.
According to a study by the UNEP Global Environment Outlook, excessive human consumption
of the naturally occurring non-renewable resources can outstrip available resources in the near
future and remarkably deplete them for future generations.

 Accelerated Habitat Loss

The increased loss of the ecosystems including wetlands, wildlife, rainforests, coral reefs, aquatic
life forms, and grasslands are highly influenced by overpopulation. It is out of overpopulation
that activities such as excessive agriculture, environmental pollution, and extensive land
development have become more and more intensive.
For example, rainforests originally covered 14% of the entire earth’s surface. Today, rainforest
only cover about 6% of the earth’s surface and scientists’ project it may even become less in the
next four decades judged by the current rate of vegetation removal, logging, and deforestation.
Besides, due to environmental pollution, 30% of the ocean reefs have been lost because of
acidification and global warming since 1980. Also, more than half of the original wetlands have
been lost.

 Amplified Climate Change and Global Warming

Because of overpopulation, it means more and more population. The more the number of people,
the more the number of vehicles and industries as well as air travels. Furthermore, more
population translates to increased use of energy sources such as coal and firewood which
contributes to increased greenhouse gas emissions.
Hence, because of the accumulation of human-generated greenhouse gasses and carbon footprint
in the atmosphere, the planet has continued to witness amplified global warming and climate
change. The effects of climate change and global warming are profound resulting in extreme
hunger, drought, flooding, and habitat loss to an extent of threatening the survival of human
civilization.

 Loss of Biodiversity
Overpopulation has seen continued encroachment into frontier forests, heightened pollution, and
destruction of natural ecosystems that has greatly contributed to the mass extinction of species.
The number of threatened species persists to multiply worldwide whereas some have completely
gone extinct.
This is because of the human activities such as acidifying water systems, over-exploitation of
natural resources, pollution, over-fishing, poaching, and the deliberate as well as the indirect
destruction of natural systems necessary for the survival of different species. These human
activities simply alter the natural process combined, thus, destroying the natural ecosystems
supporting biodiversity.

 Depreciation of Fresh Water

The unrelenting nature of overpopulation on earth has destroyed most of the world’s freshwater
systems. Most of the lakes, streams, rivers and groundwater making up fresh water have been
made unreachable or become too polluted. According to the global outlook of water resources,
these activities influenced by overpopulation have only left less than 1% of the planet’s
freshwater readily accessible for human utilization.
Water vulnerability is already affecting many overpopulated nations, especially in some
developing countries, as the demands for water tend to be more than the accessible water.
Millions of fish species from freshwater ecosystems are on the verge of extinction. Thus, as
human inhabitants rise in number, so will the problem of quality freshwater accessibility.

 Lower Life Expectancy and Diminished Quality of Life

Overpopulation lowers the standards of living since it creates stress on the vital resources for
survival and increases the difficulty of accessing the consistent supply of quality food, water,
energy, health, security and shelter. Consequently, it makes the poor to become poorer, and they
often opt for poor living conditions to survive.
Eventually, it gives rise to lower life expectancy. The situation is serious in developing nations
such as southern Asia and sub-Saharan Africa where most of the poor populations submit to
inadequate and poor diets.

 Emergence of New Pandemics and Epidemics

According to WHO, overpopulation is one of the leading causes of the speedy occurrence and
emergence of human diseases. Overpopulation worsens numerous environmental and social
factors such as pollution, malnutrition, overcrowded living conditions, and lacking health care
which makes poor communities vulnerable to infectious diseases. Diseases such as tuberculosis,
malaria, HIV, and dysentery spread faster in overpopulated areas.

 Intensive Farming Practices

In regions where populations are high, people resort to farming practices that can produce more
food products with cheaper inputs and without encroaching into surrounding lands due to the
recent environmental protection policies. Intensive farming has thus resulted, and it has led to
soil fertility depletion, re-emergence of parasites, the emergence of new parasites, loss of
ecosystems, pollution of water systems, and decreased biodiversity.

 Rise in Unemployment, Crime Rate, and Violence

In overpopulated nations, the available jobs are fewer than the overall job seeking population.
This contributes to high levels of unemployment. In turn, lack of unemployment leads to
elevated crime rates because of theft, drug cartels, and militia groups which are exploited as
options for attaining basic resources and necessities such as food, good living standards, and
wealth. Violence and conflicts arise when people start competing for the available limited
resources.
 Solutions for Overpopulation

Historically, there have been several situations for which overpopulated species could not be
managed naturally. In these instances, issues with overpopulation have been overcome using a
variety of methods. One of the most common causes of overpopulation is the introduction of
foreign species to a new ecological niche for which they have no natural predators. A famous
example is the introduction of rabbits to Australia in the 19th century, where they had no natural
predators. In an attempt to control the overpopulation of rabbits in Australia, several different
methods were employed. Poison, hunting, a rabbit-proof gate, and the introduction of predators
(e.g., ferrets and cats) were some methods used in an attempt to control the rabbit population.
However, after these methods failed, scientists released the myxoma virus into the rabbit
population. Myxoma virus is a rabbit-specific virus that successfully reduced the rabbit
population by approximately 500 million.

