Overpopulation (too many people living in ( China ) - Essay Example

Overpopulation in China By Due Introduction Overpopulation of humans means that the number of people in a region is more than the carrying capacity of the region. China is currently facing the problem of great overpopulation. The total population of China is 1.2 billion or twenty one percent of the world's population. As a result, China has to face many social and economic problems. The major cause of this problem is the fact that Mao Zedong allowed the Chinese families to have as much children as they wanted to have (Cheek, 145).

The Chinese families then started to have 10-15 children. This resulted in a great increase of population over the years. China used to be an agrarian society in the times of Mao (Ong, 16). He allowed the people to have children without any limit because he thought that he would have more labor as a result to work in the fields. However, growth is no more as much as it used to be before as China depends less on its agricultural products now. Also, people had less education about birth control.

Even if they did not want to have any more children, they did not know how to use birth control which is why they ended up having more children than they planned. Further, the standard of living has been low for many people in China over the years. People having more children can earn more money than the people having fewer children. Therefore, it became very hard for the Chinese Government to control the flow of population. Problems The overpopulation in China means that there are many claims to the limited sources of production in the country.

Many people end up getting small shares from the resources. Many children cannot go to school and are left without education. The cost of living is high and the wages are low. There is not enough food to feed the whole population of the country. A great portion of the total population has to live in great poverty. The total space of the country also seems to be insufficient for the accommodation of all the people. On China’s territory, approximately 126 people live on each square kilometer.

Therefore, the population density of China is almost three times the world’s average of 43 people per square kilometer (World Bank). This also means that the rents in China are very high and everyone cannot afford them. With the overpopulation, there are not enough jobs in the country. A great proportion of the total population is jobless. Changes in fiscal and monetary policies cannot be sufficient to treat the problem of unemployment if the population keeps on rising. Unemployment also means that more people would have to suffer from poverty and hunger.

Overpopulation also contributes to environmental problems. As more and more people move towards the urban areas, the city life gets even more crowded. The more the people burn carbon to fulfill the needs of fuel, more is the threat of global warming. Shortages of water supply, other necessities of life, and spreading of various diseases are among other problems created by overpopulation. Solutions China has largely opted to the reversal of Mao’s policies in order to curb overpopulation. They have now "one child per family policy" (Juali Li 563).

The families are required to get a birth certificate before the birth of their child. Families that have only one child are provided with special benefits so that other families are encouraged. Families that have more than one child are either taxed highly or are released from employment (Hilali 10). The Government is also taking steps to terminate the unplanned pregnancies or the pregnancies that have not been properly authorized. The Government has a birth-quota system and has set targets for various regions.

The regions must not exceed their birth-quota. The Government has also resorted to birth-control methods. For people having two children, sterilization target goals were set and made mandatory in the early 80s. Also, in 1983, tubal ligations, vasectomies, and abortions amounted to thirty-five percent of the total birth control methods (Hilali 20). However, these policies and programs are very difficult to apply and they have had little success. There have also been accusations of the law being inhuman (Wong, 2012).

China requires a better system to address this serious problem. The agencies that are employed to gather data must work together with the Government so that there is accurate information. The Government needs to educate the people in a better manner so that they know the importance of the usage of birth-control. The standard of living in the rural areas must be raised so that the people in these areas do not opt to have more children for higher income. The needs of the people must be met in a pleasant manner.

Better policies are required to be developed and there should be no delay in their implementation. References Hilali, A.Z. “China’s Population Growth: Policy and Prospects.” China Report 33.1 (1997): 1-34. Jiali, Li. “China’s One-Child Policy: How and How Well Has It Worked?” Population and Development Review 21.3 (1995): 563-585. N.A. “Statistics about the Population Growth in China”, 2001-2011, World Bank, July 2012. Retrieved May10, 2013. Cheek, T, ed. (2002). Mao Zedong and China's Revolutions: A Brief History with Documents.

New York: Palgrave Macmillan. p. 145. Ong, Siew Chey (2005). China condensed: 5000 years of history & culture. Marshall Cavendish. p. 16. Wong, E (July 22, 2012). "Reports of Forced Abortions Fuel Push to End Chinese Law". The New York Times. Retrieved May 10, 2013.