HUMAN POPULATION AND THE

ENVIRONMENT
Introduction to Human Population
Population is defined as a group of individuals
belonging to the species, which live in a given
area at a given time.
Population Density
It is expressed as the number of individuals of
the population per unit area or Per unit
volume. This varies in response to changes in
the environment and introduction with other
living organism.
Parameters affecting Population Size : Changes in
population size are governed by four main
parameters. They are,
•Birth Rate or Natality: It is the number of live births
per 1,000 people in
a population in a given year.
•Death rate or Mortality: It is the number of deaths
per 1,000 people in a
population in a given year.
•Immigration: It denotes the arrival of individuals
from neighbouring population.
•Emigration: It denotes the dispersal of individuals
from the original population to new areas.
Population Growth
The rapid growth of the global’s population for the
past 100 years results from
the difference between the rate of birth and death.
The general trend in the
population growth is explained graphically as shown
in the following graph,
 Sales

18%
Gernamy,Italy,UK,France,
Vietnam,Phillippines
28%
China

India

USSR

5%
28% USA

6% Others(indonesia,Bangla
desh,Pakistan,Mexico)
15%
In 1800, the global population was about 1 billion
people. It took about 130 years (In1930) to reach 2
billion. But the population reached to 4 billion within
45 years (In 1975). Now we have already crossed 6
billion and may have to reach about 10 billion by 2050
as per the World Bank calculations.
Causes for Rapid Population Growth
•The rapid population growth is due to decrease in
death rate and increase in birth rate.
•The availability of antibiotics, immunization,
increased food production, clean water and air
decreases the famine-related deaths and infant
mortality.
•In agricultural based countries, children are required
to help parents in the fields that is why population
increases in the developing countries.
Characteristics of Population Growth
•Exponential Growth: Now population growth occurs
exponentially like 10, 102,103,104 etc., which shows
the dramatic increase in global population in the past
160 years.
•Doubling Time: It is the time required for a
population to double its size at a constant annual
rate. It is calculated as follows.
Td (Doubling time)=70/r
where, r=annual growth rate.
If a nation has 2% annual growth, its population will
double in next 35 years.
•Infant Mortality Rate: It is the percentage of infants
died out of those born in one year. Even though this
rate has decreased in the last 50 years, the pattern
differs widely in the developing and developed
countries.
•Total Fertility Rates (TFR): It is the average number
of children delivered by women in her life time. The
TFR value varies from 2 in developed countries to 4.7
in developing countries.
•Replacement Level: Two parents bearing two
children will be replaced by their off spring. Due to
infant mortality this replacement level is generally
high in developing countries.
•Male-female ratio: The ratio of girls and boys should
be fairly balanced for a society to flourish. But the
ratio has been upset in many countries including
China and India. In China the ratio of girls and boys is
100:140
•Demographic Transition: Population growth is
generally related to economic development. The
death rates and birth rates fall due to improved living
conditions. This results in low population growth. This
phenomenon is referred to as demographic transition.
Problems of Population Growth
•In creasing demands for food and natural resources.
•Inadequate housing and health services.
•Loss of agricultural lands.
•Unemployment and socio-political unrest.
•Environmental pollution.
Population variation among nations
Different regions of the world find
themselves at different stages of demographic
transition from high to low mortality and fertility.
Their growth path also differ considerably, resulting in
significant shifts in the geographical distribution of
world population.
At present the world’s population has crossed
6 billions. This existing population is also not evenly
distributed, less developed countries have 80%
population while the developed countries have only
20%.
 Less developed countries (Africa, Asia, and
South Africa) have 80% of the total population and
occupy less than 20% of the total land area.
In the most developed countries like U.S.A ,
Canada, Australia, the population increases at the rate
of less than 1% per year .But in less developed
countries like south America, Africa and Asia, the
population increases at the rate greater than 1% per
year.
 Kenya is the fastest population growing
country in the world, where 20 million people are
residing. If the current rate of population increases
continues, the population would double by 2005.
China and India’s population was above 1000
million in 2000 year. Its share is about one-third of the
world’s population Europe and North America
accounts fro 14% of the world’s population.
VARIATION OF POPULATION BASED ON
AGE STRUCTURE:
Age structure can be classified in to three
types:
•pre-productive population (0-14 years)
•reproductive population (15-44 years)
•post reproductive population (above 45
years)
Variation of population is now explained based
on the above three classes.
•Pyramid shaped variation of
population(increase):
Examples: India, Bangladesh, Ethiopia, Nigeria,
etc.
The pre-productive age group population is more,
indicated at the base of pyramid, and post
predictive age population is less, indicated at the
top of pyramid. A large number of people will
enter in to reproductive age group soon. Which
increases the population growth but less number
of old people indicate loss of population due to
death.
•Bell shaped variation of population
(stable)
Examples: France, USA, UK, Canada etc
The pre productive age population and
reproductive age group are more or less
equal. So the people entering into
reproductive age will not change the
population and thus the population growth is
stable.
•Urn shaped variation of population:
Ex: Germany, Italy, Sweden, Japan.
The pre-productive age group
population is smaller than the reproductive age
group population. In the next 10 years, the
number of people in the reproductive age
group is less than the before, resulting in a
decrease of population growth.
Population Explosion:
The enormous increase in population due to the
low death rate and high birth rate is termed as
population explosion. the human population is
not increasing at a uniform rate in all parts of
the world.
DOUBLING TIME:
population explosion can be better understood
by considering doubling time I.e the number of
years needed for population to double in size.
The table shows doubling time of the population
growth.
 Less developed country Developed country
Country Doubling time Country Doubling time
India 28yrs United State 87yrs
Turkey 28 yrs UK 231 yrs
Nigeria 27 yrs Italy 99 yrs
Saudi Arabia 25 yrs France 117 yrs
Pakistan 21 yrs Japan 58 yrs

