Net benefit of smaller human populations to environmental integrity and individual health and wellbeing
IntroductionThe global human population is still growing such that our collective enterprise is driving environmental catastrophe. Despite a decline in average population growth rate, we are still experiencing the highest annual increase of global human population size in the history of our species—...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Frontiers Media S.A.
2024-03-01
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| Series: | Frontiers in Public Health |
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| Online Access: | https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpubh.2024.1339933/full |
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| author | Chitra Maharani Saraswati Melinda A. Judge Melinda A. Judge Lewis J. Z. Weeda Quique Bassat Quique Bassat Quique Bassat Quique Bassat Quique Bassat Ndola Prata Peter N. Le Souëf Corey J. A. Bradshaw Corey J. A. Bradshaw |
| author_facet | Chitra Maharani Saraswati Melinda A. Judge Melinda A. Judge Lewis J. Z. Weeda Quique Bassat Quique Bassat Quique Bassat Quique Bassat Quique Bassat Ndola Prata Peter N. Le Souëf Corey J. A. Bradshaw Corey J. A. Bradshaw |
| author_sort | Chitra Maharani Saraswati |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | IntroductionThe global human population is still growing such that our collective enterprise is driving environmental catastrophe. Despite a decline in average population growth rate, we are still experiencing the highest annual increase of global human population size in the history of our species—averaging an additional 84 million people per year since 1990. No review to date has accumulated the available evidence describing the associations between increasing population and environmental decline, nor solutions for mitigating the problems arising.MethodsWe summarize the available evidence of the relationships between human population size and growth and environmental integrity, human prosperity and wellbeing, and climate change. We used PubMed, Google Scholar, and Web of Science to identify all relevant peer-reviewed and gray-literature sources examining the consequences of human population size and growth on the biosphere. We reviewed papers describing and quantifying the risks associated with population growth, especially relating to climate change.ResultsThese risks are global in scale, such as greenhouse-gas emissions, climate disruption, pollution, loss of biodiversity, and spread of disease—all potentially catastrophic for human standards of living, health, and general wellbeing. The trends increasing the risks of global population growth are country development, demographics, maternal education, access to family planning, and child and maternal health.ConclusionSupport for nations still going through a demographic transition is required to ensure progress occurs within planetary boundaries and promotes equity and human rights. Ensuring the wellbeing for all under this aim itself will lower population growth and further promote environmental sustainability. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-07T15:32:24Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-303e98252d784c7a983c947ce41a7612 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2296-2565 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-07T15:32:24Z |
| publishDate | 2024-03-01 |
| publisher | Frontiers Media S.A. |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Frontiers in Public Health |
| spelling | doaj.art-303e98252d784c7a983c947ce41a76122024-03-05T15:35:39ZengFrontiers Media S.A.Frontiers in Public Health2296-25652024-03-011210.3389/fpubh.2024.13399331339933Net benefit of smaller human populations to environmental integrity and individual health and wellbeingChitra Maharani Saraswati0Melinda A. Judge1Melinda A. Judge2Lewis J. Z. Weeda3Quique Bassat4Quique Bassat5Quique Bassat6Quique Bassat7Quique Bassat8Ndola Prata9Peter N. Le Souëf10Corey J. A. Bradshaw11Corey J. A. Bradshaw12Telethon Kids Institute, Perth, WA, AustraliaTelethon Kids Institute, Perth, WA, AustraliaSchool of Mathematics and Statistics, University of Western Australia, Nedlands, WA, AustraliaSchool of Medicine, University of Western Australia, Nedlands, WA, AustraliaISGlobal, Hospital Clínic - Universitat de Barcelona, Barcelona, SpainCentro de Investigação em Saúde de Manhiça (CISM), Maputo, MozambiqueCatalan Institution for Research and Advanced Studies (ICREA), Barcelona, SpainPaediatrics Department, Hospital Sant Joan de Déu, Universitat de Barcelona, Esplugues, Barcelona, SpainCentro de Investigación Biomédica en Red (CIBER) de Epidemiología y Salud Pública, Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Madrid, SpainBixby Center for Population Health and Sustainability, School of Public Health, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, CA, United StatesSchool of Medicine, University of Western Australia, Nedlands, WA, Australia0Global Ecology | Partuyarta Ngadluku Wardli Kuu, College of Science and Engineering, Flinders University, Adelaide, SA, Australia1Australian Research Council Centre of Excellence for Australian Biodiversity and Heritage, Wollongong, NSW, AustraliaIntroductionThe global human population is still growing such that our collective enterprise is driving environmental catastrophe. Despite a decline in average population growth rate, we are still experiencing the highest annual increase of global human population size in the history of our species—averaging an additional 84 million people per year since 1990. No review to date has accumulated the available evidence describing the associations between increasing population and environmental decline, nor solutions for mitigating the problems arising.MethodsWe summarize the available evidence of the relationships between human population size and growth and environmental integrity, human prosperity and wellbeing, and climate change. We used PubMed, Google Scholar, and Web of Science to identify all relevant peer-reviewed and gray-literature sources examining the consequences of human population size and growth on the biosphere. We reviewed papers describing and quantifying the risks associated with population growth, especially relating to climate change.ResultsThese risks are global in scale, such as greenhouse-gas emissions, climate disruption, pollution, loss of biodiversity, and spread of disease—all potentially catastrophic for human standards of living, health, and general wellbeing. The trends increasing the risks of global population growth are country development, demographics, maternal education, access to family planning, and child and maternal health.ConclusionSupport for nations still going through a demographic transition is required to ensure progress occurs within planetary boundaries and promotes equity and human rights. Ensuring the wellbeing for all under this aim itself will lower population growth and further promote environmental sustainability.https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpubh.2024.1339933/fullair pollutionchild healthclimate changeconsumptionenvironmentovershoot |
| spellingShingle | Chitra Maharani Saraswati Melinda A. Judge Melinda A. Judge Lewis J. Z. Weeda Quique Bassat Quique Bassat Quique Bassat Quique Bassat Quique Bassat Ndola Prata Peter N. Le Souëf Corey J. A. Bradshaw Corey J. A. Bradshaw Net benefit of smaller human populations to environmental integrity and individual health and wellbeing Frontiers in Public Health air pollution child health climate change consumption environment overshoot |
| title | Net benefit of smaller human populations to environmental integrity and individual health and wellbeing |
| title_full | Net benefit of smaller human populations to environmental integrity and individual health and wellbeing |
| title_fullStr | Net benefit of smaller human populations to environmental integrity and individual health and wellbeing |
| title_full_unstemmed | Net benefit of smaller human populations to environmental integrity and individual health and wellbeing |
| title_short | Net benefit of smaller human populations to environmental integrity and individual health and wellbeing |
| title_sort | net benefit of smaller human populations to environmental integrity and individual health and wellbeing |
| topic | air pollution child health climate change consumption environment overshoot |
| url | https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpubh.2024.1339933/full |
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