By: Maira Pervaiz
Word population refers to a distinctive group of individuals usually consisting of a group of people and nations with similar characteristics. The population is one of the essential pillars of a sovereign state. This fact is that the population is the entity over which the state rules, make policies, and operates its functions. In fact, a state is nothing without its population. As mentioned earlier, population makes a nation of a particular state, but sometimes it creates a problem for a state. It appears to cause overpopulation.
According to Merriam Webster“ Overpopulation can be defined as “The condition of having a population so dense as to cause environmental deterioration, impaired quality of life”.
Due to the rapid increase in technological advancement, education, and medical fields, the world has been through considerable differences in population growth. Back in the 20th century, the world population was recorded as almost 1.65 billion to 6.1 billion. Now, in the 21st century marked as the “Century of Technology,” the world population is about 6,7 billion, a considerable number. According to some predictions, it is expected that by 2100 the global population could reach 12 billion. So now the question is can we take overpopulation as a curse or blessing?
Overpopulation is a curse
The population is the critical entity of a state. One cannot think of a sovereign state without a specific group of nations of people living in the particular state. But what to do with such people who are unaware and uneducated? Ignorant in a sense who don’t know how to use natural and artificial resources appropriately.
Causes of Overpopulation
Though there are multiple reasons behind this specific social issue, some of the major and highlighted are the following.
The imbalance between birth and death rate: Due to rapid advancement in medical sciences, multiple opportunities have been invented to save human life from death-threatening diseases. This results in an imbalance in the birth and death ratio because of the easy and protective birth process, whereas new medical inventions have decreased the death rate.
Lack of family Planning: For family planning, there is a need for proper education and awareness because, in Pakistan, most people are unaware of this saying “Bachy do hi achy. Lack of family planning plays a significant role in the overpopulation of any state.
Inadequate response from the government: Unfortunately, lack of government policies and keeping a proper record of population and resources distributions plays a crucial part in a dense population.
Overpopulation an opportunity
Everything and every situation have some advantages and drawbacks. The same is the case with the population of any particular state or region. Overpopulation can be a big disaster or could be an opportunity. It depends on the people of that specific area or state. On the other hand, the prominent people in number can be a blessing if they are educated on utilizing resources wisely and appropriately without wasting them. In this regard, awareness is an essential factor that guides people on using technology and other resources that would adequately give them benefits. If they understand this factor, the population would be marked as an opportunity for the state because they increase productivity by using resources in the right way.
Overpopulation: A case study of Pakistan
In today’s world, overpopulation is the major problem of underdeveloped countries, and Pakistan is among them. According to population, Pakistan ranks as the 6th most populated country in the world. According to the recent census, the current population of Pakistan is almost 216.6 million. The reasons for overpopulation are the same lack of awareness and poor government policies.
Recommendations:
Awareness Campaigns: There is an urgent need to arrange awareness campaigns regarding family planning and proper guidance to manage and utilize natural resources.Government Policies: The state’s government policies determine whether the state is in good or bad shape. As a result, suitable population control techniques should be performed.
Conclusion: According to a famous saying”Real problem is not a population explosion, but what the population is doing.”As mentioned above, overpopulation could be a disaster or could be a blessing. It is all about how the population manages and utilizes the state’s resources for their health.