Now that the population is increasing, what problems will it bring to society?

Rapid population growth will not only cause traffic jams, poor living conditions, employment difficulties, hunger and poverty, but also a series of problems, such as increased environmental pollution, deterioration of ecological environment, reduction of various land resources such as forests, grasslands and cultivated land, and natural resources such as water resources and mineral resources (especially the sharp drop in per capita ownership).

1. Grain production

From 195 to 195. The growth rate of world grain output far exceeds the growth rate of population, but since then, the growth rate of grain output has been lagging behind the growth rate of population. According to the statistics of the US Department of Agriculture, the per capita grain output has dropped by 7% (by .5% every year). Since 1984, the growth rate of world grain output has slowed down, because of the lack of newly reclaimed land and the reduction of investment growth in irrigation and fertilizer use. Therefore, the rate of return on land has declined.

Since agriculture has reclaimed the arable land that has yet to be developed, the growth of grain output in the future is almost entirely achieved by improving the productivity of existing land. Regrettably, this is becoming more and more difficult. When the per capita arable land area is decreasing, the per capita irrigation amount is decreasing and the crop yield is decreasing with excessive use of chemical fertilizers, World agriculture is facing the challenge of reversing this declining situation.

2. Cultivated land

Since the middle of this century, the area of grain production-usually synonymous with cultivated land-has increased by 19%, while the world population has increased by 132%. Population growth has degraded cultivated land, reduced its output and even used it for other purposes. With the reduction of per capita grain area, More and more countries are in danger of losing their self-sufficiency in food.

The situation of the four countries with the fastest population growth in the world is very obvious. He explained this development trend. In 196-1998, the per capita arable land in Pakistan, Nigeria, Ethiopia and Iran decreased by 4-5%. It is estimated that it will be further reduced to 6-7% by 25O-this is only a conservative estimate under the assumption that agricultural land will no longer decrease. As a result, the total population of the above four countries will be more than 1 billion. However, the per capita arable land area is only 3-6 square meters-less than 1/4 of the per capita arable land area in 195.

3. The continuous expansion of fresh water shortage may be the most neglected resource problem in the contemporary world. However, the per capita fresh water supply is decreasing in areas where the population is still growing.

The dry rivers and the decline of groundwater level are regarded as evidence of water shortage, such as the Nile River and the Nile River. The groundwater level in the world's continents, including major grain-producing areas, is declining, and the aquifers are increasingly exhausted in the Great Plains in the south of the United States, the North China Plain in China and most parts of India.

The International Institute of Water Resources Management predicts that in 5 years, about 1 billion people in some countries will face absolute water shortage. These countries will definitely reduce agricultural water consumption to meet the water demand of residents and industries. China and India are considered as the two major irrigated agricultural countries in the world, and will greatly reduce the irrigation water supply.

4. Marine fishing

Since p>195, the intake of seafood by human beings has increased by five times, which has made the catch of most fishery resources reach or exceed its tolerable limit. Marine biologists believe that the annual catch of marine waters in the world cannot be much higher than 93 million tons.

At the end of the twentieth century, Over-fishing has become a common practice, and it is no exception. Among the 15 major marine fishing areas in the world, the catch of 11 fishing grounds has decreased. The catch of Atlantic cod, which has long been the main food for western Europeans, has decreased by 7% from the highest in l968. Since 197, the tuna stock in the western Atlantic has decreased by 8%.

With the depletion of marine fishery resources, In the future, the demand for seafood can only be met by aquaculture. When the world turns to aquaculture to meet its demand, fish begin to compete with livestock and poultry for feed, such as cereals, soybean meal and fish meal.

In the first half of the next century, it is very likely that some fish species will disappear from the world, and the quality of the seafood caught will also decline, but its price will remain high. Moreover, the conflict is aggravated for competing for countries with fishery resources. Compared with the highest per capita catch of 17.2 kilograms (37.8 pounds) in 1988, the annual per capita catch of the ocean will decrease by roughly the same amount as the population growth, and it will decrease to 9.9 kilograms (22 pounds) per capita catch of seafood by 25.

5. Meat products < P > In some traditional low-wage people, when people's income begins to increase, This requires more livestock products.

