write essay on population problems

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Important things to remember as you write your essays on population

Population involves both fauna and flora. I am confident that you have encountered reports stating how the populations of certain species like elephants, white rhinos, and tigers are diminishing; or how deforestation is affecting the population of trees which has increased the consequences of global warming in the world. The following guidelines will assist you in writing an essay on human population.

Essays on population need to be elaborate to enable the audience to understand your essay.  Such essays are also of great importance to the writer since writing increases their knowledge on the problem and issues facing population. You should, therefore, read widely and comprehend the information before writing your essay.

Various internet sources, books, encyclopedias, and government publications explain the meaning of population. One example is that ‘Population refers to the whole number of individuals or inhabitants in a region or a country. It also comprises of the people occupying an area.’ The topic has been given great significance since an exhaustive study provides policy makers with the relevant information to make crucial decisions affecting a particular populace living in a particular region. You can further develop this argument in the body where you can explain the significance of population and its study.

Your definition can include:

• The populace of people in a specific area
• The percentage of people, fish, animals, and birds in a particular area
• The immigrant populace in America
• The population of endangered species
• The population of individuals susceptible to crime, and social disorder

All these definitions will show your audience that you understand what population is. You can write this in the introduction alongside the things that your essay will tackle

The body can include the significance of populations. Ask yourself these questions how will the number of people in a specific area benefit the people, policy makers, and the nation? How will information about endangered species, immigrants, and individuals susceptible to crime, and social disorder benefit me as an individual, the community, policy makers, and the country? The answers to these questions will provide the importance of population study

Your essay should also tackle the issues and challenges facing population. Ask yourself these questions: How does the population of a region decrease? Some of the answers are because:

• Human beings stop copulating thus reducing the number of people in a particular region. Governments are solving this issue by encouraging families to increase their sizes by increased reproduction.
• There is warfare, the prevalence of killer diseases, and lack of basic needs.
• The population of animals decreases when they are killed for sport; they are valuable resources, or when they become extinct.

Research on the problems that nations’ face due to low population, and how individuals can curb the decreasing population. The answers will give you extensive information about the issue of low population.

Additionally, population increase affects the population. You should, therefore, ask yourself the causes of population growth. Some reasons are:

• The human populace has grown with the falling death rates that have reduced since the Second World War.
• The migration of individuals from one area to another has increased the population of some countries. For instance, the population of immigrants in the United States has increased its population tremendously.

You should also tackle the effects of increased population. What does it mean when the population of people multiplies with no increase in resources? Some of the effects include:

• Inadequate resources
• Inadequate infrastructure
• An increase in crime and disorder
• Formation of slums
• Increase of people living in the streets
• Increased unemployment
• Increased deforestation
• Global warming

Further, explain why information on low population and high population is beneficial to the society

You can also provide recommendations

Lastly, your essay should have a conclusion that summarizes the main parts of the essay. It should not be more than half a page unless instructed otherwise.

Go ahead and write a captivating and informative essay on population.

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Population Growth Essay Writing Guide

Academic writing

Essay paper writing

Working on a population essay or research paper? We understand the struggle. Therefore, we have prepared the list of the greatest topics for you to choose from as well as useful tips that will help you submit an impeccable work.

Population essay topics

• Essay on the principle of population
• Essay on population definition
• Population genetics essay
• 21 st century global population essay
• Population development essay
• Essay on the history of population growth
• Essay on population crisis
• Agricultural revolution and population growth essay
• Short essay on world population becoming smarter
• Aging population opinion essay
• Essay on population explosion
• Essay about population problem in Asia
• Relationship between national wealth and population health essay
• Population and environment essay
• Essay on increasing population
• Cause and effect essay on population growth: What is the reason of current overpopulation issue?
• Importance of population education essay
• Effective means of population control essay
• Population control argumentative essay
• Can we solve overpopulation problems essay
• Effect of population on environment essay
• How to control population essay

Tips for writing an essay on population

• Make an outline. Once you do your research, create a well-detailed plan where you include all the essential points and ideas for each paragraph of your paper. You can use the example from the section below and build on it with the information you have found.  
• Research carefully. Try using Google Scholar to search for articles and books on the topic if you have hard times determining which sources are credible.  
• Don’t fake your references or just copy information. Nowadays, there are various tools for checking works for plagiarism. Therefore, do not put your academic reputation at risk – use real sources and your own words when describing what the author was writing about.
• Mind your language. Of course, an essay is not a scientific article for a reputable journal, but you still need to be very careful with the word choice. Contractions or slang would not be appropriate here.
• Provide specific examples and numbers where applicable. For instance, essay writing on population explosion would require you to indicate where, when, and how many people were born in certain time periods and why it happened.
• Proofread your writing. This will help you to avoid submitting a work full of mistakes, which will inevitably lower your mark.

