245
It can be hardly imagined that humanity could
save the remnants of natural wildlife if its own
existence is at stake. Not only the built environment and infrastructure within it has to be developed but agricultural production has to be
intensified as well in order to feed a growing
population. For this—as discussed in Sect. 4.2—
cultivated areas have to be extended in many
regions apart from technical development despite
the fact that there is not much land suitable for
agriculture have been left available and even this
land could be further decreased by the effects of
climate change. According to Khanna (2016), in
the case of a 4 °C warmer global surface mean
temperature, the following issues may arise. The
most severe consequences of such a temperature
rise include the presumed disappearance of glaciers from the Himalaya and Transhimalaya that
currently feed the biggest rivers of South and
Southeast Asia, and the majority of the two most
populous countries of the world (China and
India) could become desertificated. (It has to be
noted, however, besides glacier melting, the
amount of precipitation in the form of rain would
likely increase and this would somewhat reduce
the lack of water. The degree of this, however,
cannot be estimated.) Feeding of three billion
people would be at risk. At the same time,
increasing areas of the two largest and least populated countries (Russia and Canada) become
suitable for agricultural cultivation. An important
question will be the rate of climate refugees the
two countries would be willing to receive, and
whether these areas would be able to supply the
increased population of Earth via trade while
other regions will also get into trouble.
Amazon rainforests mostly disappear in the
double clutch of deforestation and climate
change, their habitats become desertificated and
thus will be suitable for cultivation only in part. A
portion of the inhabitants will leave the continent
similarly to Central America from where many
people will migrate towards the north due to
drought. Vast areas in Africa turn into deserts
although certain models predict a wetter environment in the Sahel belt. Global migration will
increase to figures never experienced before that
could be further intensified by sea level rise.
No one knows today how humanity is going to
deal with the above global crisis if it was to be
realised. It has to be noted that all the above are
only potential threats serving rather like warnings to humanity that compete proofs. On the one
hand, there is still some time left to reduce the
effects of climate change and ease its consequences. On the other hand, scientific research
has to develop further in order to give a more
accurate image on the future changes of a chaotic
system like climate.
As a consequence of the above, humanity has
to continue demographic control in countries
where the rate of population growth is too high. It
is worth considering the correlation between education and population growth. Surveys in different cultures proved that women receiving
secondary education gave birth to fewer children
than those with lower level of education
(Engelman 2012). Demographers studied the
wider relations of the phenomenon. The results
show that low educated women have 4.5 born
children on global average while those completing education at a few grades of primary school
have only 3 children. Women completing secondary education give birth to 1.9 children on average
while those completing higher education have
only 1.7 children on average. Furthermore,
women with higher level of education give birth
to children at an older age than those with lower
level of education. These data shed new light on
the outstanding role of education in shaping the
society of the future. Unfortunately, the ratio of
girls attending schools is lower than that of boys
in less developed countries. This has to be changed
as soon as possible and not only to decrease population growth rate but also for increasing economic development and human welfare in which
education has a fundamental role.
Bearing in mind global demographic processes
and the overloading of the natural environment of
Earth, the net reproduction coefficient globally
should remain near 1 as human population would
still growing in that case as well due to the continuous increase of average age.
Growing population may cause numerous
social and environmental problems in the longterm and probably will if it cannot be stopped
6.5 Missing from SDGs: Stabilising the Population of Earth
It can be hardly imagined that humanity could
save the remnants of natural wildlife if its own
existence is at stake. Not only the built environment and infrastructure within it has to be developed but agricultural production has to be
intensified as well in order to feed a growing
population. For this—as discussed in Sect. 4.2—
cultivated areas have to be extended in many
regions apart from technical development despite
the fact that there is not much land suitable for
agriculture have been left available and even this
land could be further decreased by the effects of
climate change. According to Khanna (2016), in
the case of a 4 °C warmer global surface mean
temperature, the following issues may arise. The
most severe consequences of such a temperature
rise include the presumed disappearance of glaciers from the Himalaya and Transhimalaya that
currently feed the biggest rivers of South and
Southeast Asia, and the majority of the two most
populous countries of the world (China and
India) could become desertificated. (It has to be
noted, however, besides glacier melting, the
amount of precipitation in the form of rain would
likely increase and this would somewhat reduce
the lack of water. The degree of this, however,
cannot be estimated.) Feeding of three billion
people would be at risk. At the same time,
increasing areas of the two largest and least populated countries (Russia and Canada) become
suitable for agricultural cultivation. An important
question will be the rate of climate refugees the
two countries would be willing to receive, and
whether these areas would be able to supply the
increased population of Earth via trade while
other regions will also get into trouble.
Amazon rainforests mostly disappear in the
double clutch of deforestation and climate
change, their habitats become desertificated and
thus will be suitable for cultivation only in part. A
portion of the inhabitants will leave the continent
similarly to Central America from where many
people will migrate towards the north due to
drought. Vast areas in Africa turn into deserts
although certain models predict a wetter environment in the Sahel belt. Global migration will
increase to figures never experienced before that
could be further intensified by sea level rise.
No one knows today how humanity is going to
deal with the above global crisis if it was to be
realised. It has to be noted that all the above are
only potential threats serving rather like warnings to humanity that compete proofs. On the one
hand, there is still some time left to reduce the
effects of climate change and ease its consequences. On the other hand, scientific research
has to develop further in order to give a more
accurate image on the future changes of a chaotic
system like climate.
As a consequence of the above, humanity has
to continue demographic control in countries
where the rate of population growth is too high. It
is worth considering the correlation between education and population growth. Surveys in different cultures proved that women receiving
secondary education gave birth to fewer children
than those with lower level of education
(Engelman 2012). Demographers studied the
wider relations of the phenomenon. The results
show that low educated women have 4.5 born
children on global average while those completing education at a few grades of primary school
have only 3 children. Women completing secondary education give birth to 1.9 children on average
while those completing higher education have
only 1.7 children on average. Furthermore,
women with higher level of education give birth
to children at an older age than those with lower
level of education. These data shed new light on
the outstanding role of education in shaping the
society of the future. Unfortunately, the ratio of
girls attending schools is lower than that of boys
in less developed countries. This has to be changed
as soon as possible and not only to decrease population growth rate but also for increasing economic development and human welfare in which
education has a fundamental role.
Bearing in mind global demographic processes
and the overloading of the natural environment of
Earth, the net reproduction coefficient globally
should remain near 1 as human population would
still growing in that case as well due to the continuous increase of average age.
Growing population may cause numerous
social and environmental problems in the longterm and probably will if it cannot be stopped
6.5 Missing from SDGs: Stabilising the Population of Earth