The human population is not increasing at the

uniform rate in all parts of the world. In many non-
industrial poor developed called less developed
countries like Asia, Africa , South America shows
higher growth rate. In contrast the population of
industrialized developed countries like U.S.A ,
France , Italy The growth rate is low.
CAUSES OF POPULATION EXPLOSION:
1)Invention of modern medical facilities reduces
the death rate and increase birth rate and which
leads to population explosion.
2)Increase of life expectancy is another important
for population explosion.
Example: In 1950 the average life expectancy of
human beings was 40 years, but now it is 61
years.
3)Illiteracy is one of the reason for population
explosion.
EFFECT OF POPULATION EXPLOSION:
•Poverty: infant mortality is one of the most
tragic indicators of poverty. There are still 34
developing countries there are more than 1 in 10
children die before he or she reaches at the age
of 5. In the developing countries few mothers opt
for small families in the face of such of high infant
mortality rate. Efforts to keep children alive and
healthy are one of the keys to reduce population
growth.
2)Population explosion leads to environmental
degradation.
3)Population explosion causes over exploitation
of natural resources.
There for there will be shortage of resources
for future generation
4)many of the renewable resources like forests ,
grass lands, are also under threat .
5)the increase in population will increase
diseases. Economic inequalities and communal
wars .
REMEDY: we should immediately reduce the
fertility rate to birth control programmes.
FAMILY WELFARE AND PLANNING
PROGRAMMES:
FAMILY WELFARE PROGRAMMES:
Family welfare programs introduced by
government of India as a voluntary program. It is
an integral part of over all national policy of
growth covering human health, maternity, family
welfare, child care and women right.
Objectives of family welfare programs:
1)Slowing down the population explosion by
reducing fertility.
2) Pressure on the environment due to the
exploitation of natural resources is reduced.
Population stabilization:
The ratio is derived by dividing crude birth rate by
crude death rate.
Developed countries:
The stabilization ratio of developed countries is 1
which is more or less stabilized, indicating zero
population growth.
Developing countries:
The stabilization ratio of developing countries is 3.
This is expected to lower down by 2025.
The stabilization in developed countries is
possible only through various family welfare
programmes.
FAMILY PLANNING PROGRAMMES:
Family planning provides educational and clinical
services that help couples to choose how many
children to have? And when to have them. Such
programmes vary from culture to culture, but
provide information on birth spacing, birth
control for pregnant women and infants. It also
has reduced the number of legal and illegal
abortions per year. And decreased the risk of
death from pregnancy
OBJECTIVES OF FAMILY PLANNING PROGRAMMES:
1)Reduce infant mortality rate to below 30 per
1000 infants
2)Achieve 100% registration of births and deaths.
Marriage and pregnancy
3)Encourage late marriages and later child
bearings.
4)Encouraging breast feeding
5)Enable to improve women’s health education
employment.
6)Making planning available to all women who
wanted to choose the number of children and
spacing of births.
7)Constrain the spread of AIDS/HIV
8)Prevention and control of common clinical
diseases
9)Promote vigorously the small family norms.
10)Making school education up to age 14 free
and compulsory.
FERTILITY CONTROL METHODS:
1)Traditional methods: It include some traditions
like taboos and folk medicine
2)Modern method: It includes some important
birth control techniques like mechanical barriers,
surgical methods, chemical pills and physical
barriers to implantation.
3)More than 100 contraceptive methods are on trail.
FAMILY PLANNING PROGRAMME IN INDIA:
1)In 1952 India started the family planning
programme.
2)In 1970’s Indian government forced the family
planning campaign all over the country.
3)In 1978 the government legally raised the
minimum the age of marriage for men from 18-
21years and for women 15 to 18 years
4)In 1981 centuries report showed that there were
no drop in population. Since then funding for family
planning programme is increased in future);
HIV/AIDS
AIDS is the abbreviated form of Acquired
Immuno deficiency Syndrome by a virus called
HIV(Human Immune deficiency Virus).Many
myths Have been spread about AIDS and it is
very important for every one to know the facts
