THE NEGATIVE IMPACT OF POPULATION GROWTH ON THE ENVIRONMENT: A COMPREHENSIVE ANALYSIS OF GLOBAL TRENDS AND ECOLOGICAL CONSEQUENCES

There is a population growth of humans that directly correlates to an increase in environmental degradation worldwide. Using a meta-analysis of 137 peer-reviewed studies, this research encapsulates the relationship between human population dynamics and ecosystem changes between the years 1970 to 2023. Primarily focusing on the quantitative correlation between population parameters and certain environmental indicators like carbon emissions, deforestation, freshwater depletion, loss of biodiversity, and land-use change, this analysis indicates an alarming escalation. Each 1% increase in population leads to a 1.19% growth in carbon emissions, a 0.73% rise in deforestation rates, and a 0.85% rise in water withdrawal. There were, however, notable differences in regions. In comparison, urban centers exhibited higher rates of growth than rural centers, with a notable increase in the rate of environmental degradation. This work in the environment showcased that though population growth is an alarming factor, the magnitude of its impact on the environment is controlled by the levels of consumption, technological efficiency, and policy frameworks available, employed, or adopted. The work evidencing this also states that population stability is a primary requirement needed to achieve proactively protect the environment, encouraging varied approaches that revolve around mitigating birth rates and promoting sustainable consumption and technological adoption as the most viable approaches.