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Human Population and the Environment: Unit-V

POPULATION GROWTH, VARIATION AMONG NATIONS

Lecture-1

Population:

Group of individuals of species occupying a definite geographic area at a given time

Global Population Growth Trends-

Year Population (in billions)

1700 0.6 1850 1 1930 2 1960 3 1987 5 2000 6.1 2050 9.1 The population will continue to grow till equilibrium is achieved, i.e.

Number of births = Number of deaths

Population growing by 90 million/year.

Of which 93 % in developing countries

Reasons for growth-

• Spread of public health programmes in developing countries.

• Rise in food production after World War II.

• Every second 4-5 children are born and 2 people die.

• Nearly 2.5 persons get added every second.

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First 10 largest Countries

(Projected for 2050)

Sr. No.

Country

Population (In Millions)

1 India 1628

2 China 1369

3 United States 404

4 Indonesia 312

5 Nigeria 304

6 Pakistan 285

7 Brazil 244

8 Bangladesh 211

9 Ethiopia 188

10 Congo 182

Population density:

It is a measurement of population per unit area or unit volume; it is a

quantity of type number density. It is frequently applied to living organisms,

and particularly to humans. It is a key geographic term.

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Carrying Capacity:

It is defined as the maximum population size that can be supported by

environment.

• Carrying capacity increased by clever use of science and technology.

• Limit to max population size in given space and resource base.

• Population has been able to maintain Exponential Growth during past

100 years.

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Population Growth Rate:

Exponential and logistical population growth:

When resources are unlimited, populations exhibit exponential growth,

resulting in a J-shaped curve. When resources are limited, populations exhibit

logistic growth. In logistic growth, population expansion decreases as resources

become scarce, leveling off when the carrying capacity of the environment is

reached, resulting in an S-shaped curve.

Logistical population growth:

Human population growth rate is measured as annual average growth rate.

Average annual growth rate (%)= (P2-P1/P1*N) * 100

Where,

P1 = Population size in previous Census

P2 = Population size in present Census

N = No of years between two Census

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Problem: In 1980, the population in Lane County was 250,000. This grew to

280,000 in 1990. What is the annual percentage growth rate for Lane County?

Solution:

The population of Lane County grew 12 percent between 1980 and 1990 or at an rate of 1.2 percent annually.

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Population Cont.. Lecture-2

Growth rate depends on several factors:

1. Rate of Birth (Fertility):

(a) Birth Rate: Number of babies produced per 1000 individuals

(b) Total Fertility Rate: Average number of children that would be born to

women in her lifetime

(c) Replacement Level: Number of children a couple must produce to replace

themselves.

• It is always higher than 2.0. Since some children die before reaching

reproductive age.

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2. Mortality

• Death Rate per thousand individuals.

• Reduction in mortality rate because of industrial revolution, Improved

personal Hygiene, Modern medicines etc.

3. Migration

• Movement of individuals into or out of place/ country (within

country).

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4. Age and sex structure

• Proportion of individuals of different ages within that population is

age structure.

• Proportion of active males and females in a population influence

population growth.

Population growth, variation among nations:

• The needs of this huge number of human beings cannot be supported by

the Earth’s natural resources, without degrading the quality of human

life.

• In the near future, fossil fuel from oil fields will run dry. It will be

impossible to meet the demands for food from existing agro systems.

Grazing lands will be overgrazed by domestic animals and industrial

growth will create ever-greater problems due to pollution of soil, water

and air.

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• Seas will not have enough fish.

• Larger ozone holes will develop due to the discharge of industrial

chemicals into the atmosphere, which will affect human health.

• Global warming due to industrial gases will lead to a rise in sea levels

and flood all low-lying areas, submerging coastal agriculture as well as

towns and cities.

• Water ‘famines’ due to the depletion of fresh water, will create unrest and

eventually make countries go to war.

• The control over regional biological diversity, which is vital for producing

new medicinal and industrial products, will lead to grave economic

conflicts between biotechnologically advanced nations and the biorich

countries.