Essay outline

• Introduction.

Start with a hook phrase, which can be a question, a quote, or just an interesting fact. After that, write a few sentences explaining why your topic is important and necessary to research. The main point of an essay on population should be clearly stated in the last sentence of the paper – a thesis statement. Give a brief overview of the points you are going to discuss but do not go into the details – you will be able to do it in the body of the work.

Depending on the word limit set for the assignment, the body of your paper might be divided into a few sections with distinct headings. Each section or paragraph should start with the introduction of the idea you are going to discuss. Next, you will have to provide some factual information to support it, and explain your own opinion if applicable. In the end, it would be necessary to sum up what you have discussed and transition into the next paragraph.

• Population essay conclusion.

In the final paragraph, restate the thesis and the main ideas that were reviewed in the body of the paper. You cannot introduce any new facts in the conclusion – only synthesize what has already been discussed. Finish your essay by proving that you have accomplished the purpose of writing the paper or leave the reader with some idea to think about further.

Population research paper topics

• Research paper about homelessness population
• Aging population research paper
• Religion and overpopulation
• Human population growth research paper
• Birth control and women’s human rights
• The impact of overpopulation on the wildlife
• India population crisis
• The impact of overpopulation on the environment
• Bangladesh population crisis
• Population, migration, and urbanization
• Global warming and overpopulation: Where is the link?
• The issue of food and water shortage
• Statistics of population changes research paper
• The effects of population growth on the economy

Writing a research paper

• Choose a narrow topic. It is rather hard to write a research paper about population in general, as the topic is really vast. Instead, you may concentrate on some population issues, trends, or other more specific topics, which can be studied thoroughly.
• Be careful with citations. In your research paper, you will need to include and cite a lot of information. Learn how to do it according to the style you stick to and cite all factual data taken from other sources.
• Check a few good population research paper examples. If it is hard for you to visualize how your research paper should look like, find a few sample works. Pay attention to how the text is outlined, what information is cited, how transitions are used, and how the info is presented in general. Try to find research paper examples about population control, overpopulation crisis, shortage of resources, and other related topics to understand what points might work for your own paper.
• Develop a strong thesis statement. It should be short, to-the-point, and consistent. You have to summarize your main claim in one or two sentences in such a way that it will be clear and interesting for your audience.
• Avoid filler phrases. “In conclusion,” “needless to say,” and all the other parenthetic words do not bring any value to your writing. Instead, try to come up with meaningful transitions to move from one paragraph to another one smoothly.

Research paper outline

• Introduction
• Methodology
• Literature review
• Results/Findings

You may also be asked to add an abstract before the intro to give your readers a quick overview of the paper. Depending on the length of the text, it might be necessary to add a table of contents to guide your audience on where to find certain information. If there are some figures that you wanted to include in the paper but they take too much space, you can refer to them in the text but insert them into the appendices section after the reference page.

Research questions about population

Here are some of the research paper questions about population that you may choose to answer in your paper:

• What are the major negative consequences of overpopulation?
• Why some countries are overpopulated while others are underpopulated?
• How fast is the population increasing today compared to in the past?
• What factors influence current population trends?
• What may the population trends be in 50 years?
• Are we on the verge of food and water shortage?
• Is population growth still an issue?
• How many people can Earth support?
• Why should we be concerned about current population growth rates?
• Is religion an obstacle to population stabilization?

