How do the

environmental
impacts of a growing
population of a
developed country,
the United States,
compares to the
undeveloped country
of India?
By:
Leonardo Caion-Demaestri
Zo Freedberg
Taken from: http://www.claybennett.com/pages/divide.html

[Intro]duction

Our world population is rapidly growing.

Today: Over 6 billion people and on the rise
Increased immigration / lack of migration (urbanization)
Lack of education and contraceptive use
Medical advancements
Leads to environmental and social impacts.
Deforestation
Global Warming Natural disasters, sea level rising
Lack of natural resources
Lack of freshwater
Pollution
Diseases
India and United States may differ in demographics, etc. but the
growing populations both result in similar environmental impacts.

[H]ypothesis

We predict that a growing population will

cause:
Higher rate of deforestation
Greater loss of freshwater resources
More pollution
Increased global warming
Strains of natural resources
Social issues
The differing nations will compare in that the
trends will be the same, rates will differ.

[M]ethods

We first searched to find what causes a

growing population.
We then looked to see the effects of the
growing population on the environment.
Stella and Excel were used to display the
impacts of the population growth on:

Forest Area
Fresh Water Availability

We also compared the two different growing

populations.

What are we [model]ing?

India Population growth.

United States Growth.
Effects on Environmental Resources:
Fresh Water Availability
Forest Areas
Effects of varying levels of these
subcategories.

Why a [grow]ing population?

United States

Increased Immigration
Rates
Better health care
Higher living standards
Abortion Laws
Unintended Pregnancies
~ 40% births

India

Lack of Migration
Lack of Education
Desire for Male children
Fertility rate declining
Younger women having
children

Teenage Pregnancies

Taken from: http://www.tashian.com/carl/archives/us-1896.gif

Taken from: http://wwp.greenwichmeantime.com/time-zone/asia/india/images/india-flag.jpg

[Water] and [Forest] Factor

Freshwater Availability

Misconception of Oceans
as freshwater
Human Bodies 60%
water
Sewage deposited in
water
Health problems
Per Capita Water Use

Forests Area

Taken from: http://static.flickr.com/33/38490644_41f946c4f2_b.jpg

Urbanization more
paved areas
Less parks and nature
Lack of Oxygen
production
Increase Quantity of
Carbon Dioxide
(Greenhouse Gases)
Global Warming

Taken from: http://pantransit.reptiles.org/images/1996-07-28/washington-rain-forest.png

[Environ]mental Impacts

Pollution

Deforestation

Freshwater Availability

Natural Resources

Global Warming

Habitat Loss

increase in cars and emission of greenhouse

gases into atmosphere

increasing population

increase in paved areas to house

production and contamination of water

excessive use of coal

chances of natural disasters

levels

increase in waste

increase burning of fossil fuels,

overall increase in temperature and

change in ecosystems affecting trophic

[Stella] Models

Stocks population, freshwater

availability and forest areas.
Flows births and deaths; precipitation
and water use; and forest regeneration
and trees cut down.

Converters birth rate and death rate;

deforestation rate; and per capita water
use.

[Stella] Models
Us pop 3

India pop 3

US birth 3

india death 3

india birth 3

us death 3

us dr 3

us br 3

india dr 3

india br 3

?
India f reshwater av ailable 2

US Per Capita Water Use

Us f reshwater av ailable 2

India Per capita water use

?

india precipitation 2

india water used 2

India Population vs.

Environ Impacts

us water used 2

us precipitation 2

United States Population vs.

Environ Impacts
US pop 2

India pop 2

india death 2

india birth 2

india birth rate 2

US birth 2

US death 2

us birth rate 2
us death rate 2

india dr 2

US f orest area 2

India f orest area 2

US f orest regeneraton

India f orest regeneration

India trees cut down 2

India Def orestation rate 2

US trees cut down 2

US def orestation rate 2

[Stella] Model
1: INDIA population
1:

1: USA population

5000

1:

550000000

1
1:

3000

1:

400000000

1
1

1
1
1:

1000

1:
1950.00

Page 1

1975.00

2000.00
Y ears

2025.00
2050.00
12:27 PM Sat, Dec 02, 2006

India Population

India Population (In billions)

250000000
1950.00

Page 1

1975.00

2000.00
Y ears

2025.00
2050.00
12:28 PM Sat, Dec 02, 2006

US Population

US Population (In millions)

Population of India and US with no external pressures

India is increasing at a faster rate than U.S.

This is worrisome due to the lack of resources and financial
stability to support such an increase.
We only chose to model birth and death rate, but there are other
limiting factors that encompass each, however they were not
imperative to include in this research.

