By Naseerah Nanabhai
06:07:2021

World Population Day will be observed on Sunday 11th July this year, and we thought we would share some interesting facts about this day with you.

It is an annual event celebrated on the same date each year. It aims to raise awareness on global population issues. The day was inspired by the public interest in what is known as five billion days- the approximate day the world population reached five billion.

At present, the world population is estimated at 7.9 billion, and it increases annually by approximately 100 million every fourteen months. This rapid increase in population comes with a range of environmental effects, changes in living standards, and increased unemployment.

Overpopulation is one of the biggest challenges humanity is currently facing and threatens the planet’s future both economically and environmentally.

There are many reasons for the ever-increasing world population:
lengthened life expectancy rates due to modern medical innovations; progress in food production over the last few decades that ensured; and migration and urban concentration (a trend in most countries) that helped grow the population further.

The effects of the COVID -19 pandemic on the world population rates are currently inconclusive. Many factors, such as the health of expectant mothers, pandemic deaths, lowered life expectancy, attaining herd immunity, vaccination progress, and the uncertainty of how long the pandemic will last, play a role in ascertaining this.

International days are events used to educate people on issues of concern. World Population Day aims to create awareness of the environmental effects human beings have on our planet.

Observing World Population Day reminds us of our impact on the planet’s resources and should help inspire environmentally friendly choices.