World Population Day

     “World Population Day”’ which is to be observed every year on July 11, to raise awareness of world population issues.  This was introduced in 1989 by the Governing Council of the United Nations Development Program.  World Population Day aims to educate people on population issues like poverty, gender equality, public health, family planning and human rights which are related to growing population.  The day of World Population was suggested by Dr. KC Zachariah who worked as a senior Demographer at the World Bank,  when world population reached the five billion mark in 1987.

    The world's population started growing after 1950, after five years the world population was estimated to 2.6 billion, by 1987 the world population had reached 5 billion, within 12 years (by 1999) crossed 6 billion people.  The world population was estimated to be 7 billion in October 2011.   A world wide moment "7 billion Actions" was started in 2011 to mark this milestone.  At present the Global population is expected to be 7.7 billions.  The world population is expected to increase in the next 30 years and it may reach from 7.7 billion to 9.7 billion people. It could reach nearly 11 billions people by 2100. The growth of population is not even throughout the world, Africa's population may double by 2050.  Nigeria expected to overtake the US.  The Asian population will increase by 20% percent by 2050.  India may record 30% growth whereas 2% decrease in China. In Europe there is a chance to drop by 4% in the next 30 years. 

Challenges of Population Growth

• The Population grown in underdeveloped countries affects the availability of  capital per head, which leads to reduced productivity.

• Growing population increases the demographic investments which reduces the capacity of the saving of people.

• Population growth creates unemployment.

• Large families lead to poverty and poor health.

• It becomes a conflict to get pure water sources, energy, food etc.

• Growing population creates food problems.

• Rapid growth of the population leads to more investment on the children which pushes the people into poverty.

• As per growing population governments have to spend on providing education, health, and housing which become a burden.

• Growing population affects the environment.  As per population more farmlands required for the production of food which leads to cut trees and forests.  Hill stations and tropical forests would be occupied with people. Due to the increase in the use of transportation, establishing industries leads to a polluted atmosphere.

• Growing population causes low standard living, under-nourishment and lack of Hygiene.

    

How to control Population Growth

    United Nations and other Demographers suggest the best ways to control Population Growth which are based on political education and economic measures. These recommendations are

• Educate the people with family planning.

• Creating awareness about the challenges of growing population like poverty, inflation, pollution and unemployment etc. in schools and colleges.

• National economic plans should be incorporated with population control.

• A permanent Population Control Committee to be established to plan, develop and implement the policies and research on Population Growth.

• Encourage the newly married couple to have small families, with one or two children.