This blog will tell you about the relation between Population Growth and Land-use Change. First it will define the Population growth. Then it will provide definition of Land-use change. Secondly, it will explain the Causes of Land-use change due to Population Growth in detailed form. Thirdly, it will elaborate the Effects of major Land-use Change due to population growth. At the end, It will inform you about some preventive measures to avoid Land-use change due to increase in population.
Population growth, land use change causes effects and Preventive Measures.
Population growth:
Increase in number of individuals that live in a region in a time duration, this is called Population Growth. World Population is rising with exponential rate.
Land use Change:
Human use of land. Driving force of land use is population growth. Population Growth creates pressure on the land resources. In developed countries land use is based on economic reasons such as biodiversity conservation and environmental quality of current and future generations. But in developing countries, rapid population growth, poverty are main driving forces.
Causes of Land Use Change:
The main causes of land use change are as follows:
Need of Residential Areas:
When the population increases, there is a need of large area for the population to live on land. Most of the time existing residential societies are not enough for the increasing population. That is why the land is being cleared either through deforestation, or utilizing the agricultural land to build houses and markets for the new population that has moved to the region. This may destroy natural environments and creates an artificial environments for plants of the area.
Food Insecurity:
As the population rises from a specific capacity, also increase the need of food. The supplied food is insufficient for the population. In this case, intensive farming is used or forested land is converted into agricultural land for farming food crops. Both of these acts cause imbalance of the nutrients in the ecosystem and cause destruction of natural resources and environment.
Need of Fresh Water:
When there is an increase in population, the available amount of freshwater is not enough for the population. In this situation bulk of fresh water is needed that costs a lot on economy and on the people consuming it. Water Treatment plants are also very expensive and time consuming, so the need of fresh water is a great pressure on land and people eventually consume ground water in emergency situations. This water may lead of diseases and disorders in people.
Industrial Products:
As we know that every person use products and goods produced on industrial level. These industrial products have become essential for all the people on Earth now a days. This explains us if the population will be high, a large amount of increase in industrial products will be needed for the population. This can be included in industrial development but also cast a great pressure on the industries and create problems for the workers for instance.
These are the few causes of Land use change due to Population.
Effects of Land Use Change:
Following are the effects of Land use change due to population growth:
Deforestation:
Deforestation is the cutting down of the forests for utilization of Forest resources. It is causing great impact on the environment because forests are natural carbon sinks, home for many varieties of plants and animals, give us clean air to breathe and many other environmental benefits. By deforestation Global warming is because of higher CO2 concentration. Many rare plants and animals lose their home and go towards extinction. The main reason for deforestation is that there is need of more housing societies for increasing population to live in. And to get as more resources as possible from the forests i.e. wood, medicinal plants, useful herbs and shrubs, rare animals and much more.
Biodiversity loss:
Increasing populations are occupying natural habitats of the plants and animals where they can have shelter, food and can grow properly in their natural way. Human population have isolated the biodiversity by occupying or destroying the forests, wetlands and other natural habitats. The biodiversity is not reproducing as it was in the present. Huge construction projects have been disturbed the specie corridors of important animals and their individuals are isolated in an area and cannot move to other places to reproduce in a proper way. That is why their varieties have started to become endangered and extinct. Some of the species can be in one region of the world. Same is the case with plants. Plant species cannot grow in natural environment or forest environment so they lose their productivity and become endangered. In this way land use change is effecting biodiversity.
Increased pollution:
Increasing population cause increased pollution in every part of the world. Pollution have a direct impact on biodiversity. Air pollution can cause toxic environment for all the living organisms on the earth. The air pollution is increased by Industrial activities Green House Gases (GHG emissions) and increasing temperature. Water pollution can cause very bad and even fatal impacts on marine and aquatic species (plastic in the ocean). Other than that contaminated water used by hum and animals can cause severe diseases in the biodiversity. Noise pollution is increasing the blood pressure problems, cardiac issues, hypertension, hearing loss and many more issues in the human population. The increasing population is directly increasing the area which is high in pollution and causing bad impact on human, land, environment and animals of that area. This cause a lot of land pollution. So, increasing pollution is directly proportional to increasing population.
Increasing emissions (GHGs):
Green House Gases (GHG emissions) were negligible before the industrial era. But after the start of industrial era, GHGs have become the most severe and extreme cause of global warming and climate change. People use vehicles to go from one place to another. Industries started emitting huge amounts of Green House Gases for industrial purposes. Now a days everything we use emit GHGs. And addition of GHGs in the atmosphere is causing rapid in temperature of the earth and eventually climatic conditions are becoming extreme. Climate change have become abrupt and effect the health of living organisms on earth. This is the reason why extreme weather events occurs every year round the globe and leave the people stunned after witnessing the climate change.
Forest into Agricultural Land:
Due to increased demand of food for growing population, man have converted many forested lands into agricultural lands in order to grow food crops. This is done to satisfy consumers of food. This highly risks the biodiversity on that land and the natural forest environment is lost forever. That is not a good sign. Forested lands are very important resources for us because they provide every essential facility to wild plants and animal that is needed. Changing forest to agricultural land can cause destruction of habitat of many biodiversity species. So it is our responsibility to grow more forests and conserve the existing forests to keep biodiversity secured and to protect the Beauty of earth.
Strategies to prevent Land Use change:
Following are some ways to prevent Land use change due to Population Growth:
Prefer Vertical Farming
Promote multi-story construction
Use Bio fuels and Renewable energies instead of Fossil Fuels
Never convert a forested land into agricultural land, but you can apply Agroforestry
Implement pollution control techniques
Plant enough trees on any other location to compensate Deforestation
Apply Afforestation and Reforestation
Construct proper waste dumping sites to avoid pollution
Establish Specie corridors to continue their breeding
Take care of Flora and Fauna during construction activities
Use water sustainably
Implement Green Buildings for better living
Use Aeroponics and Hydroponics for better food quality and quick growth.
Try to maintain natural environments water reservoirs and wetlands.
These are few preventive measures to prevent Land-use change due to Population Growth.
Conclusion:
Every human activity related to land use change effect the natural environment and cause bad impacts on the earth’s environment. We should think before disturbing the nature and environment before every activity that we do because of increasing population. People should work for welfare of humans and animals but with assuring the conservation of the environment and biodiversity. We should keep humans and environment safe in any step we take to make human’s life better. Afforestation is the best way to compensate the losses of environment and biodiversity.
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