How can overpopulation be solved

It also improves the spacing between children and improves the health and quality of life for those children. This has a knock-on effect, where the children of better-educated mothers are also more likely to be educated themselves. Accurate, factual and unbiased education for children, adolescents and adults about reproduction, sexual health and consent are essential to reduce the number of unintentional births that occur each year.

Easy, affordable, and reliable access to contraceptives and birth control is a major factor in preventing unplanned births and is one of the stronger overpopulation solutions. Improved education improves the use and efficacy of these but they must be available and accessible. From poorly managed small farms, overgrazing and logging to huge commercial farms that exploit local water supplies and encroach on natural habitats, the environmental impact of agriculture are huge. Responsible farming techniques, education and pressure from consumers can go a long way to improving this.

However, if we want to keep producing enough food for a booming population, we need to start thinking differently about food production. Check out this incredible video by Freethink on YouTube about how the Netherlands produce food:. Just as the advances in technology and food production got us to 7 billion without starvation, we need it to get us to 11 billion without causing ecological collapse.

Vertical farming, in urban areas, to feed local populations also uses controlled growing conditions, indoors, to grow food as efficiently and rapidly as possible. Their reduced physical footprint means that more food can be produced using less land, which negates things like habitat loss and deforestation for agriculture.

Overconsumption is a major driving force behind the depletion of natural resources at unsustainable rates. Wealthy countries like the US consume more per capita than underdeveloped countries that have higher population numbers. Overpopulation solutions must go hand-in-hand with overconsumption solutions to be effective at all.

Choose to consume less. Responsible and thoughtful consumption can drastically improve the ecological footprint of every individual and every industry. From energy, fuel and transportation choices to the kinds of food you buy and the clothes you wear. There are always better options available.

Research your products and the companies that supply them and then support the ones that put the environment first. Look for companies that use renewable resources, that farm or manufacture sustainably and that use ethical labor practices.

One of the biggest sources of environmental degradation and pollution is energy production from fossil fuels. Overpopulation solutions are lacking and incomplete if they do not include changes to energy production.

Coal and oil are finite resources and their overexploitation is not sustainable. In addition, the process of using them for power and fuel generates massive water pollution, land degradation and air pollution.

Choosing to buy and support renewable energy resources like solar and wind power makes reduces the footprint of your energy consumption. It also supports the shift away from fossil fuels at a larger scale when governments and industries see the buy-in of consumers. Supplement your power needs using solar or wind power. Choose to support the businesses that do the same. Support the renewable energy wherever you can — be it by voting on policies, investing in the industry, or simply choosing to use it when it becomes available in your area.

Zero-waste is a trend that has proved it is here to stay. Any measures you take to prevent waste from going to landfill or polluting natural environments makes a difference.

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Search Submit Search. Activate Search. Scroll to Top. Close Modal Window. Currently, more than million women who want to avoid pregnancy are not using modern contraception. There are a variety of reasons for this, including lack of access, concerns about side-effects and social pressure often from male partners not to use it. Overseas aid support for family planning is essential — both ensuring levels are high enough and that delivery of service is effective and goes hand-in-hand with advancing gender equality and engaging men.

Across the world, some people choose not to use contraception because they are influenced by assumptions, practices and pressures within their nations or communities. In some places, very large family sizes are considered desirable; in others, the use of contraception is discouraged or forbidden. Work with women and men to change attitudes towards contraception and family size has formed a key part of successful family planning programmes.

Religious barriers may also be overturned or sidelined. In Europe, some predominantly Catholic countries such as Portugal and Italy have some of the lowest fertility rates. Ensuring every child receives a quality education is one of the most effective levers for sustainable development. Many kids in developing countries are out of school, with girls affected more than boys due to gender inequality.

Education opens doors and provides disadvantaged kids and young people with a "way out". There is a direct correlation between the number of years a woman spends in education and how many children she ends up having. According to one study , African women with no education have, on average, 5. When family sizes are smaller, that also empowers women to gain education, take work and improve their economic opportunities. A UN survey showed that the more educated respondents were, the more likely they were to believe that there is a climate emergency.

This means that higher levels of education lead to the election of politicians with stronger environmental policy agendas. Escaping poverty is not just a fundamental human right but a vital way to bring birth rates down.