THE GREATEST PROBLEM FACES THE WORLD IN THE 21ST CENTURY IS OVER-POPOULATION AND THE SUBSQUENTLY DESTRUCTION OF NATURAL RESOURCES. CAN THIS PROBLMES BE SOLVED THROUGH EDUCTION AND CAREFUL MANAGEMENT?
... uses 30% (Report by United Nation) of total natural resources even though they don’t have much population, never the less a control on population can help to give a positive way to the problem of destruction of environmental resources. (Stefoff 1997 P. 38). Secondly the problems faced due to over population are a global climate problem that is caused by the release of green house gases in the atmosphere. According to the National Academy of Sciences the Earth temperature was increasing 1 degree in the past century. They have found the reason of increasing the earth temperature for last 50 years is due to human activity. Human activity has disturbed the climate condition by releasing harmful gases in atmosphere such as carbon dioxide, methane and nitrous oxide. Since the beginning of the industrial revolution atmospheric level of carbon dioxide has increased nearly 30%, methane has more than doubled and nitrous oxide has increased about 15%(Stated By U.S Environmental Protection Agency, Global Warming, n.d.). Due to the rise in use of greenhouse gases, heat absorbing capacity of atmosphere is decreasing as more number of vehicles are used due to population rise which release more amount of harmful gases in atmosphere and also power factories are responsible for 98% of US carbon dioxide release, 24% of methane and 18% of nitrogen in the atmosphere which also has bad effect on atmospheric level (Stated By U.S Environmental Protection Agency, Global Warming, n.d.). This type of bad effect on atmospheric levels can also leads to acid rain. Acid rain disturbs the balance of both water and land. Thousands of lakes and forest are destroyed in industrialized world. Increase in the atmosphere temperature will result in the increase in the sea level and also changes other climatic condition, which would have an adverse effect on the human health, animals and many types of ecosystem. Like the problem of deforestation, global warming is related to population growth in a number of ways, such as if we try to control over population problem it would help to decrease the use of vehicles so that there would be control in atmospheric pollution. Government should also try to take proper step against all factories, which are doing air pollution and should also not cut of the trees for accommodating over population, as trees are roots plays a huge role in purification of air. Another problem faced due to over population is the problem of water crises and its pollution. Like fresh food, fresh water is essential to life. And like food water is unevenly distributed around the world. As the population is increasing day by day, demand of fresh water is also increasing but unfortunately there is more increase in demand of water as compared to population growth. Between 1990 and 1995 world wide water was used more than triple; for example in the United States it has increased by 150% during last 30 years period, although the country’s population grew only 50%. In 1995 United States used about 400 billion gallons of water each day, which was more than other industrialized nation (Stefoff 1997, p.57). Due to this type of careless use of developed nation many developing countries has to suffer, they cannot get drinking water in their home and they have to line up at the public taps, for example in Madras, India’s fourth largest city, the taps flow only between 4:00 A.M to 6:00 A.M and people must line up during the night in order to get water. In India as many as 8000 rural village has no water supply at all, each day village women must walk for miles to nearest well or stream in order to get water. Mr. Werner Fernos from population institute stated that this type of water crises is also faced throughout the Middle East countries, where water reserves have come to their limit to support a regional population of 200 million. In 1995 leader of 11 Middle East countries declared that “Water security in the Arab World is an essential as national and military securities.” As a result people in many areas are soon likely to become more careful for water than for any other resources (Stefoff 1997, 65). The water crises are already a real problem throughout the world, but the other part of problem is unsafe water. Nowadays much more amount of water pollution is done through Industries, especially from dangerous chemicals such as mercury and chlorine. The population institute reported in 1999 that 1.7 billion people, nearly a third of the world’s population did not have an adequate supply for clean drinking water and it would reach to 4.2 billion up to 2050, in many places 95% of sewage and 70% of industrial waste is directly thrown into supplies of drinking water or irrigation water which would result in the spread of diseases among us, as 80% of diseases is related to use of unsafe water (Johnson 2001, p.120). Hence the solution to the polluted water can be even reduced through the use of existing technology to clear water but the other part of shortage of water is not so easy to solve it. We all have to personally take care of water and try to avoid its wastage then only we can get some good result to the problem. In order to control overpopulation the most appropriate solution to it is Family Planning Programs. Family Planning programs means to understand the process of reproduction and the effective technique for the birth control. It is necessary for men and women both to understand this program. In some cases Family Planning is looked as narrow minded for example especially by developing countries, but it should not be looked as narrow minded because it is the good solution to over population problem. Family Planning would be a permanent feature of the way of life of all the succeeding generation, and day by day our reproduction will automatically adopt this new dramatic reality. This type of programs is mainly needed by the developing countries because they are the only one who has a huge problem of over-population. From the past few decades developing countries have started undertaking family planning programs as a result they found a major change in reproduction activity. In the resent study the total fertility rate in developing country have declined from 6.1% to 3.9%. It was estimated that the developing country would be successful in few decades to keep the population size constant at 2.1% children per women. (Frances 1995, p.252). Between 1990’s and the present, 17 countries have had fertility decline of more than 50% for example Iran, Pakistan, India. (Francis 1995, p.253). The adoption of smaller family with consequent decline in total fertility should not only be viewed in demographic terms, it means that now women have power to have control on their fertility, that is to have children’s by choice and not by chance and that birth of child can be planned to take place at the best time of childbearing to ensure better health for women and child both. On the other hand though the family planning was so much successful there are still some countries in the world that have still not received so much effective results of Family Planning programs, for example China (Johnson 2001,p167). Chinese government has adopted the practice of one couple, one child; this how ever does not mean to have one child only, in every case. One couple can only have one another child immediately if first child born is dead, other wise the have to plan after few years. As Chinese government failed in these programs so they started giving education to the women about having fewer children, they also gave them education about abortions and birth control programs. In the latest report given by United Nation of Population Control, stated that China is now somewhat successful in keeping their population figures constant (Johnson 2001, p.168). Hence Family Planning programs is good solution to the over population, but with it, it is necessary to provide education to women also. Population growth can also be solved by especially educating women and influencing their rights in the society. Over the centuries and all in societies there was difference between the role of men and women. Women role have always been traditional and close to the family and they are engaged in the provision of food, energy and water and a different role in family and communities...