Population explosion, cause for concern

We all know how the population of our country has grown in leaps and bounds over the past years. This population explosion is a reality not just for Sri Lanka, but for the whole world. Except for a few countries which report negative population growth, most parts of the world have seen the number of humans increasing.

This massive growth in population has resulted in increased poverty, hunger and wars. Although the number of heads keep increasing, the world's resources are not; worse, they are depleting.

So, the sharing of limited resources among a larger number of people has posed many problems with wars being one of the most severe. Population issues are highlighted and discussed on World Population Day, which is observed on July 11.

This year's theme 'Men at Work' focuses on the role men play in making decisions about the size and growth of their families and about the finances of the family. It aims to promote the participation and involvement of men in their family matters, for the greater good of the family and society.

World Population Day was inaugurated by the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) in 1988 to mark July 11, 1987, when the global population reached five billion.

The day focuses attention on the urgency and importance of population issues, particularly in the context of overall development plans and programmes and the need to find solutions to these issues.

The world population was around 6.5 billion last year, and is predicted to stand between 8.9 and 9.3 billion in 2050. The world population grows by around one per cent (77 million) every year. The last census conducted in Sri Lanka in 2001 put the local population around 19 million. It is expected to reach 21.5 million in 2015.