[Excel] Model
Comparing the Population of
India and US with no external
pressures

1800000000
1600000000
1400000000
1200000000
1000000000

India Population

800000000

US Population

600000000
400000000
200000000
0

Ye
ar
20
02
20
05
20
08
20
11
20
14
20
17
20
20
20
23

Both increasing.
India growth rate per year:
1.51%
US growth rate per year:
0.92%
India starts at a greater
population.

People

US Population vs. India Population

WHY DO THEY DIFFER?

Education
GNP
Immigration/ Migration

Time

[Excel] Model
US FreshWater

India FreshWater

1E+13

5E+12

2023

2020

2017

2014

2011

2008

2005

Year

2023

2020

2017

2014

2011

2008

2005

2002

Year

-1E+13

-5E+12

2002

-1E+13
-1.5E+13

-3E+13

US FreshWater (m^3)

m^3

m^3

-2E+13

-2E+13

India FreshWater (m^3)

-2.5E+13

-4E+13

-3E+13

-5E+13

-3.5E+13
-6E+13

-4E+13

-7E+13

-4.5E+13
Year

Year

Population growth influencing water availability.

Water availability decreases because there is not enough fresh water

available due to the increasing demand.
US per capita: 6932 m^3
India per capita: 1211 m^3
US consumes more water at a faster rate due to its higher surface area
and easier access to clean water, whereas India does not.
USs financial status permits usage of high-end technology to purify
water.

[Excel] Model
Comparing Population
growth of India and
United States
influencing water
availability.

US Fresh Water vs. India Fresh Water

1E+13

WHY DO THEY DIFFER?

Pollution rates
Technology
Surface Area
Financial Stability
Per Capita Water Use

2023

2020

2017

2014

2011

2008

2005

-2E+13

m^3

2002

-1E+13

Year

US FreshWater (m^3)

-3E+13

India FreshWater
(m^3)

-4E+13
-5E+13
-6E+13
-7E+13
Year

[Excel] Model
US Population vs. Forest Area

India Population vs. Forest Area

1800000000

400000000

1600000000

350000000

1400000000

300000000

1200000000

India Population

1000000000
800000000

India Forest Area

(hectares)

600000000

250000000

200000000

50000000

Ye
ar
20
02
20
05
20
08
20
11
20
14
20
17
20
20
20
23

100000000

Ye
ar
20
02
20
05
20
08
20
11
20
14
20
17
20
20
20
23

US Forest Area
(hectares)

150000000

400000000

Years

US Population

200000000

Years

Population growth influencing forest area

India The forest area started at ~67 million hectares,

and continued at a steady deforestation rate of 0.0294
million.
United States There is a clear exponential decrease in
the forest area, leading to its possible crash, which can
result in major ecosystem changes if actions not taken.

[Excel] Model
Comparing population growth
of India and United States
influencing forest area
US Forest Area vs. India Forest Area
350000000
300000000
250000000
200000000

India Forest Area

(hectares)

150000000

US Forest Area
(hectares)

100000000
50000000
0

Ye
ar
20
02
20
05
20
08
20
11
20
14
20
17
20
20
20
23

India, although with a higher

population than the United
States shows a steady decrease
in its forest area, whereas the
United States has an extensive
decrease due to its high
immigration rates and
urbanization, demanding more
paved areas than India.

Hectares

Growing population puts pressure

on forest areas because of
urbanization and higher demands
for wooden products.

Year

[General] Conclusions

Our models show that

there are negative
environmental impact
related to population
growth both in
developed and
underdeveloped
countries.
For every scenario, there
were increases in
deforestation rate and
water usage
Although the reasons for
the growth differed, the
results were similar

Taken From: http://www.greenberg-art.com/.Toons/.Toons,%20Environ/qqxsgOverpopulation%20eclipse.gif

[Impli]cations

What Ifs
If we increase the number of people
educated, then the birth rate would go
down, resulting in a lower deforestation
rate.
Decreasing the forest area will prevent natural
processes from occurring (photosynthesis,
nitrogen cycle) and increase global warming,
natural disasters, damage to ecosystems, loss
of animal life.
Decreasing water resources may in fact bring
down the population due to decreasing food
sources.

[Sol]utions

Increase education programs

Later marriages
Contraceptive use
Less of a need for urbanization (jobs)
Be energy efficient (wind/ solar)
Organic farming
Sustainable development (build vertically)
Plant more trees!
Have better governmental regulations for an
improved economy

Take Home Message

Because this is an
inevitable problem we
must raise peoples
awareness and
environmental
stewardship to lessen the
effects of overpopulation.
Focus on the present, but
have in mind the future,
thus we must start
changing our actions now
to foresee the future we
want!

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