Population Growth and Environmental Degradation in India

The present paper examined the relationship of population to the environment and with growing population, poverty and urbanization the environment is degrading. Conducted an analysis of changes and trends over last fifty years. The study reveals that the country's population growth is imposing an increasing burden on the country's limited and continually degrading natural resource base. The natural resources are under increasing strain, even though the majority of people survive at subsistence level. Population pressure on arable land contributes to the land degradation. The increasing population numbers and growing affluence have already resulted in rapid growth of energy production and consumption in India. The environmental effects like ground water and surface water contamination; air pollution and global warming are of growing concern owing to increasing consumption levels. The paper concludes with some policy reflections, the policy aimed at overall development should certainly include efforts to control population and environmental pollution. * Reader, Department of Fertility Studies, International Institute for Population Sciences, Govandi Station Road, Deonar, Mumbai 400 088, INDIA. Email: [email protected] and [email protected] 2 POPULATION GROWTH AND ENVIRONMENTAL DEGRADATION IN INDIA