What are the limitations of population growth.

WHAT ARE THE LIMITATIONS OF POPULATION GROWTH?
Population refers to people inhabiting a given place. However, population growth has limitations as it creates pressure on the available resources such as, schools, health facilities, roads, land and communication for example it causes heavy traffic in major urban centres and over exploitation of sectors such as the health sectors causing deplorable conditions.

It also leads to high dependency ratio as a large proportion of the population may be unskilled or young leading to relatively small proportion of adults of working age hence they are dependent on by those who are not working for survival, those depended on do not have extra income to invest and their purchasing power is eroded, this retards a country’s development.
Moreover, population growth causes unemployment as the available employment does not increase at the same rate as the population causing many skilled and unskilled people. This poses danger as such people can engage themselves in crime.

Population growth goes hand in hand with growth of slums as many people in rural areas find themselves without a docent income due to deteriorating living standards when they move in towns in search of a better life. The slums luck the basic necessities such as housing, since people can not afford high rent in towns. They move to cheap but poorly constructed structures without utilities such as water electricity and proper drainage.
More so it causes migration of people in search of better opportunities hence when they move they exert pressure on the resource in the destination area.

However, population growth cause land fragmentation where land is subdivided to smaller portions which are uneconomical to farms and are affected by soil erosion reduce soil fertility.
It also poses a threat to the environment as it causes destruction through pressure on the environment which can not sustain the population where there is excessive tree felling leading to soil erosion, loss of water catchments areas and climate change.
Population growth also diversifies the government expenditure from investment as it becomes a problem when it can not be catered for by the economy of the country making it difficult for the country to save money for the development because money gained is spent on provision of basic necessities, for example, food water and hospital.
The condition is worsened by food shortage resulting in higher rate of consumption and low rate of population leading to inadequate food supply for the population. High rate of crime is also evident in the high population due to lack of basic necessities much people to engage in unlawful.

BY PHILIP KIARIE.