Since 195, the growth rate of meat products in the world is almost twice as fast as that of population. The growth of meat products was initially concentrated in western industrialized countries and Japan, but it has also increased rapidly in East Asia, the Middle East and Latin America in recent 2 years. Beef, pork and poultry account for the vast majority of the world's meat products consumption.

According to the statistics of the US Department of Agriculture, Of the world's grain output of 1.87 billion tons in 1998, it is estimated that 37% will be used to feed livestock and poultry to produce milk, eggs and meat products. Now, grain is used to feed poultry and livestock, which is the main food reserve in case of world food crisis.

It is estimated that the total consumption of meat food in the world will increase from 211 million tons in 1997 to 513 million tons in 25. Will increase the pressure on the world's food supply. Environment and resources

6. Nature reserves < P > From Buenos Aires to Bangkok, the population growth of major cities in the world is amazing-resulting in unplanned expansion and pollution of cities-threatening nature reserves around urban areas. In all continents of the world, human encroachment not only reduces the scale of nature reserves, Moreover, it reduces its quality.

In countries where the rapid population growth has exceeded the carrying capacity of local natural resources, protected areas have become particularly fragile. Although in industrialized countries, protected areas are synonymous with camping, outing and picnic in the countryside, most national parks, forests and protected areas in Asia, Africa and Latin America have been inhabited by local people or used for natural resources.

In many industrialized countries, The growth of immigrant population is also endangering nature reserves. For example, with millions of new immigrants moving to western Florida, Everglades National Park will be in danger of being destroyed.

A large number of immigrants who have been waiting for a long time to move to a few scenic spots with high immigration costs are like an iceberg. With the increase of immigrant population, in addition to breaking the current peace and tranquility of nature reserves, It will also make the colorful natural environment and cultural landscape disappear.

7. Forests

Compared with most periods of human history, the global forest area decreased with the increase of population. However, in the 2th century, the world forest decreased by about 75%.

In Latin America, pasture management is the single most important reason for deforestation. In addition, Overgrazing and excessive collection of firewood-often caused by population growth-have degraded 15% of the existing large virgin forests in the world.

Tracing the deforestation caused by the demand for wood in recent ten years is closely related to the increase in per capita wood consumption. Since 1961, the per capita amount of paper and cardboard in the world has doubled.

The reduction of forest area has led to the decline of forest functions, including the living environment of wildlife. Carbon storage (the key to climate regulation), soil erosion control, water storage across rainy and dry seasons and rainfall regulation.

8. Biodiversity < P > In modern human life, species have disappeared at a natural rate of 1-1 times, which is from the extinction of dinosaurs at the end of the White Age 65 million years ago. The period of the largest extinction of animals and plants. The fundamental reason for species extinction is that the increase of population density leads to the deterioration of the natural environment for animals and plants to survive.

The natural environment in coastal areas is particularly suitable for biological reproduction, but it is very fragile, and it occupies more than 6% of the world's population. For example, coastal wetlands breed all kinds of fish caught commercially in the world, while coral reefs have the second highest density of world biodiversity after tropical rainforests. However, The gradual invasion of human beings and its pollution have made the environment in coastal areas worse and worse: it is roughly estimated that 1/2 of the world's salt marshes and mangrove marshes have disappeared or been completely changed, and 2/3 of the world's coral reefs have degraded, of which 1 arcs are "unrecognizable". With the continuation of coastal migration-coastal residents may account for 75% of the world's population in less than 3 years-the environmental pressure generated by it is likely to continue to increase.

9. Climate change < P > In the past half century, carbon emissions from fossil fuel combustion have increased almost twice as fast as the population growth rate. The concentration of carbon dioxide, the main greenhouse gas in the atmosphere, is increased by 3% compared with that in the pre-industrial period.

The carbon emissions from fossil fuels account for about 3/4 of the total carbon emissions in the world. Therefore, there is a tendency for regional carbon emissions to increase where the economy is active and the corresponding energy consumption grows fastest. Because China's rapidly developing economy relies heavily on coal and other carbon-rich energy resources, Therefore, in the next 5 years, the growth rate of China's carbon emissions is expected to be three times faster than the population growth rate.

