Managing Human Population

HUMAN POPULATION DENSITY &

DISTRIBUTION

 Population density is the average number of individuals in a

population per unit of area .
 For example, a population of 100 insects that live in an area of
100 square meters has a density of 1 insect per square meter.
 Population distribution: how the population is spread over an
area.
 o Example: very few or no people live in deserts and
mountains, whereas populations are very high in coastal
areas due to availability of fresh water.
 population

 History of human population: about 10000 years ago, there were about 5
million people living as hunter gatherers.
 About 6000 years ago, humans started growing crops and rearing animals,
which provided more food and allowed the population to begin to grow;
 o By the time the modern system of counting years started, the population
was about 250 million;
 o It then took another 1800 years to reach 1 billion;
 o After this, the growth become very rapid;
 o By 1930, it was 2 billion;
 o By 1975, it was 4 billion;
 o By 2016, it was over 7 billion, a rise of 3 billion in just 37 years.
Human population growth
Factors affecting population density
and distribution
 1. Physical Factors:
 Physical factors that affect population distribution include altitude and
latitude, relief, climate, soils, vegetation, water and location of mineral
and energy resources.
 High altitude in general imposes an ultimate physiological limit upon
human existence due to reduced atmospheric pressure and low
oxygen content. Therefore, very few permanent settlements can be
seen in the lofty mountains of the world at a height above 5,000
metres. Staszewski, in his exhaustive analysis of the vertical
distribution of population, has shown that both numbers and densities
in different parts of the world decline with increasing altitude.
 However, in low latitude areas, which are otherwise hot and less
favourable, high altitude provides suitable conditions for human
habitation.
Factors affecting population density
and distribution
 Among the other aspects of relief features which affect human
habitation are general topography, slope and aspect. The main
concentrations of human population are confined to the areas
marked with flat topography. Rugged and undulating topog­raphy
restricts the condensation of human population in any area.
 In the mountainous areas valleys provide suitable locations for
human settlements. Likewise, sun-facing slopes provide favourable
locations for the emergence and growth of settlements.
 The river valleys may promote or restrict human settle­ments
depending upon other geographic conditions. In Egypt, nearly 98
per cent of the population is concentrated forming a ribbon along
the Nile River. As against this, in tropical swamps and dissected
plateaus, river valleys tend to repel population.
Factors affecting population density
and distribution
 Of all the geographic influences on population distribution, climatic
conditions are perhaps the most important. Climate affects population
distribution both directly as well as indirectly through its effects on soil,
vegetation and agriculture that have direct bearings on the pattern of
population distribution.
 In the Northern Hemisphere, extreme cold conditions in the high
latitude areas have prevented human habitation. Likewise, extremely
high temperature and aridity in the hot deserts of the world restrict
human habitability.
 It should, however, be noted that man has ability to adapt himself to
different climatic conditions. This explains a high density in the tropics,
which are otherwise marked with extremes of climatic conditions.
 Similarly, the quality of soils exerts an undeniable influence on the
distribution of world population. The fertile alluvial and deltaic soils can
support dense populations. On the other hand, the leached soils of
temperate lands, the podsols, which are very poor in terms of fertility,
can support only a sparse population.
Factors affecting population density
and distribution
 Location of mineral and energy resources has led to
dense population concentration in many parts of the
world, which otherwise do not provide suitable
conditions for human habitation. Large towns have
grown up in inaccessible and extremely inhospitable
areas such as deserts, Polar Regions or in the midst of
forests where precious minerals and metals have
been found.
Factors affecting population density
and distribution
 Economic, Political and Historical Factors:
 Population distribution and density in an area depends to a large extent on
the type and scale of economic activities. Same geographic conditions
provide different opportunities for people with different types and scale of
economic activities. Technological and economic advancement can bring
about significant changes in population distribution of an area. For
instance, the Prairies of North America offered different opportunities for
the Indians with their hunting economy, the nineteenth century ranchers,
the later settled agriculturist and finally the modern industrialized and
largely urbanized society.
 Growing commercial activities, for instance, in the developing world,
accompanied by improvements in transport network, have resulted in
considerable redistribution of population and emergence of mega urban
centres. It is aptly said that increasing complexity and diversification of
economic activities, the world over, have led to a new pattern of
population distribution.
Factors affecting population density
and distribution
 During the more recent times, government policies and political factors
have emerged as an important determinant of population patterns. With
increasing state control over economic activities, government policies
have led to a significant change in the patterns of population distribution
in several parts of the world. In the erstwhile USSR, facilitated by
advances in science and technology, population was directed to parts of
Siberian plains, which were hitherto not suitable for human habitation.
 In addition to government policies, political events have also caused
redistribution of population throughout human history.
 Wars have forced a great number of people to migrate from one region
to another all over the world. Post-partition redistribution between India
and Pakistan, or displacement of several million Sudanese as a result of
civil war, or expulsion of Asians from Uganda in the early 1970s are some
of the instances of how political events can cause changes in population
patterns.
Factors affecting population density
and distribution
 Apart from the factors discussed above, historical processes should
also be taken into account while explaining the patterns of
population distribution. Duration of human settlements is an
important determinant of the magnitude of population concen­
tration in any area. Most of the densely populated areas of the
world have a very long history of human habitation, while sparse
population in certain areas can in part be explained in terms of its
recent habitation.
 It should, however, not be concluded that the highest densities are
always to be found in areas with the longest history of habitation.
There are several instances of formerly prosperous and densely
populated areas, which are now only sparsely populated. Parts of
North Africa and Mesopotamia, the Yucatan peninsula and eastern
Sri Lanka are some such examples.
 Dependency ratio
 The dependency ratio is the total number of people too young
or old to work, divided by those of working age (15–64 years
old). The dependency ratio measures the burden caused by
non-working people on a nation's working-age population. The
higher the dependency ratio, the greater the burden. Non-
working dependents are defined as those up to and including
age 14, and people aged 65 and older.
 The dependency ratio formula used by all except the World
Bank is (Y) Youth aged 0–14 + (S) Seniors aged 65+, divided by
(W) Workers aged 15–64 x 100.
Dependency ratio
Reasons for differences in population of
high and low income countries
 Population growth in developing countries will be greater due to
lack of education for girls and women, and the lack of information
and access to birth control. In some places religion and cultural
practices also play the role.High infant mortality rate.
 TRENDS IN AFRICA
 Africa has the highest fertility and projected population growth of
any region in the world. Geographically, it includes the areas of
Northern Africa and the sub-Saharan Africa subregions of Eastern
Africa, Middle Africa, Southern Africa, and Western Africa.
 Fertility is declining in many African countries, yet the region’s total
fertility rate remains high at 4.3, ranging from 2.4 in Southern Africa
to 5.8 in Middle Africa. Its population is projected to grow from 1.4
billion in 2021 to 2.5 billion in 2050, accounting for more than 60% of
projected, global population growth during the same period.
 TRENDS IN THE AMERICAS
 The Americas have experienced widespread declines
in fertility and modest population growth in the past
half century. The region consists of Northern America,
Central America, the Caribbean, and South America.
 The region’s total fertility rate is currently below
replacement level at 1.9, ranging from 1.6 in Northern
America to 2.1 in Central America and the Caribbean. A
total fertility (TFR) rate of 2.1 is replacement level
fertility, the average number of children a couple
needs to have to replace themselves.
 With populations in places such as North America,
Western Europe, and Japan aging more rapidly than
ever before, policymakers are confronted with
several interrelated issues, including a decline in the
working-age population, increased health care costs,
unsustainable pension commitments,lower tax
revenues,pressure to raise retirement age ,fewer
workforce.
Impacts of ageing population