Facts for a research paper or essay on population

• In general, more than 107 billion people were born in the history of humanity. Thus, 6.5% of all people born in the history of humankind live on Earth today.
• In 2009, for the first time in history, an urban population was equal to a rural one amounting to 3.4 billion people. It is expected that in the future, an increasing part of the world population will be represented by citizens (that is, the urban population will continue to grow faster than the world population as a whole), which is confirmed by the latest data.
• In 2010, about 60% of the world’s population lived in Asia, 15.5% - in Africa, and 10.4% - in Europe. In 2050, according to the UN forecast, more than half of the world’s population will live in Asia, 25% in Africa, 8.2% in Latin America, 7.4% in Europe, and 4.7% in North America.
• The largest state in terms of population is China. After 2025, India is likely to become a leader. Until 1991, USSR had the third-largest population. After its disintegration, the US took its place. Indonesia and Brazil occupy the fourth and fifth places. Pakistan, Bangladesh, Nigeria, and Russia occupy the sixth, seventh, eighth, and ninth places, respectively.
• As the UN report indicates, by the end of this century, the world’s population will be more than two times higher in comparison with 2011 and will reach 15 billion people.
• The current population of the planet has doubled since the 1960s. This process is caused by the improvement of the quality of medical care and medical products as well as high fertility in the countries of Africa, Asia, and Latin America. In addition, a certain role was played by the reduction of infant mortality and the increase in life expectancy on all continents of the planet.
• Some experts question the figure of 15 billion inhabitants by the year 2100 proposed by the UN. They are convinced that the population will not reach such a catastrophic scale if appropriate measures are taken.
• The author of the first essay on population was a popular economist Thomas Robert Malthus. His main work, An Essay on the Principle of Population, played a remarkable role in the development of economic science and demography.
• In the mid-60s of the 20th century, humanity first paid attention to the problem of overpopulation and the depletion of resources. The community of the world’s largest businessmen, politicians, and public figures, united by the idea of ​​ preserving the natural environment on Earth have created a so-called Club of Rome. This initiated a large-scale research to find ways to curb the crisis.

Environmental issues

While writing an essay on the ecological effects of increased population, you may describe the current state of things:

• The situation in the field of renewable resources deteriorates. Scientists warn that very soon, we will experience a water, wood, fish shortage, as well as reduced soil fertility.
• Waste products accumulate and pollute the environment.
• More investment, energy, materials, and labor costs are required to eliminate the negative consequences of using resources, e.g., for sewage treatment, irrigation control, air purification, etc.
• A significant part of the capital, raw materials, energy resources, and labor costs is spent on solving the tasks of the defense industry.
• Investments in human resources decline, and the situation with education and healthcare deteriorates.
• The balance between the use of raw materials, energy resources, and the process of environmental pollution is disturbed.

Problem of population aging

• According to the UN, during 1994-2014, the number of people over 60 years has doubled. In 2014, the number of older adults in the world exceeded the number of children under the age of five.
• Now, in 15 EU countries, above 15% of citizens are at the age of 65 years and higher. The youngest country is Ireland (11.5%), and the oldest one is Sweden (17.5%). However, during the coming decades, the gap will decrease. The elderly group will be joined by generations born during the baby boom period (1946-1964).
• Compared to Western European countries, the United States is a younger state: there are less than 13% of people over 65 years old.
• The causes of population aging are ambiguous. On the one hand, there is a decline in the birth rate, which leads to a smaller number of children and young people, and on the other hand, there is an increase in life expectancy.
• From 1960 to 1990, the number of people of age above 80 years has grown in the EU countries from 5 to 12 million people, that is, by 140%.
• Medical care for the elderly involves additional funding, expanding the network of medical, gerontological institutions, and qualitative restructuring of the health care system.
• The employment of the elderly population and provision of working places for young seniors are required. It is also important to maintain an active life position of the elderly, involve them in public life, and fight against loneliness.

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Population Explosion Essay - 100, 200, 500 Words

Population Explosion Essay - Population refers to a group of living beings of the same kind as humans, animals or birds that lives in a specific habitat or specific place. Population explosion means a sudden and rapid growth in the population of a given place or area across a specified time. An increase in population at a normal pace is known as population growth. Here are a few sample essays on “Population Explosion” .

100 Words Essay on Population Explosion

The term population refers to the number of existing people in a particular area, place, city or country. Excessive population is a curse for any country as it is pretty challenging to manage and cope with the needs of people. It is because every country has a limited amount of resources, and it becomes impossible to manage the economy of the country in that scenario.

Population explosion creates many problems as it impacts the living standards of the people significantly. Generally, the country which suffers from this affair is in the developing or underdeveloped stages. Everybody suffers a lot due to this as the burden on resources has to be borne by the people themselves, which in turn leads to compromise on the basic amenities too.

