PD - Population Sustainability (Lesson)

Population Sustainability

Exactly what is meant by population sustainability? The continued research and study of population sustainability recognizes the importance of the preservation of human-valued natural resources (land, air, and water) to sustain the population and preserve the quality of life for future generations. There is no way to measure whether the global population has reached the carrying capacity of Earth, or if there are sufficient renewable resources to support the number of living organisms for future generations. What we do know is that over 6 million children die every year from preventable or treatable diseases, nearly 1 billion people do not have access to clean water, nearly 1 billion people are malnourished, and 96 percent of the population growth between 2005 and 2050 will occur in the developing counties. In addition, sub-Saharan Africa has high levels of HIV/AIDS - as high as 50 percent in some regions. Other issues that affect population growth include religion, the availability of family planning, education, income, attitudes toward birth control, the role of women, and cultural norms. here.

 

Rollover the countries in the map below to learn more.

 

Population Policies

In order to slow population growth, many countries have established policies and programs to educate people and promote family-planning programs. The efforts to institute programs with the goal of lowering the growth rate, in both developed and developing nations, have been successful. Countries sometimes address immigration as opposed to birth rates as a way to reduce population growth.

Poverty

In countries in which a large percentage of the population lives in severe economic hardship, people are generally more concerned about food, water, and shelter than they are about environmental impact. Many of these impoverished countries have large populations that rely on biomass (wood fuel) for their energy needs. Denuding the landscape depletes the habitat needed for native plants and animal species to flourish and erodes the soil. As farming becomes less productive, it necessitates hunting for game, with the possibility that some species of animals may be hunted to extinction.

Culture

Culture is the patterns of human knowledge, belief, and behaviors that are considered the norm for a society. This is based on shared attitudes, values, goals, and practices that characterize the society and can be based on a set of religious beliefs, a common history, or a common goal. The way in which a society treats the environment is impacted by cultural values. These human actions can pertain to agricultural use of the land, fishing practices, land development, resource extraction, or by-products from use including pollution. Cultural influence combined with personal experiences affects how an individual views and treats the environment.

Disease

Disease affects population growth. Death rates, especially infant mortality rates, are lower in industrialized societies than in developing nations. Industrialized societies have better access to medicines, hospitals or clinics, and doctors. Developing countries may have difficulty providing inoculations against diseases commonly considered eliminated in developed countries such as polio, measles, and tuberculosis. Education, medicines, and preventive measures for HIV infections, available in developed nations, are seriously lacking in developing countries. Africa has severe issues with HIV and AIDS infections. Malaria, which is almost nonexistent in industrialized nations, is common in African countries. The picture to the right depicts a pediatric ICU where the beds are covered with netting to prevent mosquitos from spreading malaria.

 

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