Population Dynamics and Global Issues

Population Dynamics

• Population Growth & Change
  • Factors affecting population: birth rates, death rates, and migration rates.
  • Birth Rate: Number of live births per 1,000 people annually.
  • Death Rate: Number of deaths per 1,000 people annually.
  • Rate of Natural Increase (RNI): Calculated as Birth Rate - Death Rate.
  • A positive RNI indicates population growth.
  • RNI negative indicates population decline.
  • Fertility Rate: Average number of children born to a menstruating individual during their lifetime.
  • 2023 USA = 1.62, Global = 2.2.
  • Replacement Rate: Birth rate needed to maintain current population levels without immigration.
  • Life Expectancy: Expected age individuals will live based on birth year and location.
  • Doubling Time: Time required for a population to double in size.
  • From 1 billion (1804) to 2 billion (1974) took 123 years.
  • Estimated to reach 8 billion by 2024.

Demographic Transition

• Stages:
  • Stage 1: High birth and death rates.
  • Stage 2: High birth rates; falling death rates; population grows rapidly.
  • Stage 3: Falling birth rates; low death rates; growth rate stabilizes.
  • Stage 4: Low birth and death rates; stable or slow growth.
  • Stage 5: Very low birth rates; potential population decline.
• Requirements for Transition:
  1. Increase in income.
  2. Better education.
  3. Improved health care.

Population Aging

• Elderly Support Ratio: Number of working-age individuals per elderly person.
  • 1950: 12; 2010: 9; 2015: 7; 2050 projected: 3.5.
• Aging population increases societal support demands for elderly citizens.

Population Control Methods

• Moves:
  • Policies to limit births (e.g., China's One Child Policy).
    -Family Planning practices.
  • Education and Empowerment of women.
  • Contraception Access: Especially in developing nations challenged by accessibility.
• Negative Methods: Forced sterilizations or harsh rules.

Urbanization

• Trends: Caused by rural-to-urban migration.
  • Leads to economic growth, structural changes in society, affordable food options, and new agricultural practices.
• Implications: Can lead to overpopulation in cities, environmental stresses, and resource scarcity.
• Population Density:
  • Measurement of individuals in a specific land area.
  • Most Dense City: Manila, Philippines.
  • US Most Dense: New York City.

Climate Forced Migration

• Increased due to climate change, natural disasters, and environment degradation.
• Challenges exist in classifying climate refugees and their rights.

Globalization

• Definition: Interaction and integration process among individuals, companies, and governments globally.
• Economic Definitions:
  • Gross National Product (GNP): Total economic output including imports minus exports.
  • Gross Domestic Product (GDP): Domestic production within a country.
• Human Development Index (HDI): Measures country’s development via life expectancy, education, and income.
• GINI Coefficient: Measures income inequality from 0 (perfect equality) to 100 (perfect inequality).

Exploitation Issues

• Child Labor: Employment harming children's development.
  • 152 million children involved, with many in hazardous work environments.
• Human Trafficking and Slavery: Critical global issues needing addressing.

Trade**

• Free Trade Agreements: Allow unrestricted exchange of goods with no tariffs.
• Protectionist Trade: Involves tariffs, quotas, and subsidies to safeguard domestic industries.

Aid and Development

• Global Aid Programs: Aim to alleviate poverty and hunger through social protection and community health initiatives.

• World Bank Group: Provides loans to developing countries for poverty eradication and developmental goals.

• International Monetary Fund (IMF): Promotes monetary cooperation and global financial stability.

  • Criticisms include human rights violations and its adverse effects on local economies.

• Conscious Consumerism: Fair trade practices promoting equitable trade to better producers' livelihoods.