• Degradation of ecosystems will lead to extinction of thousands of species,

destabilizing natural ecosystems of great value.

• These are only some of the environmental problems related to an

increasing human population and more intensive use of resources that

we are likely to face in future.

• These effects can be prevented by creating a mass environmental

awareness movement.

• Present development strategies have not been able to successfully

address these problems related to hunger and malnutrition.

• Only 15% of the world’s population in the developed world is earning

79% of income! Thus the disparity in the extent of per capita resources

that are used by people who live in a ‘developed’ country as against

those who live in a ‘developing’ country is extremely large. Similarly, the

disparity between the rich and the poor in India is also growing.

• The increasing pressures on resources place great demands on the in-

built buffering action of nature that has a certain ability to maintain a

balance in our environment. However, current development strategies

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that essentially lead to short-term gains have led to a breakdown of our

Earth’s ability to replenish the resources on which we depend.

Global population growth:

• The world population is growing by more than 90 million per year, of

which 93% is in developing countries. This will essentially prevent their

further economic ‘development’.

• In the past, population growth was a gradual phenomenon and the

Earth’s ability to replenish resources was capable of adjusting to this

increase. In the recent past, the escalation in growth of human numbers

has become a major cause of our environmental problems.

• The global growth rate was depleting the Earth’s resources and was a

direct impediment to human development. Several environmental ill-

effects were linked with the increasing population of the developing

world.

• In rural areas population growth led to increased fragmentation of farm

land and unemployment.

• In the urban sector it led to inadequate housing and an increasing level

of air pollution from traffic, water pollution from sewage, and an inability

to handle solid waste.

• By the 1970s most countries in the developing world had realized that if

they had to develop their economics and improve the lives of their

citizens they would have to curtail population growth.

• There are cultural, economic, political and demographic reasons that

explain the differences in the rate of population control in different

countries. It also varies in different parts of certain countries and is

linked with community and/ or religious thinking.

• Lack of Government initiatives for Family Welfare Program is serious

impediment to limiting population growth in several countries

.

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Population Explosion: Lecture-3

An enormous growth of human beings is called as population explosion.

Causes:

1. Fertility

2. Reduced Infant Mortality Rate

3. Increased food production

4. Longevity

Impacts:

1. Pollution: increase in cars and emission of greenhouse gases into

atmosphere

2. Deforestation: to build houses for increasing population

3. Freshwater Availability: increase in waste production and

contamination of water

4. Natural Resources: increase burning of fossil fuels, excessive use of coal

5. Global Warming: overall increase in temperature and chances of natural

disasters

6. Habitat Loss: change in ecosystems affecting tropic levels

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Population Explosion in India

Reasons:

• Higher fertility rate due to failure of family planning

• Predominating religious or superstitious nature

• Importance of male child

• Social insecurity

• Poverty and backwardness

Environmental and ecological consequences :

Severe pressure on the forests due to both the rate of resource use and

the nature of use.

Tropical deforestation and destruction of mangroves for commercial

needs and fuel wood.

Intense grazing by domestic livestock

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illegal harvesting of wildlife

Over fishing in water bodies and introduction of weeds and exotic

species.

EFFECTS OF POPULATION EXPLOSION

1. Air Pollution:

The technological development of India has lead not only to medical

advancements, but also to an increase in the number of factories. That

has lead to air and water pollution.

According to an article published in the Times of India on March 25th,

2000, “…increasing air pollution level in the year 1999, caused 3,650

untimely deaths and about 1,545,000 persons had been reportedly

suffering with air (polluted) borne diseases.”

2. Water Pollution:

Nowadays water pollution is also one of the increasing problems due to

the population explosion.

Major Pollutants are:

Petroleum products

Pesticides and herbicides

Hazardous wastes

Excessive organic matters like fertilizers.

Thermal pollution caused by deforestation.

