Why is rapid population growth a worrying trend?

1. Why is rapid population growth a worrying trend? • World population growing too rapidly • Doubling time is getting shorter - e.g. by 2021 - 8.2 billion • strain on resources • population of developing countries growing faster than developed countries

2. OVERPOPULATION It is a situation in which there are too manypeople for the resources of a country to support.

3. Consequences in the rural areas: • Lack of food • poor nutrition • poor health • low agricultural productivity • inefficient farming methods • overcultivation  poverty cycle

4. Consequences in the urban areas(Problems of urbanisation) • Unemployment • poor facilities • increase in crime rate • poor health

5. Solutions to overpopulation(General) • Population control policies • raise education level • raise standard of living

6. China’s One-Child Policy - Measures • Birth control - sterilization & abortion made available - contraceptives given free • Public education - publicised thro’ mass media - set up health clinics to advice on family planning • Financial incentives - one-child couple - 10% salary bonus - encouraged to marry late • Financial disincentives - impose fines on couples with two children

7. Consequences of One-child policy • Fall in total fertility rate (TFR) 2.5 child per woman to 1.2 child per woman (urban area) • increasing number of ‘lonely sprouts’ … lack interpersonal skills, spoilt, etc • greater male population … imbalance sex-ratio • rise in female infanticide in rural areas

8. This policy is less successful in the rural areas than in urban areas because ... • 80% of people live in rural areas … more sparsely populated • difficult to monitor the rural areas eg mobile job-seekers • people tend to have more traditional beliefs eg • better education in urban areas … • higher cost of living in urban areas ….

9. Underpopulation • A situation in which there are too fewpeople to fully exploit resources

10. Consequences of underpopulation • ageing population • shortage of labour • high dependency ratio

11. Solutions - 2 approaches 1) Encourage population growth (eg S’pore’s Three-Child Policy) 2) Care of the elderly

12. Singapore’s Three-child Policy 1) Facilities - more child-care centres so that mothers can continue working - flexible working hours, part-time employment 2) Incentives - married couples with more than 2 children given tax rebates - subsidies for approved child-care centres 3) Education - public education to encourage marriage & children

13. Measures to tackle ageing population 1) Overcome labour shortage - raise retirement age from 60 to 65 - encourage women to work - use more foreign labour - automate processes 2)Encourage active participation in society 3) Provide financial support - thro’ CPF 4)Improve facilities for the elderly - build elderly friendly facilities eg wheelchair-accessible ramps, lifts to every floor

14. China’s Statistics • Total population (1997) - 1.23 billion • Total population (2050) - est. 1.5 - 1.7 billion • TFR 1950s - 5.6 • TFR 1999 - 2.1

15. Rationale of the One-child policy • Before 1970s - China experienced overpopulation … 2 baby booms • strain on food supplies, health care, housing, etc • can slow down industrial devt.

16. Measures • Birth control • Public education • Financial incentives • Financial disincentives