Environmental impacts of overpopulation : pandemic is one of them
Human overpopulation is among the most pressing
environmental issues, silently aggravating the forces behind global warming,
environmental pollution, habitat loss, the sixth mass extinction, intensive
farming practices and the consumption of finite natural resources, such as
fresh water, arable land and fossil fuels, at speeds faster than their rate of
regeneration. However, ecological issues are just the beginning...
Increased Emergence of New Epidemics and Pandemics
A WHO report shows that environmental degradation, combined
with the growth in world population, is a major cause of the rapid increase in
human diseases, which contributes to the malnutrition of 3.7 billion people
worldwide, making them more susceptible to disease. According to the World
Health Organization, "Every three seconds a young child dies - in most
cases from an infectious disease. In some countries, one in five children die
before their fifth birthday. Every day 3 000 people die from malaria - three
out of four of them children. Every year 1.5 million people die from
tuberculosis and another eight million are newly infected." Overpopulation
exacerbates many social and environmental factors, including overcrowded living
conditions, pollution, malnutrition and inadequate or non-existent health care,
which wreak havoc on the poor and increase their likelihood of being exposed to
infections diseases.
Other impacts of overpopulation on environment are :
Loss of Fresh Water
Species Extinction
Lower Life Expectancy in the Fastest Growing Countries
Depletion of Natural Resources
Increased Global Warming and Climate Change
More Intensive Farming Practices
Increased Habitat Loss
Elevated Crime Rate
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