According to Population Institute calculations, in just under half an hour, the net growth to the population has already increased by over 6,000. This is unsurprising, given that population levels have been rising steadily for thousands of years. Even endless wars, epidemics, natural disasters and man-made hazards have not been enough to halt the trend. However, from the 19th century population levels have been increasing dramatically. Numbers edged towards 7.3 billion people in 2015, and give little indication of slowing.
Positive developments such as improved medical knowledge, revolutionary scientific discoveries and technological advancement in fertility treatment are all partly responsible. An overall decline in death rate shows that illnesses that would once have claimed thousands of lives are now being treated effectively, which is a major achievement and a credit to our ability to work together to resolve massive problems. Social ills such as illiteracy, violence against women and poverty across the world, however, all contribute to limited access to health services and a lack of ability to plan for a family, producing high birth-rates.
As a result overpopulation is stretching the planet’s natural resources and creating profound implications on sustainability and urbanisation. Most severe are the depletion of natural resources and the overuse of fossil fuels producing dramatic changes to the environment and harmful levels of air pollution, but other problems that stem from overpopulation include conflicts and wars, increased unemployment levels and high living costs.
As a means to tackle these threats directly, World Population Day is an annual event observed on 11 July every year, which aims to promote the importance of family planning, gender equality, maternal health, human rights and lifting people out of poverty as the basis of stabilising population levels humanely. In the past the UN has used the day to advance the expansion of health services and women’s education in order to give more people the ability to plan for a family.
For more information about how to get involved this World Population Day, you can visit the UN website.