Human overpopulation presents one of the most pressing social, political and environmental issues in the modern world, dramatically aggravating the forces behind environmental pollution, global warming, mass extinction, loss of natural habitats and overexploitation of finite natural resources. According to McKibben (34), fresh water is the most important finite natural resource with no immediate substitute for most uses. Yet, this resource is being depleted at a higher rate than is being replenished. As the human population expands, the amount of fresh water available decreases, which puts the human species at a great danger. It is estimated that by 2030, half of the world’s population will be facing acute water shortage. The problem will be worse in the developing countries since they are already facing lack of fresh water.
A study by Wagner (55) found that overpopulation is the leading cause of habitat loss and pollution. As a result, the world is experiencing extinction of species at a higher rate. It is estimated that over the past century, thousands of species have become extinct. Worse still, several other species are on the verge of extinction primarily due to human activities related to overpopulation. Scientists warn that if the present trend continues, half of all plant and animal species on earth will become extinct within the next few decades. Acidification of oceans, overfishing, poaching and over-exploitation natural resources are some of the issues resulting from overpopulation, which will cause mass extinction of species.
Another major effect of overpopulation is reduction of life expectancy. Population explosion puts pressures on the ability of people to get access to food, water, medical care and other essential needs. In poor countries (especially in sub-Saharan Africa and southern Asia), millions of people will experience drastic degradation in the quality and length of life. Sustained difficulties to get basic needs will leave many people vulnerable to natural catastrophes, security issues and poor economic growth. These situations will cause a sharp decline in life expectancy and will be dire in low-income countries (McKibben, 32).
According to Wagner (54-56), overpopulation will cause increased emergence of new and deadly pandemics and epidemics. Sustained growth in world population combined with environmental degradation is a major cause of new human diseases, making millions of people susceptible to premature deaths. Overpopulation exacerbates many environmental and social factors including overcrowding, homelessness and malnutrition, which wreak great havoc on poor people and increase the likelihoods of being exposed to deadly infectious diseases. A closely related danger is the proliferation of crime rates due to shortage of resources and lack of employment opportunities. Drug cartels and theft will be on the rise as human population increases.
Conflicts and wars will also increase because of overpopulation. These will be experienced in both the developed and developing countries as a result of major strains on resources. Already, conflicts over water have become a major source of strained relationships between countries. For instance, Israel and neighboring Arab states have fought wars due to disagreements over the use of shared resources. In other parts of the world, protracted wars have been fought as countries and communities make efforts to control scarce natural resources. These wars can be costly in terms of human life and properties destroyed. As human population continues to grow, armed conflicts will be more pronounced and frequent, which will degrade the quality of human life (William, 165-169).
Works Cited
McKibben Bill. The Global Warming Reader. New York, N.Y.: OR Books, 2011.
Wagner Frederic H. Climate Change in Western North America: Evidence and Environmental Effects. London: Routledge, 2009.
William F. Ruddiman. Plows, plagues, and petroleum: how humans took control of climate. Princeton, N.J: Princeton University Press, 2005.