 lower tax revenues

 higher pension spending
 pressure on health care
 pressure to raise retirement age
 Provide homes,care
 Managing human population

1Family planning: methods used by couples to decide the number of children to have
and when, which is mostly encouraged by governments
Contraception: used to prevent pregnancy
Not available in all nations
Religious/cultural values might clash
2 Improved health and education: makes people more aware of methods to limit
family size.
- Educated women may plan a career as well as having
children, the former frequently limiting how many children are born.
- Education can also lead to a tendency for later marriages and thus later child bearing.
-High infant mortality causes couples to have more children. When it is reduced by
better healthcare and sanitation, the trend is reversed.
 National population policies

 Pronatalist policy: a national or regional policy that

aims to encourage couples to have children.
 ▪ In countries like France, couples were encouraged
to have more than 2 children.
 ▪ Parents are paid the equivalent of the minimum
wage for a year after they have a third child.
 ▪ They enjoy subsidised train fares, pay less tax the
more children they have, and subsidised day care.
 National population policies

 Antinatalist policy: a national or regional policy that

aims to discourage couples to have children.
 ▪ In LEDCs, population increases too fast, and these
policies can form in weak measures such as the
provision of family planning, contraceptives and
education, to laws encouraging couples to have only
one child.
 ▪ Some countries have no population policies at all
and usually have high birth rates.
 Agenda 21

 DEMOGRAPHIC DYNAMICS AND SUSTAINABILITY 5.1.

 This chapter contains the following programme areas: a.
Developing and disseminating knowledge concerning the links
between demographic trends and factors and sustainable
development;
 b. Formulating integrated national policies for environment and
development, taking into account demographic trends and factors;
 c. Implementing integrated, environment and development
programmes at the local level, taking into account demographic
trends and factors.