According to the government's estimation to the IPCC and the US Department of Energy, the carbon emissions of developing countries will increase by three times in the next half century, while those of industrialized countries will increase by 3%. Although the annual carbon emissions of industrialized countries are still twice as high as those of developing countries, by 22, The latter will surpass the former.

1. Energy

In the past 5 years, the growth rate of global energy demand is twice that of population. By 25, developing countries will consume more energy due to the increase of population and the affluence of life.

When the per capita energy consumption remains high, even the low-speed population growth may have a significant impact on the total energy demand. For example, by 25. Its energy demand has increased to the sum of the current energy consumption in Africa and Latin America.

The world's per capita oil output reached the highest level in 1979, and then decreased by 23%. It is predicted that the global oil output will reach the highest limit from 211 to 225, which indicates that as long as oil remains the dominant fuel in the world, the future oil price will still rise sharply.

In the next 5 years, The region with the largest increase in energy demand will be the most economically active region: in Asia, although the population growth is only 5%, the energy consumption will increase by 361%. In Latin America and Africa, the energy consumption is expected to increase by 34% and 326% respectively. The above three regions are facing great pressure on energy resources such as forests, fossil fuel reserves and water resources.

11. Waste

Because the world's new population will reach 3.4 billion in the next half century, the impact of waste discharge on the regional and global environment is likely to be more serious. However, the hope of providing an available sanitary environment in the near-medium term is very slim.

Population growth has increased the headache of social waste disposal-garbage, sewage and industrial waste must be treated. Even in areas with basically stable population-many industrialized countries, the waste flows into landfills and rivers, which is usually increasing continuously. In the next few decades, rapid economic development and rapid population growth will occur in many developing countries at the same time. Difficult-to-handle hill-like wastes are likely to challenge municipal and state management institutions. Economic impact and quality of life.

12. Employment < P > Since p>195, the world labor force population has increased by more than 1 million-from 1.2 billion to 2.7 billion-exceeding the growth rate of creating employment opportunities. In the future, population growth will increase the demand for labor (through economic activities and commodity demand). At the same time, it will obviously promote the supply of labor force. When the population growth makes the supply and demand of labor force unbalanced, the wages will be over-reduced. The workload will not improve rapidly because of the surplus labor environment, because the employed will be forced to extend the working hours, but various allowances will be reduced, and the control ability of homework activities will be reduced.

Since today's children are tomorrow's workers, Therefore, the interaction between population growth and employment is most sensitive in countries with a large number of young people. Countries with more than half of the population under the age of 25, such as Poland, Mexico, Indonesia and Zambia, will feel the importance of this labor tide. In addition to giving people a sense of self-esteem and self-reliance, employment is also the key to obtaining food, housing, medical services and education.

13. Income < P > In developing countries and regions with the most declining population, income increases. Including South Korea, Taiwan Province, China, Indonesia and Malaysia. Most African countries that neglect family planning have been plagued by a large number of young people who really need education and employment.

If countries all over the world cannot turn their economies to the track of environmental sustainability and low population growth at the same time, Economic recession will be inevitable.

14. Housing

The final result of population growth exceeding housing supply is that some people can return to their homes. According to United Nations estimates, there are at least 1 million people in the world-about the population of Mexico-who are homeless. Including squatters and other unsafe or temporary shelters, the total number of women is as high as 1 billion.

If population growth cannot be achieved worldwide, The number of homeless people is likely to expand alarmingly.

15. Education < P > In countries with an increasing proportion of children, the basic pressure on educational organizations will be very heavy. Most of the 1 countries with the fastest population growth in the world are in Africa and the Middle East. In the next 5 years, its child-age population will increase by 93% on average, and its school-age population will increase by 75% in Africa by 24.

If educational organizations in various countries begin to emphasize lifelong learning in view of the rapid changes in the world in the 21st century, it is necessary to conduct adult education extensively. It will even affect those countries where the population of children is decreasing.

16. Cities < P > Modern cities are developing at a relatively fast speed: London's resident population has increased from 1 million to 8 million in the past 13 years, while Mexico City has achieved this leap in just 3 years. In short, the world's urban population is growing at a rate of 1 million per week, including the natural growth of urban population, rural population migration and villages and towns.