Overpopulation
Text: Katharine Tengtio
Photography: Katharine Tengtio and Caroline Hargreaves
The fact is: the number of people in this world is growing fast, but the natural resources are slowly diminishing, and the land is slowly sinking.
Looks like the world is working against the human race, right? Or is it that the human race is going against the grain of nature?
Before the 20th century the world population was less than one billion. By 1990 it had grown to three billion. Today we are looking at a world population of almost seven billion. It has more than doubled in only twenty years. Our generation has seen the fastest growing rate of people in the history of existence. The world population is expected to reach nine billion by 2050. Our generation is now faced with this problem.
The resources that are depleting are simple things, such as clean water, food, land, and energy. There is an ongoing debate about whether the water crisis is a real threat, and whether there really is enough food to feed the world. Regardless if these are true or not, fresh water and food are not reaching all those in need. Half of the world's population lacks these basic necessities.
A CLOSER LOOK
I've witnessed the effects of overpopulation in the Philippines, the 12th most populated country in the world, and yet only the 72nd largest (out of 195).
Reaching a population of almost 90 million, more than 11 million Filipinos live in the capital city of Manila. Slums fill up any and every available space in the city, including cemeteries, between railroad tracks, under bridges, and garbage dumps. These "homes" are made of scraps of plastic and wood and are half the size of a standard university dorm room, and yet can be a home to a family of five or six. These slums lack clean drinking water, and the residents often do not have access to work, healthcare, and education.
As research has proved, overpopulation and poverty go hand-in-hand, as is the case in the Philippines. Why? Because poverty goes hand-in-hand with ignorance. Filipinos do not have sexual education in their schools, and many women actually do not know when or how the can get pregnant. Modern feminine hygiene is not implemented in the culture, women often don't shave their legs and tampons aren’t sold in most places. The Philippines is dominantly Catholic, so abortion is illegal and contraception is condemned. The Church has actually threatened to deny the Eucharist to those who promote the use of contraception. Catholicism continues to influence the politics of the Philippines as well, and the government has been reluctant to encourage the use of contraception and implement sexual education in schools. However, religion is not only to blame.
Culture and poverty also play a role, where parents have several children expecting them to support them in the future. But how can you expect your children to support you when you can't even begin to support them?
While I sit in bumper-to-bumper traffic, and look out at the jeepneys crammed with people inside, the sidewalks overflowing, and dozens of young children tapping on car windows begging for money, all on one street, I can't not feel indifferent to the overcrowded city of Manila and the overpopulation problem of the world.
HELP
The number of newspapers, magazines, essays, books, and documentaries stressing the importance of addressing overpopulation in the past decade has dramatically increased. There is no denying that this problem exists. There is also no denying that most of the Western hemisphere has been made well aware of the problem. However, in our region where overpopulation mostly is not in effect and there is little to no lack of natural resources, we westerners pay little attention to this problem. So how does this affect us? Why should we care?
Migration, for one thing. As populations grow in Asia and Africa, these people are slowly moving abroad. About 11% of the Filipino population lives abroad. Figures show that Filipinos working abroad send home about US $16 million a year. A small dent in our economies, but a big enough one to spark some unrest amongst those citizens who don't think immigrants should be stealing from their hard earned well-established economies. So even though you may think overpopulation does not directly affect you, it does.
On a grand scale, the most important thing these countries need is education. Sexual education, provision of condoms and other forms of contraception are very important. This can be difficult with the Catholic Church interfering. Church officials need to address and reevaluate their beliefs on contraception- especially now that overpopulation is causing severe hunger, poverty, and death. On an individual level, people can start to adopt. In a world where so many humans exist, and yet half of them are being provided for, how can we even think to bring more people into this world? For many couples, especially mothers, it is difficult to see adoption as an option. Couples deeply in love want to have children of their own, which is quite understandable. But if you look past your love of yourself and your significant other, to the love of the entire world, these starving, parent-less children are your children as well. It is time that we stop focusing on ourselves and focus on the needs of others around us. If not for the care of others, then at least for ourselves, for the problems of others also affect us and become problems of our own over time.
Countries with the largest populations:
1. China 1,330, 040,000
2. India 1,148,000,000
3. US 303, 825, 000
4. Indonesia 237, 517, 000
5. Brazil 196, 343, 000
6. Pakistan 167, 762,040
7. Bangladesh 153,546,901
8. Russia 140, 702, 094
9. Nigeria 138,283,240
10. Japan 127,288,419
11. Mexico 109,955,400
12. Philippines 92, 681, 453
Estimated in 2050 most populated countries:
1. India
2. China
3. US
4. Nigeria
5. Indonesia
6. Pakistan
7. Bangladesh
8. Brazil
9. Congo
10. Mexico
*Information from worldatlas.com
Katharine Tengtio is half-American and half-Filipina. She is currently studying International Relations and Spanish at the University of St Andrews, in Scotland.