Overpopulation

The world population has grown significantly in the past two hundred years. In the beginning of the twentieth century the world population was 1.6 billion and by the end of the twentieth century the world population soured above 6 billion (PRB, 2010, p. 3). Currently in 2010, the world population was estimated at 6,892,319,000. The Population Reference Bureau (PRB, 2010) estimated that the world’s population now grows at the rate of 1 billion about every 12 years (p. 3). The rapid increase in human population over the past two centuries has raised concerns that humans are beginning to overpopulate the earth, without enough resources to sustain the increasing numbers of inhabitants on the planet.

Overpopulation means more than the numbers of inhabitants in an occupied space. The world is overpopulated, and the earth does not have enough resources to support the rapid population growth indefinitely. In order to understand the impact of overpopulation on the people involved, one must look at how it affects environment, social, economic and political affairs of the country affected. In addition, they must seek the solutions to the problem of overpopulation.

Overpopulation is defined as a condition where the numbers of organisms exceed the carrying capacity of their habitat (Oak, 2010). It occurs when an area is populated too heavily for the available natural resources. Natural resources such as clean water, fertile soil and land are important for the survival of any population. In an overpopulated area, there are not enough resources to go around, and the ability to support current and future inhabitants has diminished or reduced (Negative Population Growth [NPG], 2010). Overpopulation in any given country, usually means increased need for food, infrastructure, and services.

There are various causes of overpopulation in the world. The main reason for overpopulation is an increase in birth rate. Although birth rates are falling worldwide, they are still high in...