Effects of Impoverished Population on Environment
Name
MSPM 6102 - Practices in Project Management
Walden University
2022
Effects of Impoverished Population on Environment
Difficulty in meeting today's needs means that short-term exploitation of the environment must
take priority over long-term protection.
Lack of knowledge about environmental issues and long-term consequences of today's actions
Effects of High Population on the Environment
Increasing pressure on marginal lands, over-exploitation of soils, overgrazing, and overcutting of
wood
Soil erosion, silting, flooding
Increased use of pesticides, fertilizer, water for irrigation- increased salination, pollution of
fisheries
Migration to overcrowded slums, problems of water supply and sanitation, industrial waste
dangers, indoor air pollution, mud slides.
Population and the Environment in Asia
Most parts of the world have been faced with similar population environmental issues. For
instance, deforestation is increasingly becoming recognized as the number one threat to
mountain ecosystems and mountain cultures. According to Harka, (1982), the Himalayas are no
exception. During the last 20 years studies have focused on the relationship between
deforestation and the corresponding increase in population. Although extensive numerical
statistics are lacking, the trends and indicators blatantly illustrate this causal relationship. This
study examines Sikkim as a specific example of the larger trends that are occurring in the greater
Himalayan region. Although Sikkim has not yet suffered as extreme deforestation as its
neighbors, its rate of deforestation is much more dramatic. Because Sikkim is only in the early
stages of deforestation, there is a greater chance that this destruction is reversible. This study
examines different demographic factors which contribute to the amount and rate of
deforestation and then outlines policy recommendations which could be used to slow or reverse
these trends.
Sikkim, the newest state of India, is located in the northeast corner of the country bordering
Tibet on the north, Nepal on the west and Bhutan on the east. Compared to the rest of the
Himalayas, the state has been visited by few outsiders and therefore has been less disturbed by
western influences and consumptive tendencies. As in other areas, resources are becoming
scarcer as population increases and consumption patterns continue at present levels. According
to Dr. William Drakes, (1997) theory of transitions, Sikkim appears to be in the midst of a
forestry transition -- a period of rapid change, relative instability and volatile conditions. Sikkim
is at this vulnerable state because it is in the beginning stages of dramatic change rather than
being near the end of the transition, a period returning to relative equilibrium and stability.
While this transitional stage makes Sikkim especially vulnerable, the transition period also
provides policy makers in Sikkim with unique opportunities to direct change in positive rather
than negative directions.
Typically, when such periods of transition and crisis are recognized, people tend to act
aggressively and develop creative solutions. Since deforestation is a relatively recent
phenomenon in Sikkim and it is in its early stages, there are great opportunities now to
implement changes which will direct and shape future forestry trends.
References
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economic Development of Sikkim. Sikkim Science Society: Gangtok, Sikkim. August 24-25,
1987
Bhadra, Madhumita. Sikkim: Democracy and Social Change. Minerva: India. 1992.
Chadha, S.K. Himalayas, (1990): Environmental Problems. Ashish Publishing House: New
Delhi.
Denniston, Derek. High Priorities: Conserving Mountain Ecosystems and Cultures. World
Watch Paper 123. World Watch Institute: Washington DC.
Desai, Mamata. Eco-System and Ethnic Constellation of Sikkim Netaji Institute for Asian
Studies -- Monograph Series Best Books: Calcutta, India.
Gilmour, D.A. and E.J. Fisher, 1991, Villagers, Forests and Foresters. Sahayogi Press:
Kathmandu, Nepal.
Gurung, Harka, 1982. The Himalaya: Perspective on Change. New Era:Kathmandu, Nepal.
Karan, Pradyumna (1989), Environment and Development in Sikkim Himalaya: A Review.
Human Ecology.
Karan, Pradyumna P. Sikkim Himalaya, (1984): Development in Mountain Environment.
Institute for the Study of Languages and Cultures of Asia and Africa. 1984.
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