The speed of increasing world population has not only shaken the planet earth but also forced us to think twice for the upcoming challenges we are going to face in the near future. To remind us every year that we have approximately touched 7.9 billion, the United Nations has annually recognised 11th July as World Population Day. Expressing his worry about the world’s growing population, Robert Engelman from Population Action International noted, “The loss of half of the planet’s forests, the depletion of most major fisheries, and changes in the atmosphere and climate are all linked to the fact that the human population has grown from just millions in prehistoric times to over six billion today” (Nantez 2010).

Nature, which has supported human progress from Homo sapiens to modern humans, could never have imagined that one day we would deplete its resources so severely that we’d face scarcity once again, reverting from a civilized society to a more primitive state. Human activities not only reduce resources in quantity but also degrade their quality. Rapid mining, oil, gas, and coal extraction, deforestation, hunting, and fishing all take a toll on natural resources. Qualitatively, human actions cause air and water pollution and climate change, which in turn affect everything else. Therefore, the interaction between population and resources has a predominantly negative impact on all aspects of the natural environment: land, oceans, fisheries, forests, wildlife, grasslands, rivers, lakes, groundwater, air quality, atmosphere, weather, and climate (Dimick). To ensure resources remain sufficient for future survival, we must address the problem of global population growth.

Challenges ahead

Global community though have not only identified the challenges ahead for humanity but also need to shake each and all of us to take the first step now before it’s too late. The crisis is not hidden but the roadmap to resolve seems more on paper rather than in action. It is not that non-governmental organisations, environmental camps and self-initiatives by many of us have not brought the change but still it’s not enough to constrain the upcoming natural disasters. Below we have discussed about the few which have emerged due to direct impact of over population rather than indirect result of other activities by human community

Food Safety & Security

The term Food security was first originated in mid-1970’s when the first World Food Conference (1974) defined food security in terms of food supply- assuring the availability and price stability of basic foodstuffs at the international and national level. The Right to Food is not a new concept, and was first recognized in the UN Declaration of Human Rights in 1948. In 1996, the formal adoption of the Right to Adequate Food marked a milestone achievement by World Food Summit delegates. It pointed the way towards the possibility of a rights-based approach to food security. Currently over 40 countries have the right to food enshrined in their constitution and FAO estimates that the right to food could be judicial in some 54 countries (McClain-Nhlapo, 2004).

Today, the overpopulation is not a problem of one or two countries but the global approach without any political motive needs to be address. The growing population will not only raise the quality of life for our existing generations but also an encouragement for unhealthy foods in the market which will be cheaper but would provide an accurate diet. In the end it will be an invitation to an unhealthy lifestyle, in numerous unknown or known diseases and calamities to come.

Agriculture

The primitive society transformed into a civilized one when people learned to live in groups and began cultivating their own food. Therefore, agriculture is the backbone of our social security. However, after the Industrial Revolution, we started moving towards an industrial society and advancing towards today’s ultra-technological age. In this journey of sharp-minded intelligence, we have sacrificed not only our social structure but also jeopardized our healthy agricultural habits and lifestyle. Natural sources that once made crops strong and resilient have been replaced by chemicals, which now directly impact our brain and body. The increasing need for chemicals arose because natural manure did not produce abundant crops, whereas chemicals could magically multiply crop yields three to four times. This desire for quick yield multiplication and less hard work has fed humanity’s hunger at the cost of poor health. If this vicious cycle of chemical and lab-grown agriculture is not stopped, it will continue to destroy society at the same rapid pace at which it began.

Drinking water

Nowadays, the basic necessity for the existence of any living being—fresh and safe water—has become a pressing issue for all of us. While developed countries still have access to fresh, drinkable tap water in households, this remains a huge challenge for developing and underdeveloped countries, even in the 21st century. The largest segment of the population resides in these regions, and they are still waiting for a permanent solution from their governments and the global community. Although some alternatives have been found, such as creating artificial ponds and lakes, rainwater harvesting, and rerouting small rivers to link them with larger rivers or canals, the question remains: why hasn’t this been sufficient? The answer lies in the global population explosion. It is time for us to awaken to the reality that natural resources are limited, and their unchecked consumption will only lead to wars and an unstable world.

Global Warming & Climate Change

Have you face the scorching heat of 2024 and are you still in doubt global warming and climate change are reality or some tactics to pressurise us for the consumption of fair use of natural resources? So today and now is the time to open our eyes as with the blink of our eyes any natural calamity can distinct us. The actions which we are taking such as planting trees, increasing mangroves and rain forest, awaking locals about the climate change, reviving the river beds, cleaning ocean, growing artificial seaweeds and corals, producing less greenhouse gases are not yet matching the speed we are increasing in numbers. On the other hand, governments are much more concerned about their economic growth and rapid financial stability. Here the question is also about the disparity between the natural resources and the chances received by developed, developing and under developed countries to sustain and flourish themselves. But we all have forgotten, whose turn will be the next, the justice of mother nature has not divided us in these compartments so the melting of ice will not only vanish the island at far east but it will also gallop the lands and humanity who are closer to the north and south pole. Therefore, it’s a huge responsibility of each and every human being to contribute and delayed these calamities as much as we can. The data and numbers are achievable from hundreds of websites but the reason of my writing is to just open the eyes of all of us if we are still in the deep sleep.

Air Pollution

The major causes of poor public health, such as cancer, bronchitis, lung diseases, heart attacks, and neurological disorders, are all due to air pollution. As scientists have noted, the depletion of the ozone layer, burning of fossil fuels, frequent wildfires, transport pollution, burning of agricultural waste, and several other factors cumulatively impact our air. In today’s world, we can all feel, see, and experience the effects of air pollution in our lives. However, it remains a million-dollar question which country will take the lead in minimizing it.

Reports, data, and new discoveries aimed at saving lives are constantly being updated, but as long as we invest only in solutions, the results will remain the same. Lengthy research makes any medicine or treatment unaffordable for the last person in line. It is now time to change our lifestyle by prioritizing nature over technology. This shift can only happen when we understand the indispensable value of the environment.

Mitigating these challenges is not an impossible goal, but the more difficult task is bringing the global community to a unified agreement that survival without nature is impossible. Therefore, while much has been said, much more needs to be done. As members of Green Humans, we don’t want to be just another organization talking about the environment. We will ensure that we create a difference! “Go Green if you are Keen”.