From the moment the first humans stepped foot on Earth, man has dutifully kept the biblical injunction to be 'fruitful and multiply'. We are now more than seven billion people walking to and fro the surface of the Earth and it is evident that man has no plans to reduce the speed of reproduction.It is quite reasonable because reproduction is the reason you and I are alive.
It is the reason why our specie still exists on the planet. Now, the pressing question is; where should we draw the line? How much is too much?
Over population is the state in which the number of people living in a given geographic location is more than the number of available resources needed to live optimally. From the definition, we can say that large scale reproduction is not the main problem. The problem is when we breed to the point that we cannot efficiently sustain the lives of our progeny. This is when it becomes a problem.
The causes of over population are innumerable. First, we live in societies that encourage people to have children. After all, children are a gift from God. The couple who choose to remain childfree are stigmatized. We have not reached a point where we normalise not wanting to have children. Then, medical science has improved worldwide when compared to the 19th century.
The chances that a mother or her child will die during childbirth has been significantly reduced. Complications that would have resulted in death can now be resolved. In Nigeria and other countries of the world, abortion is illegal. The unwanted pregnancy has to be carried to term. This results in more people living on Earth.Also, living conditions have greatly improved. When humans were still hunter gatherers, the average life expectancy was shorter. You could be killed by something as small as an anopheles mosquito. Wild animals and exposure to unfavorable living conditions contributed immensely to death. With civilization and improvements in technology, we can live longer than our ancestors.In these past centuries, it was necessary to reproduce massively because any disaster could result in the end of our specie.
The more humans, the less likely the chances that our specie could simply cease to exist. Today, we still breed the same way. Is it simply the inability to obey instructions targeted at preventing pregnancy when satisfying our sexual desires or could it be something more sinister like something in our brains that makes us reproduce in large numbers such that if disasters brought the death of a large number of us, our specie would not completely die off?
To understand the effects of over population, we will look at Nigeria as a case study. With over 200 million people and little resources going round, it is safe to say that the country is over populated. I'd begin by saying that there is hunger in the land. You do not have to search far to see this. While food production increases in an arithmetic progression, people breed in a geometric progression. This has led to different forms of criminal activity in the country.
The unemployment rate is also very high. Thousands of graduates are churned out from the universities yearly. They will roam the streets. Some will become under employed while others will still be dependent on others for their daily bread. The funny part is the number of people still seeking admission into such institutions. They may just end up continuing the cycle.
Our cities are too congested. Houses are built with very little space. Poor housing, poor city plan and the presence of boreholes everywhere, we are left wondering when the Earth will cry out over such depletion. As more trees are being cut down, the quality of air is compromised.
Deforestation coupled with air pollution from increased refuse and automobile waste is likely to cause more harm than good.So, what can we do?Firstly, we can prioritize the education of females. Educated women are less likely to start reproducing very early. The number of children they will choose to have will also be reduced.
Tell them to take responsibility over sexual activities. They are the carriers of pregnancy so they should be actively involved in its prevention. Dear lady, insist that your partner uses a condom if you are not using any other form of birth control. Get educated about the various contraceptives and other methods of preventing pregnancy.Secondly, the government has an active role to play. The government can start by creating an enabling ground for business.
Amenities like good roads and constant electricity should not be a source of concern in a country like ours. Margaret Thatcher once reminded us that the state has no source of income rather than that of her citizens. If the income of the average person is boosted, it means they can afford to pay more taxes and levies. All these help to increase the resources we have.Policies like 'one child per couple' could also be introduced. This should be followed with strict enforcement and harsh punishment for offenders.In all, if we ever hope to curb over population, everyone has active roles to play. We can come together to make our localities optimally populated. At the end, it will still be beneficial to us.