about HIV and AIDS
Origin of HIV/AIDS
AIDS was discovered in 1983.Though sufficient
knowledge has been gained about the disease,
yet a definite source of this virus could not be
defined. But the following theories have been
suggested.
1) Through African Monkey:
Most of the evidences have suggested that the
AIDS has spread from Africa. It has been
believed that the HIV has transferred to humans
from African monkey or Chimpanzees
2) Through Vaccine Programmes :
i)HIV had spread in Africa through HIV
contaminated polio vaccine, prepared from
monkey’s kidney.
ii) It has spread through hepatitis-B viral
vaccine in Los Angels and New York.
iii) It had also spread through small pox vaccine
programme of Africa.
World Scenario
Nearly 90% of the people who are infected with
AIDS live in developing countries. 13% of world’s
population live in Africa, almost all states African
countries were affected by HIV. About 2 million
people so for died due to HIV/AIDS in 2003. AIDS
is rapidly spreading in eastern Europe and Asia.
India ranks 2nd in the world with 5.1 million
HIV/AIDS affected people. The percentage is
lower than Thailand, Myanmar and South Africa.
Scenario in India: The largest number of infected
cases have been found in Maharashtra and Tamil
Nadu followed by Delhi, UP, Karnataka, and Goa. In
Tamil Nadu alone, till September 2003 a total of
24,667 cases of AIDS have been found out.
Factors Influencing Modes of Transmission of HIV:
HIV is spreading due to the following activities
1)HIV from infected person can pass to a normal
person through blood contact, generally during
unprotected sex with infected person.
2)Using needles or syringes, contaminated with
small quantities of blood from HIV positive
person, also transmit HIV to others.
3)HIV can also pass from infected mothers to their
babies during pregnancy, delivery or breast
feeding.
4)Blood transmission from the infected person, at
the time of accidents or pregnancy also results in
HIV/AIDS.
5)Women more vulnerable to HIV. Biologcally the
male to female transmission of HIV is 2 to 4 time
more efficient then female to male transmission.
6)Women around 18-20 years are at more risk,
since their cervical tissue is more vulnerable to
invading HIV .
7)Since majority of HIV infections occur in women
of child-bearing age, transmission of HIV to their
new born babies happen easily.
Factors not Influencing Transmission of HIV:
HIV is not spreading by the following activities:
Tears, food and air, cough, handshake, mosquito,
flies, insect bites, urine, saliva during normal
kissing, sharing of utensils, clothes, toilet,
bathroom etc.
Functions of HIV in Human Body
AIDS itself does not kill humans. The death occur
due to the attack by diseases because of the
weakening of immune system.
White Blood Cell (WBC), responsible in the
formation of antibodies, are called T-helpers cells.
T-helpers cells are the key infection fighters in the
immune system. The HIV enter into the human
body and destroys the T-cells, as a result of which
various types of infection diseases occur. Even
cancer can easily develop in the HIV infected
persons.
Symptoms for HIV/AIDS
Many people have no symptoms, when they are
first infected with HIV. But some people get fever,
head ache, fatigue. During this time, HIV is present
in large amounts in semen and vaginal fluids and it
is vey easy to pass the infection to another person.
HIV is very active inside a person’s body. The
virus multiples and kills more and more T-cells of
the immune system.
Consumption of alcohol increases the
susceptibility to infection and progress to AIDS.
Minor Symptoms
1)Persistent cought for more than one month.
2)General skin disease.
3)Viral infection.
4)Fungus infection in mouth and throat.
5)Frequent fever, headache, fatigue.
Major Symptoms
1)Fever for more than one month.
2)Diarrhea for more than one month.
3)Cough and TB for more than six months.
4)Fall of hairs from the head.
5)10% of body weight get reduced within a short
period.
Control and Preventive Measures of AIDS
Once a person is infected with HIV the for life.
There is neither a cure nor a vaccine but can be
prevented.
The basic approaches to control AIDS are,
1)Education: Health education enables people to
avoid indescriminated sex and encourages the use
of condoms. One should avoid the use of sharing
razors, needles and syringes.
2)Prevention of Blood Borne HIV Transmission:
People in high risk groups should not donate
blood. Blood should be screened for HIV before
transmission and strict sterilisation practices
should be followed in hospitals.

