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The core value of sustainable

human development is the
foundation of economic
growth.

CAUSES AND CONSEQUENCES OF POPULATION GROWTH

THOMAS MALTHUS : ESSAY ON THE

PRINCIPLES OF POPULATION 1798
Malthus was the first to notice
the impending issue of there being
more
people
than
could
be
supported by the food supply.
He
noticed
farming
improvements could raise food
production by a certain amount
each year in an arithmetic rate of
increase..1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6
whereas
population
tends
to
increase at a geometric rate with
each generation1, 2, 4, 8, 16,
32. So he concluded there must
come a point when there are too
many people for the available food
supply.

If a population rises above the carrying capacity of its

environment, it can cause the environment to
deteriorate so that it even less able to sustain a
population.

Malthus
believed
that
when
the
population
level
rose above the food
supply

then
nature would cause
it to decline due to:
1. Pestilence
2. Plague
3. Famine
4. War

Malthus suggested that population growth

should be limited by people marrying later
and abstaining from sex before and
outside of marriage. (He basically wanted
to cut the birth rate of the poorer classes)

FALLING GROWTH RATES DO NOT

MEAN FEWER PEOPLE
Falling rates of
growth do not
mean a
decreasing
population, but
only that rates
of increase are
slowing.

CONSEQUENCES OF RAPID POPULATION

GROWTH
1.Economic development and employment poverty is aggravated by
population growth. Unemployment and underemployment are high.

2.Education this is dramatized by the lack of classrooms to

accommodate the increasing number of school children each year. Thus,

large amount of resources is required for the provision of quality
education.

3.Health and other social services as population grows, the

maintenance of existing health and social services becomes increasingly

difficult. The rapid increase of population has a heavy demand for all
types of health services-primary health care, national child health,
reproductive health, etc.

4. Ecosystem ecosystems are life support systems. They are capable of

renewing themselves but only up to a certain point. The increase of
population also means the increase of the demand of supply from our
natural resources. Thus, scarcity of food supply and pollution will
eventually occur.

The fruits of economic

growth need to be
distributed equitably to
the people, thus
assuring economic
justice or equity.
Indeed the equitable
distribution of a
countrys wealth and
resources is in
conformity with the
concept of human
development.

It is because economic
equity empowers the people
to obtain adequate education,
health care and other basic
human needs. The satisfaction
of these basic human needs is
the basic indicator of human
development.

In addition to having an equitable and

people-centered development,
development must also be
sustainable. This means that people
should have lifestyles that are
characterized by stewardship of
resources and simplicity.

Stewardship and a simple lifestyle imply

caring for the earth and protection of the earths
finite resources. People must take from the earth
only what they need.

To be able to meet the needs of a growing population,

productivity and efficiency are called for in our
economic activities. However, the productivity should not
compromise or undercut the requirement of sustainability.
A positive work ethic and industry must be
encouraged in order to unleash peoples potentials and to
make proper use of human capital to produce needed
goods and services.

RELATED VALUES OF SUSTAINABLE HUMAN

DEVELOPMENT
ECONOMIC JUSTICE AND EQUITY
PRODUCTIVITY/EFFICIENCY
STEWARDSHIP OF RESOURCES
WORK ETHIC/INDUSTRY
SIMPLICITY

TO ENABLE THE LEARNERS TO

Appreciate the concept of sustainable

human development as an economic value

that merges the concern for human wellbeing and the concern for ecological wellbeing;

Demonstrate increased understanding of the

importance of values that are related to
sustainable human development; and

Practice the center that promote sustainable

human development such as having a simple
lifestyle, acting as a steward of resources,
being productive, having a positive work
ethic.

A) what developments have you noticed in our country for

the past five to ten years? Kindly give one.
B) what positive effects have this development brought to
our country?
C) what negative effects have this development brought to
our country?
D) what contribution do this change and effect have
with regards to sustainable human development?
E) what specific environmental problems, which poses a
threat to sustainability, have resulted from this
development?
F) what are the existing attitudes of our country towards this
development and its effects on sustainability?
G) what actions have our country undertaken to address the
problems posed by this development?