World Population Day 2020

Raising awareness about the health and rights of women
amid the coronavirus pandemic

To make people aware of the issues related to overpopulation, in 1989, the UN passed a resolution to observe July 11 of every year as World Population Day. The purpose of observing this day is to bring attention to the burden being created by the rapid population growth. Such uncontrolled growth puts uncertain pressure on natural resources, wildlife extinction and habitat loss. Moreover, the population growth is not uniform nor the natural resources and addition of every million people the imbalance is getting enhanced. COVID19 pandemic is impacting the world differently, it is estimated that six months continuous lockdown with major disruption of health services became a cause of seven million unintended pregnancies in low and middle-income countries. This problem of overpopulation cannot be solved by magic in a day, educating and bringing awareness is the only option.

7,797,120,600
(when the post is being written)
860,00,00,000 in 2030
980,00,00,000 in 2050
1,120,00,00,000 in 2100

No this is not the projection of a score in a cricket match or Bullish Stock market figures. It is the predicted population growth of the planet. World Population is Growing: 9000 an hour.
150 people are added every minute or 25 people every second. By the time you breathe once, 100 people are added to the world. The birth of a child brings joy to families to many but also brings worry and burden to those who are struggling to make the ends meet.

“If government knew how, I should like to see it check – not multiply – the population”
Ralph Waldo Emerson, 19^th Century Philosopher

To make people aware of the issues related to overpopulation, in 1989, the UN passed a resolution to observe July 11 of every year as World Population Day. In the year the resolution was made the world population was reaching 5 billion people. The purpose of observing this day is to bring attention to the health, development, and environmental impacts of rapid population growth.

China is the world’s nation by the population at ~ 1.4 billion. India, which currently has ~1.3 billion people and is expected to overtake China as the world’s most populous nation in about five years.

Population growth not only affects consumption, production, employment, earning capacity but also puts uncertain pressure on natural resources. Water, land resources have become scares, earth’s atmosphere has degraded, resulting in habitat loss, wildlife extinction and climate change. The world has tasted the fury of oceans with Tsunami effecting in unexpected regions, like that one that has taken India by surprise.

“If the human population of the world continues to increase at its current rate, there will soon be no room for either wildlife or wild places…But I believe that sooner or later man will learn to limit his overpopulation”
Sir Peter Scott, Founder of WWF

Thomas Robert Malthus (known for Malthusianism) in his book on the “Principle of Population” described about the rate of increasing the world’s population becoming greater than the rate of food production and supply. This is profound as it was told in the 18^th century. These were early warnings, if only humanity realised, accepted and taken preventive steps!

The population growth is not uniform nor the natural resources, with the addition of every million people to the planet, the imbalance is getting enhanced. The growth in the countries and regions which are struggling to meet the minimum requirements and fighting poverty, making the fight a difficult to win.

This problem of overpopulation cannot be solved by magic but requires making long-term plans after taking into consideration the circumstances that led to this situation. Educating and bringing awareness is the only option we have to tackle this problem.

COVID19 pandemic is impacting the world differently. According to a study by UNFPA, six months continuous lockdown and lack of access to modern contraceptives, became a cause of seven million unintended pregnancies in low and middle-income countries.

“The 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development is the world’s blueprint for a better future for all on a healthy planet. On World Population Day, we recognize that this mission is closely interrelated with demographic trends including population growth, ageing, migration and urbanization.”
UN Secretary-General António Guterres

Birth of a child is such a joyous occasion, let the burden of nurturing them not take away the pleasure. Balanced growth is what would sustain.