Is Population an asset for Growth?


aerial photo of blue and white city

The population functions like the backbone for a country. It is responsible for a country's economic growth and well-being. But, there is no such thing as a free lunch, and with overpopulation comes a chain of problems.  
                               
The population is one of the key factors for the development of a country. There are other numerous advantages as well, like: 

- The more the population, the greater are the odds for more smart minds. An increase in the number of smart selves will point to an expansion in innovation. In fact, most of the striking inventions and progressions in technology are seen in the last 300-400 years.

- The demand for food, cloth, and shelter will rise ultimately. This will drive to an increase in capitalism. Finally, the improved consumption of manufactured goods will feed a country's economy.

- A country will be capable to make better use of its resources if the population is near the optimum level.

- Labour force will increase, which will lead to the industrial development of any country.

- Population leads to a drop in tax. The higher is the increase in the population of a country, the more will be the tax distributed among its citizens.

However, the population is similar to a double-edged sword. It cuts both ways. A growing population profits in every sphere, but the negative effect masks them. 

“One would have thought that it was even more necessary to limit population than property…The neglect of this subject, which in existing states is so common, is a never-failing cause of poverty among the citizens; and poverty is the parent of both revolution and crime.” - Aristotle

The quote highlights one of the most disturbing results of overpopulation. In the start of the 18th century, the world's population summed up to 1 billion. Fast forward 200 years, it's 7 billion. For the past thousand years, Earth’s population has grown 22 times bigger.
                                  
To give you a depth of the situation, consider the example of Bangladesh. 

A few years back, Bangladesh encountered a hurricane that resulted in a loss of 139,000 lives. How long do you think it would take for a country like Bangladesh, which is placed on the 92nd position by area to replace those 139,000 deaths with 139,000 births?

Just two and a half weeks. Well, it may surprise you but, Bangladesh has a bigger population than Russia.

- If the population exceeds the optimised limit, all the non-renewable resources will not be used wisely. If our current generation doesn't imply sustainable development, then our forthcoming generations will run out of all the non-renewable resources. In fact, it is estimated that Oil resources will run out by 2052, gas reserves by 2060, and coal supplies by 2088.

- To accommodate more people, more houses are needed to be built for which forests are cleared. This not only results in an increase in carbon dioxide level, but it also affects other life forms. Around 200 years ago, we and our livestock compromised of 0.1-12% of the mass of the mammals on our planet. Now, the same make up for 96-98% of the mass of mammals on the earth. Scientists estimate that the extinction of various species is happening 1,000 times faster because of the overpopulation of humans.

- Resources are limited on our planet, whatever the demand may be. With this limitation, it is not possible to feed all the inhabitants of our planet. Surveys show that around 800 million people in the world don't have enough food, and they sleep with an empty stomach. This fraction survives on less than $1.90 a day.

- Whether the population is controlled or not, it demands the basic necessities in life-food, cloth, and shelter. As the population increases more industries are set up to meet the never-ending demands of the people, which in turn results in the emission of harmful gases like carbon dioxide. Finally, this results in the depletion of the ozone layers, causing climate change. The average Earth's temperature has increased by 1.4 degrees Fahrenheit since 1880. 
Observing all the consequences of overpopulation, I personally feel that this double-edged sword cuts deeper from one side. 

“The strongest witness is the vast population of the Earth to which we are a burden and she scarcely can provide for our needs.” – Tertullia

- Sachin Kumar 


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