World Population Day: Addressing challenges linked to population increase

World Population Day is celebrated every year on the 11th of July to address the issue of population growth and create a sustainable environment for the next generations. The year 2024 is also marked as a milestone by the United Nations as world population reached 8 billion. We have created this blog to help you understand the importance of celebrating World Population Day and how we can tackle the issues associated with a growing population.

Significance of celebrating World Population Day

World Population Day is dedicated to raising awareness of the increasing global population. This day was established by the United Nations in 1989 to draw attention towards problems arising from overpopulation, such as resource depletion, social inequality and environmental impact.

According to the United Nations, the world population has reached 8 billion and is expected to grow to 9.2 billion by 2050. World Population Days serves as a crucial reminder of the importance of addressing the challenges posed by the rapid growth of the global population. In the next section, we will discuss how overpopulation impacts various aspects of our lives, so keep reading.

Challenges associated with overpopulation

The population is putting a lot of pressure on earth's resources, and we are already seeing this in the form of water and food shortages, floods and environmental degradation. World Population Day gives us a wonderful opportunity to seek ways that can help promote sustainable development. Here are some problems that the world is currently facing due to the population increase.

1. Resource Depletion
We all require food, water, energy, and several other essentials- but the rising population has put a lot of strain on our finite resources. The recent water crisis in Bengaluru, India Tech Hub, and the current water crisis in Delhi depicts how difficult it is to accommodate even basic resources to a large population.

Also, our existing infrastructural resources, such as hospitals and transportation networks, struggle due to the rapidly increasing population. A large queue of patients in hospitals and regular traffic jams are some common manifestations of this burden. So, whether it is food, water or any of our necessities, overpopulation intensity the burden on all the available resources.

2. Environmental Degradation
A huge growing population not only requires food and water but also a place to live. To create a home for a thriving population, large forests are being cleared, and trees are cut, which leads to global warming and loss of biodiversity. Also, we are living beings who generate waste that degrades the environment. Do you want to know how?

Here it is- A large population increases the burden on waste management systems. And when the waste is not properly managed, it ends up in landfills, where it releases harmful gasses into the atmosphere. Moreover, population growth puts huge pressure on agriculture, due to which farmers have to use chemicals and other methods to fulfil the increasing demand, which damages the soil fertility and contaminates the water sources.

3. Social Inequality
When resources are limited and the population is high, conflict is inevitable. Poverty, unemployment and crime increase when there is a scarcity of resources. Do you think everyone will get a job, when there are only a handful of vacancies? And no job means no income which leads to poverty.

Also, population growth increases crime because people have to compete for resources. So, overpopulation hurts the social and economic structure, which is not at all good for the overall well-being and stability of society. Hence, we should take some initiatives to sustainably manage population growth.

Tackling the Issue of Population Increase

World Population Day gives you the perfect opportunity to do something about the increasing population, whether you are among teachers or student. On this day, you can do a bunch of things that can help raise awareness of the growing population.

1. Organise an event
There is nothing better than organising an event at your school where you can educate your students about this day. In that event, you can have a debate or an essay competition in which you can give children topics such as the Impact of overpopulation, etc. Such an event will enable you to educate your students on World Population Day and help you make them better citizens.

2. Read Resources on Population Growth
Students can learn more about the impact of population growth by reading books, searching online articles, exploring websites, and watching documentaries that are based on this subject. You can discuss about this with your friends and teachers to enrich your opinions and get more information about this.

3. Distribute Educational Material
Education can help individuals learn about things, such as family planning and make informed decisions. You can distribute pamphlets and posters in hospitals, healthcare centres and other public places on World Population Day to increase awareness.

The Final Words

World Population Day is a day to advocate about the importance of sustainable population growth. So, let us not leave this opportunity this World Population Day and work together to create a world where resources are sufficient for everyone. After reading this, if you are thinking about celebrating World Population Day, don’t forget to share how you will broaden people's knowledge on this day in the comment section.