Environment getting worse

About 3 million die from pollution each year. In the past decade in every environmental sector,
conditions have either failed to improve, or they are worsening:
Public health: Unclean water, along with poor sanitation, kills over 12 million people each
year, most in developing countries. Air pollution kills nearly 3 million more. Heavy metals and
other contaminants also cause widespread health problems.
Food supply: Will there be enough food to go around? In 64 of 105 developing countries
studied by the UN Food and Agriculture Organization, the population has been growing faster
than food supplies. Population pressures have degraded some 2 billion hectares of arable land —
an area the size of Canada and the U.S.
Freshwater: The supply of freshwater is finite, but demand is soaring as population grows
and use per capita rises. By 2025, when world population is projected to be 8 billion, 48
countries containing 3 billion people will face shortages.
Coastlines and oceans: Half of all coastal ecosystems are pressured by high population
densities and urban development. A tide of pollution is rising in the world’s seas. Ocean fisheries
are being overexploited, and fish catches are down.
Forests: Nearly half of the world’s original forest cover has been lost, and each year another
16 million hectares are cut, bulldozed, or burned. Forests provide over US$400 billion to the
world economy annually and are vital to maintaining healthy ecosystems. Yet, current demand
for forest products may exceed the limit of sustainable consumption by 25%.
 Biodiversity: The earth’s biological diversity is crucial to the continued vitality of agriculture
and medicine and perhaps even to life on earth itself. Yet human activities are pushing many
thousands of plant and animal species into extinction. Two of every three species is estimated to
be in decline.
Global climate change: The earth’s surface is warming due to greenhouse gas emissions,
largely from burning fossil fuels. If the global temperature rises as projected, sea levels would
rise by several meters, causing widespread flooding. Global warming also could cause droughts
and disrupt agriculture.

Population and sustainable development

Environmentalists and economists increasingly agree that efforts to protect the environment and
to achieve better living standards can be closely linked and are mutually reinforcing. Slowing the
increase in population, especially in the face of rising per capita demand for natural resources,
can take pressure off the environment and buy time to improve living standards on a sustainable
basis. As population growth slows, countries can invest more in education, health care, job
creation, and other improvements that help boost living standards.11 In turn, as individual
income, savings, and investment rise, more resources become available that can boost
productivity.
A dynamic economy also needs slower population growth.
In recent years fertility has been falling in many developing countries and, as a result, annual
world population growth has fallen to about 1.4% in 2000 compared with about 2% in 1960. The
UN estimated recently that population is growing by about 78 million per year, down from about
90 million estimated early in the 1990s.10 Still, at the current pace world population increases by
about 1 billion every 13 years. World population surpassed 6 billion in 1999 and is projected to
rise to over 8 billion by 2025.
In many countries, births far outnumber deaths, creating overpopulation.
Globally, fertility has fallen by half since the 1960s, to about three children per woman. In 65
countries, including 9 in the developing world, fertility rates have fallen below replacement level
of about two children per woman.9 Nonetheless, fertility is above replacement level in 123
countries, and in some countries it is substantially above replacement level. In these countries the
population continues to increase rapidly. About 1.7 billion people live in 47 countries where the
fertility rate averages between three and five children per woman. Another 730 million people
live in 44 countries where the average woman has five children or more.
 Almost all population growth is in the developing world. As a result of differences in
population growth, Europe’s population will decline from 13% to 7% of world population over
the next quarter century, while that of sub-Saharan Africa will rise from 10% to 17%. The shares
of other regions are projected to remain about the same as today.
As population and demand for natural resources continue to grow, environmental limits will
become increasingly apparent.6 Water shortages are expected to affect nearly 3 billion people in
2025, with sub-Saharan Africa worst affected.2 Many countries could avoid environmental crises
if they took steps now to conserve and manage supplies and demand better, while slowing
population growth by providing families and individuals with information and services needed to
make informed choices about reproductive health.
Family planning programs play a key role. When family planning information and services are
widely available and accessible, couples are better able to achieve their fertility desires.4 “Even
in adverse circumstance — low incomes, limited education, and few opportunities for women —
family planning programs have meant slower population growth and improved family welfare,”
the World Bank has noted.
 Conclusion

If every country made a commitment to population stabilization and resource conservation, the
world would be better able to meet the challenges of sustainable development. Practicing
sustainable development requires a combination of wise public investment, effective natural
resource management, cleaner agricultural and industrial technologies, less pollution, and slower
population growth.
Conclusion: We risk destroying our standard of living if we don’t control population growth.
Worries about a “population bomb” may have lessened as fertility rates have fallen, but the
world’s population is projected to continue expanding until the middle of the century. Just when
it stabilizes and thus the level at which it stabilizes will have a powerful effect on living
standards and the global environment. As population size continues to reach levels never before
experienced, and per capita consumption rises, the environment hangs in the balance.