Overpopulation is a concerning factor considering it has led to adverse environmental and societal effects. The consequences of overpopulation include the depletion of natural resources and climate change which have hindered the conservation of natural resources such as water and animals (Weber & Sciubba, 2019). Therefore, there is an urgent need to control overpopulation considering the fact that it will lead to the planet’s conservation (Weber & Sciubba, 2019). Therefore, everyone is obligated to control human population growth since it has steered increased extraction of resources from the environment, such as overfishing, contamination of water, and soil degradation, leading to depletion.
Water has become a scarce commodity due to activities such as the over-pumping of groundwater. People consume large amounts of water as their population increases, leading to its depletion. Other activities, such as water contamination through industrial wastes and marine dumping, have reduced water levels (Weber & Sciubba, 2019). Another situation caused by the growing population is the depletion of natural resources such as fish due to the increasing demand for these aquatic animals (Weber & Sciubba, 2019). When the demand increases, activities such as overfishing become normalized, resulting in extinction.
Soil degradation is another regressive indicator that signifies the change in the ecosystem. Activities that promote soil erosion include the over-cultivation of land for commercial agriculture to sustain the growing population and the overgrazing of animals (Weber & Sciubba, 2019). These activities lead to the reduction of soil quality, which has promoted the loss of biodiversity. All the activities mentioned have resulted from the pressure to sustain the demands of the growing population (Weber & Sciubba, 2019). Everyone is responsible for stopping this menace, considering that human activities destroy the ecosystem. Reducing the population can be promoted by advocating for family planning programs and adopting new conservation alternatives such as not dumping in the oceans.
Reference
Weber, H., & Sciubba, J. D. (2019). The effect of population growth on the environment: Evidence from European regions. European Journal of Population, 35(2), 379-402.