200 Words Essay on Population Explosion

At a global level, presently, China is the most populous country in the world, accompanied by India in the second position. Research at a global level has concluded that the nations in their developing phase are more populous than the developed ones (Source: The World Population Prospects: The 2017 Revision, published by the UN Department of Economic and Social Affairs.)

Impact of Population Explosion

The rising population leads to unemployment, exploitation of natural resources, excessive wastage of water, global warming, etc. Some major causes of the population explosion are illiteracy, low education level among women, etc. It leads to various problems like depletion of natural resources. Also, one of the most common problems is unemployment. The government becomes incapable of employing such a huge population. People are unaware of the fact that their next generation and heirs will have to face the repercussions of their deeds today.

China adopted the One-Child Policy, though it didn't work as per expectations . But our government should also formulate such a plan in order to curb the prevailing problem. The government should also take the initiative to promote a girl child because it is the mother who suffers physically and mentally in expectation to give birth to a male child.

500 Words Essay on Population Explosion

Presently, India accounts for around 17.5% of the total world population (Source: based on worldometer elaboration of the United Nations data.) CNN World writes, "It is estimated that India will surpass China almost by the year 2023 in terms of population." There has been an exponential growth in our population since our independence, i.e. 1947. The Population of India at the time of independence was around 34 crore, whereas we are expected to reach about 165 crore in the year 2050. (Source: Govt. of India)

Causes of Population Explosion

The major cause of the problem is low literacy among economically backward people. It is a common belief among them that more children will help them in solving their problem of poverty as they will have more hands to earn. Child marriages are prevalent in many Indian states even today. People are still gender-biased, and the desire to have a male child results in giving birth to more children.

Impacts of Population Explosion

This population explosion is impacting the entire globe. The significant increase in the population has led to the over utilisation of natural resources. Also, it has increased poverty among the people, and the gap between the rich and poor has increased dramatically. Not only these, but the cost of living has also significantly increased due to excess demand for basic necessities. Illiteracy has increased because more people cannot educate their children because they cannot afford it.

Examples of Population Explosion

There is a slum at an approximate distance of 5 km from our home. The slum-dwellers live a very unhealthy life. They do not have access to the basic amenities of life. The government is non-responsive to the needs of the people there. The men work as daily wage labourers in the nearby glass factory. Many times, the children are also found working at the same factory.

My friends and I got to know about this through a local newspaper. We decided to go to this place and see if we could do anything to improve their living conditions. Upon conducting a small survey, we learnt that almost all the houses had at least 4-5 children each. And the total population of the particular place showed shocking figures. We met with the district magistrate after an appointment and explained the situation. Also, we asked a few local people to accompany us so that the magistrate could listen to the problems and understand their pain.

When the magistrate learnt about the same, she immediately ordered her officers to accompany us and do the needful. We also took the initiative to make people understand the issue of population explosion and also organised various problems caused by the same. We motivated people to send their children to school. Also, the magistrate was very happy to see us working for the community and asked us to bring more such issues to her knowledge.

Equally, a good standard of living has to be provided to the children by educating them, providing them with healthy food and skill training, and also bringing an ample number of employment opportunities so that they can be an asset to the country.

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Population Explosion Essay

500+ words population explosion essay.

Population explosion means a sudden increase in the number of individuals in a particular species. The term is used to refer to the world’s human population. In India, the Population explosion has become a severe matter of concern because the increase in population leads to poverty and illiteracy. In this situation, it is difficult to cope with the economy of the country with the rapid growth of the population. The Government of India is now looking into the matter seriously, and many states have framed laws to tackle the problem of population explosion.

Major Causes of Population Explosion

1. increase in birth rate.

One of the major causes for the growth of the population is the high birth rate. During the 1891-1990 period, the birth rate declined from 45.8 per thousand in India, but it is still considered high. So, unfortunately, in India, the birth rate has not seen a decrease in spite of the framing laws in terms of family planning, population education, campaigns, etc.

2. Decrease in Death Rate

In recent years, the decrease in the death rate has been another factor contributing to the rapid growth of the population. In 2001, the death rate in India was about 8.5 per thousand. The death rate has seen a decrease due to advancements in the medical field. For example, chronic diseases like typhoid, chickenpox, etc., are no longer dreaded. Even the infant mortality rate has decreased because of proper sanitation facilities, cleanliness, and better prenatal and postnatal care.

