EcoTrain QOTW S10.4: Is the World overpopulated? And what can we do to solve the issue?
The current level of hunger, poverty, gender inequality, uneven distribution of resources, etc. Only signifies one thing- That the world is overpopulated. While I was doing my industrial training in a teaching hospital some years ago, I noticed the maternal room was always busy, pregnant women trooping in daily and the record of children born kept increasing. Compared to the maternal ratio, the ratio of birth was higher, excluding the children born by local midwives at home. The expansion of settlements to places once known to be covered with trees is another evidence of a rapid population growth, there are just a few lands to graze or cultivate, which also is affecting the amount of resources available for production, therefore leading to increased hunger and shortage in resources.
The goal to reach sustainability is getting harder each day, the more resources are made available, the more the number of people to be distributed to. The major reason for this rapid population growth is the uncontrolled birth per family head and the number of children born before wedlock either through rape or unprotected sexual intercourse, and immigration into a country. Since the problem can be detected, the problem is half solved.
Photo source
The easier way to solve this rapid population growth is to pass into law the number of children a family is allowed to born, though this law may not be too easy to implement in developing countries, but putting it into law would give families the caution on the number of children accepted and help reduce their initial plan on child birth. The issue on rape also need to be taken seriously, the government hesitant to take action especially in Nigeria has only increased the number of rape cases and homeless children. The issue on rape if taking with strict discipline on the rapist would help reduce the number of children given to orphanage homes for care.
Photo source
Finally, the use of birth control pills or other methods of birth control need to be put in place. Some religious bodies are against the use of birth control, with the belief that babies are a gift from God and need not to be controlled by pills but by natural means. To be able to change this mindset about child birth control, developing countries like Nigeria need to be educated on the danger of overpopulation and the safety of using pills both medically and religiously. If the issue of a condition is known, the problem is half solved.