Article: Population, Poverty, and the Local Environment
Author: Partha S. Dasgupta
I never knew that population growth, poverty, and depletion of local resources are all related to one another until reading this article. If they are all connected, we can fix one problem and therefore fix the other two. Literacy and education for women and family planning services can contribute to reducing population growth. If women are educated, they can get a job and won't have time to take care of their children, thus reducing the number of children they have. Family planning services can help couples have fewer children and there will be less pressure on the environment and its limited resources and that will definitely lower the amount of resources depleted.
Author: Partha S. Dasgupta
- Some people see population growth as a cause of poverty but some see it as poverty is the cause of population growth, not a consequence.
- Population growth, poverty, and degradation of local resources fuel each other. One influences the other two and are influenced by both.
- In poor, undeveloped countries, women are forced to have kids. They sometimes have up to 7 kids.
- High fertility, high rates of illiteracy, low share of paid employment and a high percentage working at home for no pay are all tied together.
- Lack of education, gender inequality, and religion also influence high birth rates.
- Couples have a lot of kids so they can take care of their parents when they're old and to have extra hands to help with collecting water and wood and help care for younger siblings.
- Too many children leads to overcrowding, susceptibility to disease and pressure on the environment and limited resources.
- As the community's resources are depleted, more kids are born to gather water and fuel, thus damaging the environment.
- Fertility is lower in countries where citizens have more civil and political freedom.
I never knew that population growth, poverty, and depletion of local resources are all related to one another until reading this article. If they are all connected, we can fix one problem and therefore fix the other two. Literacy and education for women and family planning services can contribute to reducing population growth. If women are educated, they can get a job and won't have time to take care of their children, thus reducing the number of children they have. Family planning services can help couples have fewer children and there will be less pressure on the environment and its limited resources and that will definitely lower the amount of resources depleted.