Population explosion
The world's population was just one billion in
1800, rising to 7.8 billion in 2020. The world's population is expected to
reach 10.9 billion by 2100, if allowed to grow at the same rate. With
known subterranean deposits of all kinds, the world would be best able to
sustain a population of 9-10 billion people, Edward O. Wilson, a prominent
Harvard sociologist and biologist, says.
Currently, the average population growth rate is 1.1%, which
means that the global population is increasing by about 80 million people every
year.
After independence, the total population of
Pakistan was 75 million in 1951, including 42 million from then
East Pakistan and 33 million from West Pakistan. Since then, our population growth has been steadily
accelerating at an average rate of 2.5% - except in 1979 and 1982 when this
growth rate was further accelerated to an alarming 3.4%.
However,
since 2003, it has fallen to less than 2%, although it has doubled the growth
rate of India and Bangladesh. At present, the global fertility rate is 2.5 per
woman, 3.5 in Pakistan, 2.2 in India and 4.32 in Afghanistan. High fertility
rates, early marriages, low mortality rates, low contraceptive use, lack of
education, abject poverty and religious limitations are the main reasons for
Pakistan's rapid population growth.
The
population explosion is compounded by poor governance and neglect of education,
health, agriculture and industry. This is definitely a recipe for disaster.
Each year we add about 5.3 million people to our population, equivalent to
Norway. Conservative thinking is also a major obstacle in this regard. Our
rulers must realize that uncontrolled population growth is not economically
viable.
According to a World Bank report, about three
billion of the world's population live in cities that are rapidly expanding due
to urbanization trends. This demographic transformation creates serious problems. At one point, Pakistan
had surplus wheat for export. Today, with a production of 27 million tons of
wheat, we have to import 3 million tons of wheat to feed our ever-growing
mouth.
Hence,the government needs to seriously stop the growth
of this unbridled population. . As well as increasing industrial and
agricultural production through agricultural research and using modern science
and technology to reduce the negative effects of population growth. As
uneducated, unhealthy and unemployed youth become a liability, it is important
to remember that a healthy, educated and skilled population will be an asset to
any nation.
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