3. Unemployment and Illiteracy:

Unemployment, or underemployment, further leads to poverty. This

again starts the vicious cycle of poverty and population explosion discussed

above. Poverty leads to an increase in the population, because poverty leads

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people to produce more children to increase the earning members of the

family. This increases the population size of India, which further increases

the unemployment rate and lack of educational facilities leading to poverty

that started this whole cycle.

4. Food Resources

Resources are always limited. And in a developing and highly populous

country like India, resources are even scarcer. Population explosion results

in the shortage of even the most basic resources like food. According to an

article by World Bank Group, “…more than half of all children under the age

of four are malnourished, 30 percent of newborns are significantly

underweight, and 60 percent of women are anemic.”

Family planning and welfare methods:

1. Vasectomy

2. Tubectomy

3. Conventional contraceptives(that is condoms, diaphragms, jelly/cream

tubes, foam tables) and oral pills.

Success of the family planning program in India depends on several factors like

literacy, religion and the region where the couple live.

Urbanization Its Implications…

• In 1950, 29 % people lived in urban areas

• By 2000, 47 % people lived in urban areas

• By 2030, estimates show that this will grow to 61 %

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Causes

• Rural problems like drought, discrimination, unemployment

• All major developments in cities

• Better life in cities

• Standard of living

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Family Welfare Programmes Lecture-4

Basic training of Multi-Purpose Health Worker

Village health guides schemes

Rural Health Training Center

Family welfare Training and Research Centre, Mumbai

Several important schemes are listed below:

• National Family Welfare Programme - India launched the National Family

Welfare Programme in 1951 with the objective of "reducing the birth rate

to the extent necessary to stabilise the population at a level consistent

with the requirement of the National economy. The Family Welfare

Programme in India is recognised as a priority area, and is being

implemented as a 100% centrally sponsored programme.

• National Population Policy - The National Population Policy, 2000 affirms

the commitment of government towards voluntary and informed choice

and consent of citizens while availing of reproductive health care services

and continuation of the target free approach in administering family

planning services.

• National Rural Health Mission - The National Rural Health Mission

(2005-12) seeks to provide effective healthcare to rural population

throughout the country with special focus on 18 states, which have weak

public health indicators and/or weak infrastructure. The mission aims at

effective integration of health concerns with determinants of health like

sanitation and hygiene, nutrition and safe drinking water through a

District Plan for Health.

• Urban Family Welfare Schemes-This Scheme was introduced following

the recommendation of the Krishnan Committee in 1983. The main focus

was to provide services through setting up of Health Posts mainly in

slum areas. The services provided are mainly outreach of RCH services,

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preventive services, First Aid and referral services including distribution

of contraceptives.

• Sterilization Beds Scheme - A Scheme for reservation of Sterilization beds

in Hospital sun by Government, Local Bodies and Voluntary

Organisations was introduced as early as in the year 1964 in order to

provide immediate facilities for tubectomy operations in hospitals where

such cases could not be admitted due to lack of beds etc. But later with

the introduction of the Post Partum Programme some of the beds were

transferred to Post Partum Programme and thereafter the beds were only

sanctioned to hospitals sun by Local Bodies and Voluntary

Organisations.

• Reproductive and Child Health Programme- The Reproductive and Child

Health Programme was launched in October 1997 incorporating new

approach to population and development issues, as exposed in the

International Conference in Population and Development held at Cairo in

1994.The programme integrated and strengthened in

services/interventions under the Child Survival and Safe Motherhood

Programme and Family Planning Services and added to the basket of

services, new areas on Reproductive Tract/Sexually Transmitted

infections (RTI/STI).

Human Health and Environment

Because of the permanent interaction between man and his

environment, our health is to a considerable extent determined by the

environmental quality. As a consequence, environment and health are

closely related.

The environment in which we live, work and relax, is determining for our

health and well-being. Physical, as well as chemical and micro(biological)

factors in the environment can have repercussions on our health, both

physically and mentally.

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The World Health Organisation (WHO) definition of health emphasizes

the physical, mental and social well-being: "Health is a state of complete

physical, mental and social well-being and not merely the abscence of

disease or infirmity". Health is considered as an overall concept reaching

beyond the absence of illness and ailments.