3. Early Marriage

Early marriage is also an essential factor in the rapid increase in population. In India, the marriage age of a girl is 18, which is very low compared to other countries, which is about 23 to 25 years. It leads to a longer span of reproductive activity.

4. Religious and Social Reasons

In India, marriage is considered a compulsory social institution, and every person should marry. Every individual in a joint family takes equal responsibility and has access to an equivalent level of consumption. So, people don’t hesitate to increase their family size to a joint family. In India, most people think that one male child is necessary, and in the expectation of getting a male child, they increase their family size.

Another major cause of the population explosion is poverty. In most families, children become the source of income. From a very young age, children start working for their families instead of going to school, and they become a precious asset to the family. So, every individual becomes an earning member and additional income for the family.

6. Standard of Living

It is seen that people with a low standard of living wish to have additional children as it will be an asset for them rather than a liability. As we know, most of India’s population is uneducated, so they don’t understand the importance of family planning. They are unaware that they can enjoy a better quality of life with a small family.

7. Illiteracy

In India, 60% of the population is either illiterate or has minimum education, which leads to minimal employment opportunities. So, due to the high illiteracy rate and belief in social customs, child marriage and preference for a male child still prevail. As a result, there is a rapid population growth rate in India.

Effects of Population Explosion

1. the problem of unemployment.

An increase in population leads to a vast army of the labour force. But, it is difficult to employ such extensive labour working force due to a shortage of capital resources. Disguised unemployment in rural areas and open unemployment in urban areas are fundamental features of an underdeveloped country like India.

2. More Pressure on Land

Overpopulation creates more pressure on land. It adversely affects the economic development of the country. On the one hand, per capita availability of land goes on diminishing and on the other, the problem of subdivision and fragmentation of holdings increases.

3. Environmental Degradation

Extensive use of natural resources and energy production of oil, natural gas, and coal negatively impacts the planet. An increase in population also leads to deforestation, which directly affects the environment, and it also degrades the soil’s nutritional value and causes landslides and global warming.

So, at last, we can wrap up the essay by stating that overpopulation is considered one of the biggest challenges humanity faces.

Students can also get different essays by visiting BYJU’S website. We have compiled a list of crucial CBSE Essays from an exam perspective.

Frequently Asked Questions on Population Explosion Essay

How can population explosion be controlled.

Awareness campaigns on childbirth control and the gap between consecutive children should reach the common public. It is necessary to take such initiatives to keep the population of a country in control.

Which country has the highest population?

China is a country with a maximum population of about 1.448 billion citizens.

How is the younger generation affected due to this population explosion?

The resources which are meant exclusively for the younger generation get split and are divided due to the population explosion of a country.

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• Population Explosion Essay

Essay on Population Explosion

After the Republic of China, India is the most populous country in the world. Presently, India is the second-largest populated country in the world that occupies 2.4% of the world’s land area and represents 17.5% of the world’s population. This means that one out of six people on this planet is an Indian.

It is estimated by the United Nations that India with 1.3 billion inhabitants would surpass China’s population of 1.4 billion by 2024 to become the world’s most populous country. Population Explosion is considered as a threat and burden on the Earth.

What is Population Explosion?

Population Explosion refers to the rapid increase in the number of people in an area. It is a situation where the economy of the country cannot cope up with the rapid growth of the population. Furthermore, in simpler words, it is a situation where the economy cannot provide proper facilities to its people.

Evidently, the largest contributing countries to population explosion are the poorer nations and are termed as developing countries. In India, the state of Uttar Pradesh is the most populated state and Lakshadweep is the least populated. Hence we can say that population explosion is inversely related to the development of that area.

Population Explosion has become the mother of evils in our country because too much population is trapping people in a web of poverty and illiteracy that further escalates the problem. Any time of the day, whether it is a metro station, airport, railway platforms, road, highway bus stop, shopping mall, market, or even a social or religious gathering, there is always a swelling crowd of people in India.

Causes of Population Explosion

The major cause of this population explosion is the difference between the birth rate. The birth rate is the number of individuals born in a population in a given amount of time. The human birth rate is the number of individuals born per year per 1000 in the population. For example, if 35 births occur per year per 1000 individuals, the birth rate is 35 ) .

The death rate is the ratio between deaths and individuals in a particular population during a particular period. In simple words, the incidence of deaths in a given population during a defined time (such as one year) is expressed per 1000 individuals ).

