THE NEGATIVE IMPACT OF POPULATION GROWTH ON THE ENVIRONMENT: A COMPREHENSIVE ANALYSIS OF GLOBAL TRENDS AND ECOLOGICAL CONSEQUENCES
https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.15667314
Keywords:
environmental growth, ecological footprint, carrying capacity, population, sustainability, environmental degradation.Abstract
There is a population growth of humans that directly correlates to an
increase in environmental degradation worldwide. Using a meta-analysis of 137
peer-reviewed studies, this research encapsulates the relationship between human
population dynamics and ecosystem changes between the years 1970 to 2023.
Primarily focusing on the quantitative correlation between population parameters
and certain environmental indicators like carbon emissions, deforestation,
freshwater depletion, loss of biodiversity, and land-use change, this analysis
indicates an alarming escalation. Each 1% increase in population leads to a 1.19%
growth in carbon emissions, a 0.73% rise in deforestation rates, and a 0.85% rise
in water withdrawal. There were, however, notable differences in regions. In
comparison, urban centers exhibited higher rates of growth than rural centers, with
a notable increase in the rate of environmental degradation. This work in the
environment showcased that though population growth is an alarming factor, the
magnitude of its impact on the environment is controlled by the levels of
consumption, technological efficiency, and policy frameworks available,
employed, or adopted. The work evidencing this also states that population
stability is a primary requirement needed to achieve proactively protect the
environment, encouraging varied approaches that revolve around mitigating birth
rates and promoting sustainable consumption and technological adoption as the
most viable approaches.
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