Well-being and quality of life are subject to an impressive number of

factors, including psychological, social and environment-related aspects.

In addition to positive influences such as green belts and entertainment

areas, it is also important to identify the negative factors, such as noise,

odour and light nuisance.

However, the relation between environment and health is extremely

complex. Although many health problems are tought to be associated

with environmental pollution, it is difficult to assess the seriousness,

extent and causes of environment-related diseases. Besides

environmental-related causes, there are other factors which can directly

or indirectly lead to the same health problems.

Moreover, a causal connection between health effects and e.g.

distribution of specific substances in the environment is often hardly or

not demonstrable. The specific contribution of each of the different

causes of health problems is difficult to determine

The huge population pressurizes and degrades the environment

physically, chemically and biologically.

The state of health of people depends on clean environment.

The changes in human environment increases the incidence of many

diseases.

Various diseases-

1. HIV/ AIDS, TB, Malaria, Water borne diseases

2. Climate and Health

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3. Bhopal Gas Tragedy, Hazardous chemicals like pesticides, DDT,

endosulfan etc

4. Infectious diseases

5. Water related diseases

6. Risks due to chemicals in food

7. Cancer and the environment

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Human Rights Lecture-5

Human rights are rights inherent to all human beings, whatever our

nationality, place of residence, sex, national or ethnic origin, colour, religion,

language, or any other status. We are all equally entitled to our human rights

without discrimination. These rights are all interrelated, interdependent and

indivisible.

Universal human rights are often expressed and guaranteed by law, in the

forms of treaties, customary international law , general principles and other

sources of international law. International human rights law lays down

obligations of Governments to act in certain ways or to refrain from certain

acts, in order to promote and protect human rights and fundamental freedoms

of individuals or groups.

The universal declaration of human rights adopted by UNO on 10th Dec

1948

On May 16, 1994 the United Nations drafted declaration of Human

Rights and Environment

1. The principles

2. Significance

Equity-Wealth, resources, energy distribution

Nutrition, Health and Human rights

Intellectual property rights

Rights of life liberty Fundamental Rights Include

and security of a person

Right to own property

Right to freedom of opinion and expression

Right to an adequate standard of living

Right to education , freedom of thought, conscience and religion.

Right to freedom from torture and degrading treatment.

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Value Education

Values deal with ones own principles and standards from which we judge

what is right and wrong behaviour.

Objectives of Value Education:

a. To improve the integral growth of human begins.

b. To create attitudes and improvement towards sustainable lifestyle.

c. To increase awareness about our national history our cultural heritage,

constitutional rights, national integration, community development and

environment.

d. To create and develop awareness about the values and their significance and

role.

e. To know about various living and non-living organisms and their interaction

with environment.

Environmental values-Preservation of Environment

Valuing nature-Ecologist view

Valuing cultures-Tribal people closeness

Social justice-Traditional things

Human heritage-Protection of wilderness

Equitable use of resources

Common property resources-Government taking over

Ecological degradation

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HIV/AIDS

Expanded as Human Immune Deficiency Virus / Acquired Immuno

Deficiency Syndrome.

Acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS) is an infectious disease

caused by the Human immunodeficiency Virus (HIV).

Historical background

In Africa between 1884 and 1924

HIV probably enters Haiti around 1966.

First identified in USA in 1981.

Second it was found in Tanzania, and then over 25 people were infected

thereafter.

Impacts of HIV

Estimates Range

People living with HIV/AIDS in 2009

33.3 million 31.4-35.3 millio

Adults living with HIV/AIDS in 2009

30.8 million 29.2-32.6 million

Women living with HIV/AIDS in 2009

15.9 million 14.8-17.2 million

Children living with HIV/AIDS in 2009

2.5 million 1.6-3.4 million

People newly infected with HIV in 2009

2.6 million 2.3-2.8 million

Adults newly infected with HIV in 2009

2.2 million 2.0-2.4 millio

AIDS deaths in 2009 1.8 million 1.6-2.1 million

Orphans (0-17) due to AIDS in 2009

16.6 million 14.4-18.8 million

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Symptoms

It comes in three stages: Acute infection, chronic infection, and AIDS.

