A population explosion is when there is a significant increase in numbers of people in a location. Some effects include; A pressure upon resources as there are more people (e.g. Food has to be distributed among more people), Linking with the above, prices of goods will increase as the demand for the products increase (higher demand means higher prices),An increased number of poverty-stricken individuals as little food is distributed among more people, Loss of natural environments (forests and such) because they are destroyed to make way for farming and urban development’s to accommodate the rising population, More people means more greenhouse gases; enhancing the effect of global warming, Due to the opening out of human settings, 16 million hectares of forest are chopped down each year. The accelerated growth of the human populations has propitiated the destruction of natural habitats of many species. People are invading the habitats of those species, replacing them to inhospitable places and condemning the native species to the extinction.
The Ozone layer has been gradually ruined by the effect of the CFCs. The concentration of CFCs has been increased as the human population has grown, and the thickness of the Ozone layer has been lesser to the extent that a hole in the layer has been formed. Scientists have found that there are other emissions derived from human activities, which have contributed to the depletion of the ozone layer. Too dense human communities produce tons of solid wastes (organic and inorganic waste) daily, consume large quantities of energy and emit more pollutants to the environment. As the century begins, natural resources are under increasing pressure, threatening public health and development. Water shortages, soil exhaustion, loss of forests, air and water pollution, and degradation of coastlines afflict many areas. As the world’s population grows, improving living standards without destroying the environment is a global challenge. Most developed economies currently consume resources much faster than they can regenerate. Most developing countries with rapid population growth face the urgent need to improve living standards.
Dhaka, the capital of Bangladesh, is facing serious air pollution, earning her the dubious distinction of being one of the most polluted cities on earth. Dhaka‘s motor vehicles, especially three wheelers, are being blamed as the main culprit for the disaster. However, little information on the actual status of ambient air quality is available till now. As a result, no study had been under taken to assess the damage the vehicular pollution is inflicting on citizen‘s health.
Inadequate fresh water for drinking water use as well as sewage treatment and effluent discharge. Some countries, like Saudi Arabia, use energy-expensive desalination to solve the problem of water shortages. Depletion of natural resources, especially fossil fuels. Increased levels of air pollution, water pollution, soil contamination and noise pollution. Once a country has industrialized and become wealthy, a combination of government regulation and technological innovation causes pollution to decline substantially, even as the population continues to grow.
Deforestation and loss of ecosystems that sustain global atmospheric oxygen and carbon dioxide balance; about eight million hectares of forest are lost each year. Changes in atmospheric composition and consequent global warming
Irreversible loss of arable land and increases in desertification. Deforestation and desertification can be reversed by adopting property rights, and this policy is successful even while the human population continues to grow.
High infant and child mortality. High rates of infant mortality are caused by poverty. Rich countries with high population densities have low rates of infant mortality.
Intensive factory farming to support large populations. It results in human threats including the evolution and spread of antibiotic resistant bacteria diseases, excessive air and water pollution, and new virus that infect humans.
Increased chance of the emergence of new epidemics and pandemics For many environmental and social reasons, including overcrowded living conditions, malnutrition and inadequate, inaccessible, or non-existent health care, the poor are more likely to be exposed to infectious diseases.
Starvation, malnutrition or poor diet with ill health and diet-deficiency diseases (e.g. rickets). However, rich countries with high population densities do not have famine.
Poverty coupled with inflation in some regions and a resulting low level of capital formation. Poverty and inflation are aggravated by bad government and bad economic policies. Many countries with high population densities have eliminated absolute poverty and keep their inflation rates very low. Low life expectancy in countries with fastest growing populations.
Unhygienic living conditions for many based upon water resource depletion, discharge of raw sewage and solid waste disposal. However, this problem can be reduced with the adoption of sewers. For example, after Karachi, Pakistan installed sewers, its infant mortality rate fell substantially.
Elevated crime rate due to drug cartels and increased theft by people stealing resources to survive. Conflict over scarce resources and crowding, leading to increased levels of warfare.
Less Personal Freedom / More Restrictive Laws. Laws regulate interactions between humans. Law "serves as a primary social mediator of relations between people." Law the higher the population density, the more frequent such interactions become, and thus there develops a need for more laws and/or more restrictive laws to regulate these interactions
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.
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.
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