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E
nvironmentalists have long been concerned OZONE DEPLETION
with the human impact on the environ- The most important causes of ozone depletion are
ment. Rapid population growth in consumption patterns and industry, not population
developing countries and high levels of resource growth. Slowing population growth is therefore unlikely
consumption in developed countries are to have much effect on the problem, but reducing or
Population considered to be important causes of environ- halting the industrial production of halocarbons (such as
mental damage, but attempts to study the links CFCs) can. The long-term impact of increased
growth and between population and environment have ultraviolet radiation on the Earths organisms
demonstrated that the relationship is complex. remains unclear. Studies continue to determine
patterns of The following are significant environmental the impact of UV radiation on phytoplankton and
issues that have been linked to population growth krill, which are at the base of the marine food
resource use and resource consumption on a global or regional chain. A decline in these species could have
scale. catastrophic effects on the worlds food supply.
both have Likewise, increases in UV radiation would also
GLOBAL WARMING lead to higher incidences of skin cancer and
important Most scientists now agree that a substantial cataracts, and cause damage to the human
proportion of the observed long-term rise in immune system.
impacts on greenhouse gases is due to human development, and
that this rising concentration will increase world LOSS OF BIODIVERSITY
environmental atmospheric temperatures. Uncertainties remain, The concept of biodiversity encompasses not only the
however, about the magnitude of global warming number and diversity of plant and animal species, but
change. and the ensuing environmental impact. A the amount of variation within the same species. As
projected rise in sea level of between 0.2 m and 1 human populations expand, they reduce
m, for example, could have devastating effects on biological diversity through the destruction of
densely populated and low-lying Bangladesh, but ecosystems such as tropical and temperate
have a negligible impact on land-locked countries. forests, tundra, wetlands, coral reefs, and marine
The health risks of higher temperatures, such as environments. Diversity within species has also
the spread of tropical diseases to new been an important factor, primarily in the
populations, would probably be greatest in development of agriculture and livestock.
subtropical areas. Climatic change, however, Historically, farmers have selected specimens that
could also affect natural ecosystems in the exhibit the most desired traits, leading to a
northern latitudes. narrowing of the genetic field of domesticated or
cultivated species. In North America, for example,
POLLUTION virtually all beef comes from only two breeds,
Population size, growth, and patterns of resource use and most milk from just one breed. Genetic
can have an impact on the levels of all types of uniformity raises the danger that crop and
pollution, including air, water, and solid pollution. livestock resources could become more
Pollutants are often concentrated in densely susceptible to diseases or pests, and that a small
populated, urban areas. According to UN outbreak could become a regional or global
projections, by the year 2005 the majority of the epidemic.*
worlds population will live in urban areas, where
standards of living and consumption patterns TROPICAL FORESTS
often exceed those in rural areas. Labor Population growth, and particularly migration, are
availability, infrastructure, and transport facilities clearly associated with the destruction of tropical forests.
favoring industrial development can affect the In addition to depleting a natural resource, deforestation
severity of urban atmospheric and water is linked to loss of biodiversity, land degradation, and
pollution. Even in the absence of population emission of greenhouse gases (where forests are
growth, poor environmental policy and burned). The migration of farmers in search of
management can lead to serious environmental cultivable land, domestic and commercial export
degradation. For example, despite its negative rate demands for tropical timber, the overcutting of
of population growth (-0.5 percent), Russia faces wood fuel, and the indirect effects of clearing
significant environmental damage created by the activities are all causes of deforestation. Studies
industrial complex of the former Soviet Union. show that rates of tropical deforestation in
Population Reference Bureau 1875 Connecticut Ave., NW, Suite 520 Washington, DC 20009
Phone: (202) 483-1100 Fax: (202) 328-3937 popref@prb.org http://www.prb.org/prb/
Per Capita Fresh Water Availability (in cubic meters) for Selected local environments and socioeconomic or political
Countries, 1955, 1990, and 2025 (UN medium projection) contexts. While population growth and density are
important, in some cases societys institutions
United States
may be more important than the numbers. In
Niger Honduras, for example, population impacts are
El Salvador secondary to social factors, such as land
Thailand inequality and the investment patterns of large
Syria landowners, in exacerbating deforestation and soil
France 1955 erosion. In Zaire, where the urban population is
Morocco growing more rapidly than the rural population,
1990
Poland inappropriate use of tropical land resources to
Israel 2025 feed urban dwellers can result in erosion and
Singapore reduced soil fertility. Likewise, cultivation on
Djibouti
steeply inclined slopes in the Philippine uplands
has dramatically increased erosion and land
0 2000 4000 6000 8000 10000 12000 14000 16000 18000 degradation. Topsoil loss from a single typhoon
Source: Sustaining Water: Population, and the Future of Renewable Water Supplies (Population can leave the land unsuitable for cultivation and
Action International, 1993). cause silt to build up in rivers downstream.