Overpopulation is defined as a situation in which a habitat contains more organisms than

it should. In the last few decades, the human population has grown at an alarming rate, with an
estimated three births per day (Connor 2006). Overpopulation has continued to have a negative
impact on the environment over the years. Many human activities are harmful to the
environment, and overpopulation exacerbates the problem.

Overpopulated areas face numerous challenges, the majority of which are caused by the
effects of climate change or human overexploitation of natural resources, but a recent study
published in Nature Communications identifies rising sea levels as one of the most serious
threats. According to this study, coastal areas currently inhabited by 300 million people will
experience annual flooding by 2050 unless measures to hold back the water are implemented —
a figure three times higher than previous estimates. Water pollution is one of the major ways in
which overpopulation affects the environment. As more people move to cities in search of work,
the amount of sewage waste tends to rise. Such wastes are disposed of in such a careless manner
that they eventually find their way into bodies of water in their untreated state. Industries and
open mines are major contributors to water pollution because their waste water contains
chemical substances and other materials that cannot be purified, such as heavy metals.
Overfishing in the oceans causes an imbalance in the coastal ecosystem, resulting in lower
populations of fish and other aquatic organisms (Stancheva 2003). The main consequence of
overpopulation is unequal and unrestrained resource use. The planet's capacity to generate raw
materials is limited, and each year the natural resource deficit – the consumption of resources at
a faster rate than production – grows. As a result, in developing countries, overpopulation fuels
fierce competition for scarce resources. Territorial conflicts over water supply are often the result
of geopolitical tensions, and they can lead to war. All of these wastes and sediments eventually
make their way into the ocean, and because the ocean is important in regulating climate, the
overall climate is affected, potentially causing economic problems. Furthermore, the ocean aids
in the prevention of global warming by absorbing a portion of the carbon dioxide emitted into the
atmosphere by human activity. As a result, the destruction of the ocean due to overfishing limits
this function. Aside from polluting the water, there is also the issue of overconsumption, which
reduces the supply of this valuable commodity. Water is essential in maintaining a balanced
ecosystem and is used by plants and animals, so a lack of adequate water has an impact on the
environment (Vinelli 2003). Another major effect of overpopulation is soil degradation. As the
world's population grows, so does the demand for food production to feed the growing
population. This then leads to the exploitation of lands that are not suitable for cultivation, such
as hilly areas and hilly lands, whose cultivation causes erosion and, as a result, nutrient loss. The
need for more land for cultivation leads to environmentally unfriendly agricultural practices such
as slash-and-burn farming, which causes deforestation. Similarly, overpopulation necessitates
increased energy production. This results in the exploitation of wood for fuel production,
resulting in deforestation. Construction of roads and residential houses to accommodate the
growing population is another major cause of deforestation. The overall impact of all of the
aforementioned effects is a decrease in biodiversity (Fears 2009). As natural habitats are
destroyed, many wildlife species have been displaced, and many have died as a result of
environmental changes caused by climate change.

All of these issues indicate that humans place a high value on natural resources that they
ignore or misuse. Some of the environmental consequences of human overexploitation of natural
resources may be permanent or last for a long time (Nahle 2003). If these trends continue,
environmental conditions will deteriorate, as the human population has been steadily increasing
in recent years. To counteract these negative effects, sustainable approaches to natural resource
conservation should be implemented.