Earth is home to millions of species. Among the millions of species, there is a superior species called humans. We are humans! And it is kind of ironic that we are known as superior species since humans are solely responsible for harming and polluting the environment.
There are many authors who write on population and its effect on the environment. One of the popular author’s book – OVERPOPULATION… THE MESSAGE BY YAN VANAchanges the way you look at humanity’s role on our planet. At once thought provoking, then progressively disturbing, this novel weaves a clever and deceptively subtle tale that questions many of our preconceived beliefs.
The harmful effect of overpopulation is not limited to harming the environment in a single or only one way. There are multiple ways through which overpopulation affects the environment. Some of them are discussed below-
Loss of freshwater
Due to overpopulation and our constant need for factory-made products, there has occurred a loss of freshwater in the rivers and oceans. Factories discharge all its waste material in the rivers and lakes which results in loss of freshwater. Pollution in water bodies is not only limited to the source of factory waste. Domestic sources due to overpopulation also play a significant part in contributing to the pollution and loss of freshwater in water bodies.
Increased habitat loss
Due to the population burst, humans needed more home, more space to spend their lives. This only meant cutting down the forest, captivating the natural habitat of animals, and disrupting their ecosystem. Humans are the most greedy species that there is. Due to its greediness, humans have done more harm than it has done benefit.
Population spurt has forced village people to move to the cities to make their ends meet. Sometimes what happens is that due to unemployment people resort to unconventional ways to earn money. A large population is the reason behind unemployment and unemployment is the reason behind elevation in the crime rate.