Other symptoms are:

A blotchy red rash, usually on the upper torso, that does not itch.

Headache

Aching muscles

Sore throat

Swollen lymph glands

Diarrhea

Nausea

Vomiting

Causes

A person can be infected when he comes into contact with the following:

Blood transfusion

Child birth

Needle-sharing

Percutaneous needle stick

Receptive anal intercourse

Receptive penile-vaginal intercourse

The majority of HIV infections are acquired through unprotected sexual relations.

It takes 8-11 years in the diagnosis of this virus.

Control/prevention

AIDS and sex education

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Gay men awareness programs

Needle exchange programs

Relevant tests relating blood before transfusion

Use of condoms (male and female)

Circumcision.

Treatment & Care

Antiretrovirals

ARVs

ANTI-HIV or ANTI-AIDS drugs

Combination therapy.

Although there are drugs present nowadays but, there is currently no publicly

available vaccine or cure for HIV or AIDS.

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Women and Child Welfare Lecture-6

The Department of Women and Child Development was set up in the

year 1985 as a part of the Ministry of Human Resource Development to give the

much needed impetus to the holistic development of women and children. With

effect from 30.01.2006, the Department has been upgraded to a Ministry.

You can tell the condition of a nation by looking at the status of its

women” – Jawaharlal Nehru

Women and children constitute three fourth of human population

Usually the soft targets

Suffer mainly because they are weaker, helpless and economically

dependent.

Collection and burning of household fuel by women

Women's problems with regard to water supply and sanitation

Women and children in hazardous occupation

Problem of cookstove pollution

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Women and Child Welfare in India

Sarva Shikshan Abhiyan

Balika Samridhi Yojana

Integrated Child development service.

Special programs for development of women and children in rural area

Role of IT in Environment and Health

Information technology (IT) is one of the fastest growing recent technology.

Various software have been developed for environment and health care which

are user friendly and help in better understanding for the topic. A lot of

techniques are used under IT for development and application of computational

tools to acquire, store, analyze and visualize satellite data which is used for

observation, and protection of environment Due to the development of the

internet and information through the satellites a wide database is generated

which is the collection of various interrelated articles.

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Database

Ministry of Environment & Science

Wildlife database

Forest cover database

Diseases database

Environmental Information Systems (ENVIS)

Network in pollution control

Clean / Green Technologies

Renewable energy

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Remote sensing and Geographical Information Systems (GIS)

Resource mapping

Environmental Conservation

Water logging

Deforestation

Health Information Technology

Audio, visual and data communication for medical diagnosis, treatment

MRI (Magnetic Resonance Imaging)

Testing DNA

Creating DNA database

Finger prints

Medical records

X ray

Laser Treatments

Summery: Role of IT in environment:

Remote Sensing and GIS (Geographic Information System) provides data

and knowledge concerning the global environment as it is used for

mapping and monitoring various natural resources.

Ministry of Environment and Forest (MoEF) and Government of India

(GOI) have created an Environment Information System (ENVIS).

Different ENVIS centers are set up in different organizations for

information collection, storage which work towards boosting the

relationship between trade and environment

IT is used for computer based modeling and simulation of environmental

scenarios for analysis and prediction.

It enables environmental scientists and researchers around the world to

communicate, collaborate and coordinate.

Role of IT in in human health

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IT can be used for audio, visual and data communications for medical

consultation, diagnosis, treatment, nursing and medical education.

IT is used for testing of DNA, creating DNA database and genetic

information about population. Medical records and finger prints which

are used by investigating agencies to identify missing persons and

criminals.

IT helps in spreading awareness about endemic, epidemic and

communicable diseases. With the help of Remote Sensing and GIS there

is identification of several infested areas which are prone to some

diseases like malaria etc. based upon mapping of such areas.