Pakistan is going to find its parallels within Robert Malthus’ Principle of Population about the rapid growth of Population and its impending causes of food insecurity. According to English economist Thomas Robert Malthus, “Potential of Population growth is in Geometric means 2,4,8,16,32 and production of food is in arithmetic means 1,2,3,4”.
Countries in South Asia are mostly pregnant with multifaceted dangers that hinder their progressiveness and development in such a fast-changing world. Such dangers include overpopulation, malnutrition, starvation, economic imbalance, and the unavailability of basic facilities. Countries that share contagious problems are India, Afghanistan, Bangladesh, and Pakistan. The problems are easy to diagnose but hard to surmount because they will need a holistic approach.
The population is one of the rising issues in Pakistan. Pakistan is now the 5th most populous country in the world. According to United Nation World Population Prospects 2019, Pakistan’s population is projected to reach 262.96 million in 2030 and increases further to 338.01 million in 2050 and 403.10 million by 2100. This means there will be an overwhelming increase in population with no rational and care-oriented strategy to deal with it.
Most people think that overpopulation is a blessing but probably not because it is a sign of worry for the state of the economy. As social and economic indicators are concerned, most people are devoid of basic rights and utilities like education, jobs, and proper health care. Over-population is a menace that causes water scarcity, malnutrition,
According to Global fertility rate 2022, Pakistan has a fertility rate of 3.4 births per woman means the population of Pakistan is mushrooming by 53 million annually. Proceeded by Afghanistan, the war-torn country has 3.991 births per woman and India has 2.51 births per woman.
There are various causes and Remedial measures of over-population in Pakistan.
Firstly, there is a crucial role of clerics in a population explosion. Their alarming clerical interpretation of increasing Ummah in Friday Sermons are worth-mentioning. Due to misinterpretation of religion by a multitude of scholars with different religious ethnicities, people believe that population control is a sin and against the commandment of God. The congregational head of the Mosque can introduce religion as a social agency to constitute awareness about the population explosion. It can truly convey that Islam focuses on accountability -tending of children, their well-being, and proper growth- which should also be considered during breeding. Through a gradual process, during Friday Sermons, religious authorities can construct collective consciousness to breed less and nurture efficiently.
The second key thing is the lack of awareness of the repercussions of the population explosion due to illiteracy. The literacy rate in the country is almost 58%. Due to illiteracy, they can’t comprehend that the resources of the country can’t afford the high birth rate. The problem can be surmounted through awareness campaigns via world is connected; social media which is the strongest source; awareness teams with proper guidance regarding population explosion propped up by the government of Pakistan immediately across the country.
Thirdly, unavailability and high taxes on contraceptive pills. People are at a loss to buy costly pills due to economic constraints. Their unavailability and high cost of taxes are sheer inefficiency of government that failed in its function. It should be facilitated to People with the guidance of proper use. Contraceptive pills should bear low taxes that can be reached by underdogs too.
Fourthly, the main cause of population explosion is early marriages. Due to immaturity, they are unaware of sex education and; the responsibilities of children; consequences arise from huge families their breeding multiple by the time which is alarming for both country and himself. Strict implementation of family planning is a major remedy for this issue. The government with help of female health workers can introduce family planning and the use of contraceptive pills to persuade limit childbirth.
Fifthly, mostly in rural areas, people are vying for the birth of a male child. Due to patriarchal and misogynist ideology dominated rural population, born being male is a sign of pride, honor, and strength and being female is a curse and debt to be paid when the time comes. In such a moral dilemma, many sections of society place a premium on boys’ education, while girls are expected to take up domestic responsibilities. Daughters seem to be a burden or debt to be paid and sons are commonly perceived as the support system of the family. However, Man enjoys the ultimate power to halt or progress the number of children. This notion needs to be debunked because it has belittled and degraded the female gender and its role. We as a progressive society should yearn for gender equality and to avoid trespassing on the rights of women.
The effects of over-population are easy to derive; Population explosion may wreak havoc and cause famine as we witnessed in history. Recall the 1943 Bengal famine which engulfed up to three million people for their over-population. Winston Churchill has been quoted as blaming the famine on the fact Indians were “breeding like rabbits”. Some other factors that led to the famine were starvation and malnutrition.
The rise in population leads to higher demand for water for domestic, industrial, agricultural and municipal needs and also the evacuation of waste materials. According to reports by the Pakistan Institute of Development Economics (PIDE), Pakistan ranks 14 out of 17 “extremely high water risk” countries in the world, as the country wastes one-third of water available. More than 80 percent of the country’s population faces “severe water scarcity.” Around 40% of water in Pakistan is lost due to spillage, seepage, side leakage, and bank cuttings along with irregular profiling of the alignment of banks. Saving water through different techniques would be a panacea for the water crisis.
The incremental growth is endangering their lives as well as others because of a lack of subsistence. The population growth has outnumbered the resources that existed in the status quo. Quoting Robert Malthus, population growth in Pakistan is in Arithmetic means 2,4,8,16,32 and sources of subsistence growth is in Geometric means 1,2,3,4. Food consumption and food restoration are huge problems.
Due to overpopulation and meager job opportunities, a large chunk of people remains unemployed and extinct themselves dreadfully. Their life is mostly preoccupied with a sense of desperation and anxiety. Due to a lack of job opportunities and low economic status, they vent out their frustration outwards; blame external matters for their deprivation and dejection. They resort to the last option; try to self-destruct and eventually succumb to suicide. It is necessary to enhance technological development by introducing freelancing as an online marketing source in which a person can work as a virtual assistant, graphic designer, and inter alia. According to Pakistan Software Export Board’s reports, Pakistani freelancers earned 150 million dollars in 2019-20 which lead to Pakistan in 4th rank in the finances market above India and Bangladesh.
Population growth is primarily the cause of social evil in society. Picture a person who is unable to feed his family comprising of many members due to meager resources and high inflation, he will fetch bread and butter via illegal means to meet the ends of the family. Subsequently, his children will be obsessed with him and adopt the source of income as his father did because the assertion made by Will Durant in the Book title “Fallen Leaves: Last Words on Life, Love, War, and God” seems parallel to the case which reads as, “Our children bring us up by showing us, imitating us, what we are”. Job opportunities in profusion are the only remedy for have-nots to make ends.
To ease the sufferings of a country, which is already on brink of economic collapse, is everyone’s civic and moral duty. Overpopulation is a burden that causes an imbalance in the standard of living, employment, and prosperity which further leads to felony, deviance, anomalies, and crime. So, therefore a country with too much population is like an overcrowded boat; bound to sink.
About The Author
Samiullah Kakar is a student of Law at Gillani Law College Bahauddin Zakariya University Multan. He hails from Quetta, and is aspiring to be a judge. He tweets @Iamsamikakar
The views expressed in this article are solely those of the original author and do not necessarily reflect or represent the views of Rationale-47.
Rationale-47 