November 15, 2022, it’s a day when the world reached yet another milestone in population. It remains a concern whether the milestone is a matter of celebration or something to gravely consider as an alarming borderline because a growing population is an issue that makes us rethink wisely about our resources on mother earth, including food, water, and energy.
As the population continues to grow, finding sustainable ways to meet these needs will become increasingly important. In addition, overpopulation can lead to increased pollution and strain on infrastructure. Moreover, the disproportionate income level and wealth reserve of the general public makes us wonder what the differences between classes would be as we reach greater heights of the population.
Earlier in the 19th century, the global population was close to a billion. With a fast rise, on July 11 1987, the world population reached 5 billion. To be noted that the 19th century was the time when medical science witnessed a revolution. The cure to most fatal and contagious diseases was discovered and applied successfully in the post-World War 2 period.
Overall, the longevity of the general public had increased in that period as the governments, and colonial powers became keener on making medical science investments. Although the phase of technology was not much improved, significant discoveries such as the DNA genome and extrasolar planets were discovered by scientists. This century did not only contribute to the longevity and lifestyle of an average person but also significantly shaped the sustainable future of global politics through ups and downs.
However, in a span of only 11 years, the global population became 6 billion in 1999. During this period, the median age for people ascended to 26.6, which increased from 23.4 in the year 1950. However, the world was still struggling with diseases such as Poleo, which the United Nations and other organisations later on addressed. People grew more interested in learning about science on a vast scale, and the opportunities for research expanded in this era. People around the globe became more focused on the importance of education.
The global population growth milestone reached the 7 billion thresholds in 2012. This time, the number of billion people growth took about 13 years as opposed to 11 years from 5 billion to 6 billion. Wondering why?
Well, governments in many third world countries had massive campaigns on why people should be considerate about the number of children they conceive. Third-world countries faced transportation, food, and shelter challenges as the population grew. Moreover, it is controversial that the average fertility of human beings across many countries has decreased with time. Yet, many countries were on the rise in population amidst the growth as it indirectly contributed to the growth of their economy.
From 2012 to 2022, it took about ten years for the world to hit the next one billion in population, which is the fastest growth in the sequential benchmarks. The United Nations noted that more than half of the projected increase in population up to the year 2050 would be concentrated among eight nations. They are the Democratic Republic of Congo, Ethiopia, Egypt, Pakistan, India, Nigeria, the Philippines, and Tanzania. India, the second most populated country, is projected to be the most populated country by 2030 due to its high population growth rate. Bangladesh is projected to be the eighth most populated country by 2030 as the population growth rate is at a hiking pace.
Would the rise in population be a big threat considering density? It might be, but 90% of the current world population lives in 10% of the total land area of the globe. The rest of the 10% lives in the other 90% area. Thus, population growth can be managed effectively if the land area utilisation is done properly by humans. Due to the advancements in technology, the increase in population may not be a huge problem for the modern world as shelter and transportation systems are being revolutionised by governments. However, turning huge populations into effective manpower would be the utmost challenge for many third-world countries. In Latin America, 10% of the whole population contains 70% of private wealth. As the population grows, it will also be important for countries to ensure well distribution of wealth from the point of view of social welfare.
Regarding the aspect of the population growth of Bangladesh, the inflation rate, and the other hurdles that may seem to be coming along the way, the consistent investment of the government and private initiatives into technology can help the country gain proper opportunities for employment for a lot of people. Alongside the RMG sector, the powerhouse of our export earnings and overall economy, many other industries, such as ICT, the leather industry, electronics, and much more, is shining. Hence, we should be more focused on utilising our demographic dividend and be prepared for the time when the global population hits the next billion in 2037.
Author- Md. Rafi Rahman