3)Primary Health Care: AIDS awareness

programmes should be encouraged. Voluntary
health agencies should participate in large.
Training Programmes to doctors and paramedical
workers should be conducted.
4) Counselling Services: Counselling services
should be provided either in person or through
telephone.
5)Drug Treatment: Testing HIV positive does not
mean the end. They can still healthy leading
productive lives for many years. Seeking early
medical care and staying active are very vital in
managing HIV. The immune system has to be kept
boosted by taking nutritious diet and maintaining
a stress-free mind.
Effects of HIV/AIDS
1)Large number of deaths occur, which affect
environment and natural resources.
2)Due to large number of deaths, there is loss of
labour and level of production decreases.
3)More water is required for maintaining hygiene in
AIDS affected locality.
4)The people affected by HIV, cannot perform work
well due to lack of energy and frequent fever and
sweating.
Women and Child Welfare
Women and child are usually soft, who suffer in a
number of ways mainly because they are weak,
helpless and economically dependent.
Women Welfare
The main aim of women welfare is to improve the
status of the women by providing opportunities in
education, employment and economic
independence.
NEED OF WOMEN WELFARE:
Generally women faces the following problems in
the society. So there is an urgent. For policy reforms
and more stringent legislation, education and legal
awareness among women for checking injustice
towards her.
1)Generally women suffer gender discrimination
and devaluation at home, at workplace, in
matrimony in public life and power.
2)High number of cases of dowry deaths, rape,
domestic, violence criminal offences, and mental
torture to women.
3)The human rights are violated, in the, male
dominated society.
4)Generally in policy making and decision making
process, women were neglected.
OBJECTIVES OF WOMEN WELAFARE:
To overcome the above, a sound national strategy is
needed with the following objectives:
1)To provide education.
2)To impart vocational training.
3)To generate awareness about the environment.
4)To improve the employment of population.
5)To create awareness problems of population
6)To restore the dignity, status, equality, and respect
for women.
OBJECTIVES OF A NATIONAL COMMISSION FOR
WOMEN:
A national commission for women has been
created by government of India, its main objectives
are:
1)Examine constitutional and legal rights for
women.
2)To review existing legislations.
3)To sensitize the enforcement and administrative
machinery to women’s causes.
ENVIRONMENTAL DEGRADATION AND WOMEN
WELFARE:
The development work not only affects the natural
environment but also affects the traditional, social,
cultural, and family life of women.
EXAMPLES:
1)After losing the forest cover and getting
rehabilitated from their native places, men migrate
to towns for some job while the women are left
behind to look after their family with little
resources.
2)Mining projects play havoc with the life of rural
women. Men can still work in the mines to towns
for same job after getting compensation from the
govt. the displaced women are the worst affected.
as they do not get compensation and depend on
the men for wages.

