About rising global population: How we can achieve growth with balance

Source: The post is based on the article “How we can achieve growth with balance” published in The Indian Express on 5th November 2022. 

Syllabus: GS 1- Population and associated issues. 

Relevance: Rising global population and concerns associated with it.

News: World’s population is increasing rapidly. It is expected that India might be the world’s most populous country by 2050 with its population crossing 1.65 billion and replacing China from the top spot.

What are the different views on the rising global population? 

Positive aspect: Some argue that population growth will bring new ideas that will increase food production while others argue that population growth leads to the creation of more value than consumed by an individual. 

Negative aspect: Others argue that more people means more exploitation of resources and more carbon emissions which may ultimately harm nature.  

What are the projections for global population growth? 

China along with developed Western countries took measures to control their population in the last century. As a result, they witnessed low birth rates leading to a slowing down of population growth in this century. 

However, countries like the Middle East and Africa continue to register higher population growth rates. There is a projection that 40 per cent of the world population will reside in Africa by 2100.  

Moreover, Muslim countries’ population growth rates have increased to 1.5% compared to the rest at 0.7%. This population growth will also be witnessed in India which has raised alarms among the policymakers including in India. 

What are the concerns for India? 

Due to the rise in Muslim population, it is expected that India will have the largest Muslim population in the world by 2050 and this growth might endanger the unity of the nation. 

One of the consequences of the rising population is that it leads to a division of the country. South Sudan and Kosovo are examples of it. 

However, globally there has been a decline in the population growth rates including low fertility rates among Muslims. This has been highlighted by National Family Health Survey. 

What can be the course of action to control the rising global population? 

The population will continue to grow with time so balanced growth is needed with better living standards for future generations. Thus, the world need to ensure sustainable growth. 

The statement of Gandhiji “nature can offer a free lunch, if only we control our appetite” is relevant in this context.