Apart from these, some other factors are partially responsible for population explosion, such as:

A decrease in infant mortality rate (Mortality rate refers to the number of deaths of infants below the age of 6 months.), 

The increase in life expectancy (An estimate of the average number of additional years that a person of a given age can expect to live). 

Earlier the life expectancy of people was around 55-60 years. Now the average age of a person has increased to 70-75 years.) but due to better and improved medical facilities, we can now increase the life expectancy of people. 

Earlier, there was a balance between the birth and death rate due to limited medical facilities, people dying in wars, and other calamities. According to the 2011 census, the birth rate has actually come down but then the death rate has also declined due to the medical advancements. 

Illiteracy is another cause of an increase in population. Low literacy rate leads to traditional, superstitious, and ignorant people. For example, Kerala has a very high literacy rate and it constitutes only 2.76% of India’s population as compared to Uttar Pradesh having maximum illiteracy rate and forms 16.49% of the population. Educated people are well aware of birth control methods. 

Family planning, welfare programs, and policies have not fetched the desired result. The increase in population is putting tremendous pressure on the limited infrastructure and negating India’s progress.

The superstitious people mainly from rural places think that having a male child would give them prosperity and so there is a considerable pressure on the parents to produce children till a male child is born. This leads to a population explosion. 

Poverty is another main reason for this. Poor people believe that the more people in the family, the more will be the number of persons to earn bread. Hence it contributes to the increase in population. 

Continuous illegal migration of people from neighbouring countries like Nepal, Bangladesh is leading to a rise in the population density in India.

Religion sentiment is another cause of the population explosion. Some orthodox communities believe that any mandate or statutory method of prohibition is sacrilegious. It is difficult for India to exercise a check on the religious grounds for its secularism.

Impact Due to Population Explosion

The growth of the population has a major impact on the living standards of people. That is why, despite our incredible progress in the agricultural and industrial spheres, our capita income has not risen appreciably.

Hence given below are some of the major problems which are just because of the population explosion:

Natural Resources of that particular region: Natural resources are materials from the Earth used to support life and meet people’s needs. Hence if there are many people, then there is a high requirement for Natural Resources.

Unemployment: When a country becomes overpopulated, it gives rise to unemployment as fewer jobs support many people. The rise in unemployment gives rise to crime, such as theft, as people want to feed their families and provide them with basic amenities of life.

High Cost of Living: As the difference between demand and supply continues to expand due to population explosion, it raises the prices of various essential commodities, including food, shelter, and healthcare. It means that people have to pay more to survive and feed their families.

Poverty: Another major issue of population explosion is the increase in poverty as people are unemployed due to a lack of job opportunities and an abundant workforce. 

Illiteracy: Because of unemployment, they cannot provide better education to the coming generation, giving us back population explosion.

Starvation: When resources are scarce, starvation, ill health, and diseases caused by diet deficiency such as rickets become eminent.

Some Major Effects of the High Population are as Follows

The rapidly growing population in India has led to the problem of food scarcity and heavy pressure on land. Even though 60% of its population is engaged in agriculture, yet people do not get even the barely necessary amount of food. 

Generating employment opportunities for such a huge population in India is very difficult. Therefore, illiteracy is growing rapidly every year. 

Development of infrastructural facilities is not able to cope up with the pace of growing population. So facilities like transportation, communication, housing, education, and healthcare are becoming inadequate to provide provision to the people.

The increasing population leads to unequal distribution of income and inequalities among the people widened.

Unmanageable population size may lead to the failure of the government to provide the basic facilities to the people. 

Economic development is slow in a country where the population is growing at a very fast rate. This also leads to low capital formation. 

Ignorance, illiteracy, unhygienic living conditions, and lack of recreation have always been the cause of population problems in India. 

Rapid growth in population is also an indication of the wastage of natural resources.

Preventive Measures

To tackle this problem, the government needs to take corrective measures. The entire development of the country depends on how effectively the population explosion is stemmed. 

The government and various NGOs should raise awareness about family planning and welfare. Hoardings with slogans like “Hum do, humare do” and “Chota Parivar, Sukhi Parivar” should be put up in hospitals and other public places. These slogans mean that a small family is a happy family and two children for two parents. The awareness about the use of contraceptive pills and family planning methods should be generated. 

The health care centres should help the poor people with the free distribution of contraceptives and encourage the control of the number of children. 