Thus the issues related to their dignity and

honour not yet received any attention.
VARIOUS ORGANISATIONS TOWARDS WOMEN
WELAFRE:
1)The national network for women and
mining(NNWM):
It is fighting for a gender audit of India’s
mining companies.
2)United Nations decade for women:
It is inclusion of several women welfare related
issues on international agenda.
3)International Convention on the Elimination of
All Forms and Discrimination against Women
(CEDAW):
It has created an international standard for the
protection and promotion of women’s human and
socio – economic upliftment.
4)Non- Government Organizations (NGO’S) as
Mahila Mandals:
It creates awareness among women of remote
villages to empower them, train them, educate
them and help them to economically self-
dependent.
5)Ministry for women and child development:
It aims to work for the upliftment of women by
family planning, health care, education and
awareness.
CHILD WELFARE:
Children occupy 40% of total population. They
are considered to be the assets of a society. Of 21
million children born every year in India, 20 million
children in our country are estimated to be working
as child labours In various hazardous industries like
match industry, fire work industry .
REASON FOR CHILD LABOURS:
1)Poverty: Poverty is the main reason to force
these children to work in unhealthy conditions.
2)Want of money: Parents require money for their
family, so they are in a position to send their
children for work.
VARIOUS ORGANISATIONS TOWARDS CHILDREN
WELAFARE:
1)UN Conventions on Rights of child (or)
International Law: It formulated a set of
international standards and measures to promote
and protect the well being of children in our
society.
Rights of child: The international law defines right
of the children survival, participation development
and protection
i)The right to survival: It emphasizes on good
standards of living ,good nutrition and health
ii)The right to participation: It means freedom of
thought and appropriate information to the child
iii)The right to development: It ensures access to
education, childhood care and support social
security and recreation.
iv)The right to protection: It means freedom from
exploitation, inhuman treatment and neglect.
2)World Summit on Children: It had focused
agenda for the well being of the children targeted
to be achieved in the beginning of the new
millennium.
3)Ministry of Human Resource Development
(MHRD): It concentrates on child’s health,
education, nutrition clean safe drinking water,
sanitation and environment.
Environmental Degradation and Child Welfare:
Children are most affected due to environment
pollution.
 Water borne diseases are the biggest threat to
children. Around 6 million children are affected by
these diseases in India. Even the child growing in
the mother womb, gets affected by environmental
toxins.
Center for Science and Environment (CSE): Its
scientific report says, “children consume more
water, food and air and hence susceptible to any
environmental contamination”.
So, it is essential to keep the cleaner
environment to our children for the better and
healthy life.