The Population Bomb: Some Scary Insights

Image Source: Down to Earth

From ‘Hum do humare do’, that aims at a two-child policy for married couples, to China’s one-child rule, efforts have always been on to control the growing numbers. And yet, the world population has crossed 8 billion, thriceitsnumber in the mid-twentieth century.This growth, as experts point,will gain momentum in forthcoming years.

India at its new peak

According to the Worldometer, the present population of India as of 14th March, 2023 is 1,416,496,245. India continues to be on level with China in terms of population size. Both the countries together represent about 18% of the earth’s population. According to different estimates, India will soon overtake China as the most populated country of the world.The urban population of India is expected to reach 675 million by 2035, ranking second to China’s urban population of one billion people. After the COVID 19 pandemic, the growth in the urban population of the world is back on track.It is likely to increase by about 2.2 billion persons by 2050.

Africa: On its way to overpopulation

Africa is predicted to experience more than half of the world's population growth between now and 2050, making it a continent with the fastest population growth. In parts of sub-Saharan Africa, the population growth rate is predicted to double.61 nations or regions around the world are expected to see a sharp decline in their populations. Notable among them are Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, Hungary, Japan, Romania, Serbia, and Ukraine.

Factors affect population growth

Thefertilityrate: The fertility rate, which is still steadily rising, will have a major impact on how quickly the population grows in future. However, the 2022 edition of the World Population Prospects forecasts a fall in global fertility to 2.1 by 2050.

Growinglongevity: According to records, there has been a significant increase in life expectancy in recent years. From 72.8 years in 2019 to 77.2 years in 2050, life expectancy would continue to increase in the coming years. It is also claimed that the nations with the lowest levels of development have life expectancies that are 7 years lower than the world average.

Internationalmigration: Migration is a huge factor in population growth. People from rural areas are moving to cities for jobs and better living opportunities. Cities are getting denser day by day.

UN initiatives

UN Population Fund (UNFPA) began in 1969 mainly to promote population programs. The UNFPA was given the primary responsibility for assisting nationsin the areas such ashuman rights, gender equality as well as sexual and reproductive health. Italso targets youth.The United Nations organized a summit in 2019 and three conferences, including two special General Assembly sessions with a view to tackling the population issue.

Wayforward

As citizens of our country, we should help maintain our population under check. Always waiting for government intervention may not be the right thing to do. Maintenance of the right parent-children ratio should be the duty of every citizen. The use of biological barriers to avoid unwanted pregnancies should be emphasized.