The government should come forward to empower women and improve the status of women and girls. People in rural places should be educated and modern amenities should be provided for recreation.

So we can summarise the topic by stating that population explosion is a term used to state the rapid growth of people in a particular area. It is because of lack of education, illiteracy, lack of proper knowledge of sex education, rituals, and superstition in the country’s most populated area. 

Overpopulation results in a lack of development and exploitation of resources, whereas India’s strength in the global world in various fields cannot be ignored. By raising public awareness and enlisting strict population control norms, India will be able to tackle this issue.

It doesn’t mean that will happen very quickly and without any effort. It will take time because India constitutes one of the huge countries of about 138 Crore (2020) people. Proper, effective, and steady steps will lead India to a greater good.

 It helps the country control the population explosion and also helps to provide good results in several other things like the good environment, abundant natural resources, proper employment, proper literacy rate with high growth in development, etc.

All this could be possible if we take some measures and be good citizens of this country. So that is how we can overcome this issue of population explosion.

FAQs on Population Explosion Essay

1) What is Population Explosion?

Population Explosion refers to a rapid increase in people in a particular area. Occurring due to reasons like increased birth in the area, decreased mortality rate, and inflow of residents, population explosion may lead to shortage of resources, negatively affecting the development of the area.

2) How is the birth rate related to population explosion?

Birth rate is directly proportional to population explosion because of people’s lack of knowledge and literacy. Most common in poor families, where more children means more means of income, increased birth rate gradually results in a population explosion.

3) What are the measures to avoid population explosion?

Better education (specially for girl child), creating awareness of family planning, providing proper knowledge of Sex Education, etc. can be some solutions to tackle the issue.

4) What is the difference between death rate and infant mortality rate?

The ratio between deaths and individuals in a particular population during a particular period is the death rate, whereas the infant mortality rate refers to the number of infants below 6 months who died within the same period.

5) What are the major reasons for the population explosion?

The major factors responsible for population explosion are illiteracy, reduced mortality, increased birth rate, and life expectancy.

Essay on Population Growth for Students and Children

500+ words essay on population growth.

There are currently 7.7 billion people on our planet. India itself has a population of 1.3 billion people. And the population of the world is rising steadily year on year. This increase in the population, i.e. the number of people inhabiting our planet is what we call population growth. In this essay on population growth, we will see the reasons and the effects of this phenomenon on our planet and our societies.

One important feature of population growth is that over the last century it has shown exponential growth. When the pattern of increase is by a fixed quantity, we call this linear growth, for example, 3, 5, 7, 9 and so on. Exponential growth shows an increase by a fixed percentage, for example, 2, 4, 8, 16, 32 and so on. This exponential growth is the reason our population has seen such an immense increase over the past century and a half.

Causes of Population Growth

To fully understand the phenomenon, in this essay on population growth we will discuss some of its causes. Understanding the reasons for such exponential growth will help us better understand how to plan for the future. So let us begin with one of the main causes, which is the decline in the mortality rate.

Over the last century, we have made some very significant and notable advancements in medicine, science, and technology. We have invented vaccines, found new treatments and even almost completely eradicated some life-threatening diseases. This means that people now have a much higher life expectancy than their ancestors.

Along with the decrease in mortality rate, these advancements in medicine and science have also boosted the birth rates. We now have ways to help those with infertility and reproductive problems. Hence, birth rates around the world have also seen massive improvements. This coupled with slowing mortality rates has caused overpopulation.

Often the lack of proper education is also stated as the culprit of rampant overpopulation. People around the world need to be made aware of the ill-effects of global overpopulation. Values of family planning and sustainable growth needs to be instilled not only in children but adults also. The lack of this awareness and education is one of the reasons for this growth in population.

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Effects of Population Growth

This exponential population growth that our planet has experienced over the last 150 years has had some severe negative effects. The most obvious and common impact is that overpopulation has put a great strain on the natural resources of the earth. As we know, some of the resources available to us come in limited quantities, for example, fossil fuels. When the population explosion happened, these resources are becoming rarer and will one day run out completely.

The increased population had also lead to increased pollution and industrialization . This has adversely affected our natural environment leading to more health problems in the majority of the population. And as the population keeps growing, the poorer countries are running out of food and other resources causing famines and various such disasters.

And as we are currently noticing in India, overpopulation also leads to massive unemployment. Overall the economic and financial condition of densely populated regions deteriorates due to the population explosion.

