AICE Environmental Management Study Guide: Managing Human Population

Human Population Dynamics and Structure

• Population Density: Number of people per square mile/km.

  • Influencing Factors:
  • Environmental: Climate, topography, natural resources, natural hazards.
  • Economic: Job opportunities, industry, infrastructure, cost of living.
  • Social: Social services, quality of life, cultural identity.
  • Political: Government policies, conflicts.
  • Historical: Settlement legacy, urbanization, land use.

• Population Change Factors:

  • Immigration (i): Increases population size.
  • Emigration (e): Decreases population size.
  • Birth Rate (b): Number of births per 1000 people/year.
  • Death Rate (d): Number of deaths per 1000 people/year.

• Population Calculation:

  • Population\, Size = Population + [(Immigration + Birth) - (Emigration + Death)]

Age Structure Diagrams

• Left side: Males; Right side: Females.

• Age Categories:

  • 0-14 years: Pre-reproductive.
  • 15-44 years: Reproductive.
  • 45+ years: Post-reproductive.

• Cohort Implications:

  • Wide 0-14 cohort = Future growth; low access to family planning.
  • Narrow 0-14 cohort = Decline; high access to education/jobs for women.
  • Dependency ratio: Ratio of dependent (under 15 and over 65) to working population (15-64).

Population Structures of HICs vs LICs

• HICs:

  • Low infant mortality due to healthcare access.
  • Low total fertility rate influenced by education and economic opportunities for women.

• LICs:

  • High infant mortality; families have replacement children.
  • Limited access to education and family planning.

Demographic Transition Model

• Impacts of Aging Populations:
  • Lower tax revenue.
  • Higher pension spending.
  • Increased pressure on healthcare and retirement systems.
  • Higher dependency ratio.

Managing Human Population Change

• Strategies for change management:
  • Improved contraception and health care.
  • Education about family planning.
  • Pro-natalist vs Anti-natalist policies:
  • Pro-natalist: Encourages higher birth rates (financial incentives, support).
  • Anti-natalist: Reduces birth rates (family planning, legal restrictions).

Global Policies and Advocacy

• United Nations Agenda 21: Focus on sustainable development.
• The Club of Rome: Provides strategies for managing human population change, advocates for awareness on interaction between population dynamics and environmental resources.