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The Growth of World Population: Analysis of the Problems and Recommendations for Research and Training (1963)

Chapter: world population problems, world population problems, the growth of world population.

The population of the world, now somewhat in excess of three billion persons, is growing at about two per cent a year, or faster than at any other period in man’s history. While there has been a steady increase of population growth during the past two or three centuries, it has been especially rapid during the past 20 years. To appreciate the pace of population growth we should recall that world population doubled in about 1,700 years from the time of Christ until the middle of the 17th century; it doubled again in about 200 years, doubled again in less than 100, and, if the current rate of population increase were to remain constant, would double every 35 years. Moreover, this rate is still increasing.

To be sure, the rate of increase cannot continue to grow much further. Even if the death rate were to fall to zero, at the present level of human reproduction the growth rate would not be much in excess of three and one-half per cent per year, and the time required for world population to double would not fall much below 20 years.

Although the current two per cent a year does not sound like an extraordinary rate of increase, a few simple calculations demonstrate that such a rate of increase in human population could not possibly continue for more than a few hundred years. Had this rate existed from the time of Christ to now, the world population would have increased in this period by a factor of about 7×10 16 ; in other words, there would be about 20 million individuals in place of each

person now alive, or 100 people to each square foot. If the present world population should continue to increase at its present rate of two per cent per year, then, within two centuries, there will be more than 150 billion people. Calculations of this sort demonstrate without question not only that the current continued increase in the rate of population growth must cease but also that this rate must decline again. There can be no doubt concerning this long-term prognosis: Either the birth rate of the world must come down or the death rate must go back up.

POPULATION GROWTH IN DIFFERENT PARTS OF THE WORLD

The rates of population growth are not the same, of course, in all parts of the world. Among the industrialized countries, Japan and most of the countries of Europe are now growing relatively slowly—doubling their populations in 50 to 100 years. Another group of industrialized countries—the United States, the Soviet Union, Australia, New Zealand, Canada, and Argentina—are doubling their populations in 30 to 40 years, approximately the world average. The pre-industrial, low-income, and less-developed areas of the world, with two thirds of the world’s population—including Asia (except Japan and the Asiatic part of the Soviet Union), the southwestern Pacific islands (principally the Philippines and Indonesia), Africa (with the exception of European minorities), the Caribbean Islands, and Latin America (with the exception of Argentina and Uruguay)—are growing at rates ranging from moderate to very fast. Annual growth rates in all these areas range from one and one-half to three and one-half per cent, doubling in 20 to 40 years.

The rates of population growth of the various countries of the world are, with few exceptions, simply the differences between their birth rates and death rates. International migration is a negligible factor in rates of growth today. Thus, one can understand the varying rates of population growth of different parts of the world by understanding what underlies their respective birth and death rates.

THE REDUCTION OF FERTILITY AND MORTALITY IN WESTERN EUROPE SINCE 1800

A brief, over-simplified history of the course of birth and death rates in western Europe since about 1800 not only provides a frame of reference for understanding the current birth and death rates in Europe, but also casts some light on the present situation and prospects in other parts of the world. A simplified picture of the population history of a typical western European country is shown in

Figure 1 . Schematic presentation of birth and death rates in western Europe after 1800. (The time span varies roughly from 75 to 150 years.)

Figure 1 . The jagged interval in the early death rate and the recent birth rate is intended to indicate that all the rates are subject to substantial annual variation. The birth rate in 1800 was about 35 per 1,000 population and the average number of children ever born to women reaching age 45 was about five. The death rate in 1800 averaged 25 to 30 per 1,000 population although, as indicated, it was subject to variation because of episodic plagues, epidemics, and crop failures. The average expectation of life at birth was 35 years or less. The current birth rate in western European countries is 14 to 20 per 1,000 population with an average of two to three children born to a woman by the end of childbearing. The death rate is 7 to 11 per 1,000 population per year, and the expectation of life at birth is about 70 years. The death rate declined, starting in the late 18th or early 19th century, partly because of better transport and communication, wider markets, and greater productivity, but more directly because of the development of sanitation and, later, modern medicine. These developments, part of the changes in the whole complex of modern civilization, involved scientific and technological advances in many areas, specifically in public health, medicine, agriculture, and industry. The immediate cause of the decline in the birth rate was the increased deliberate control of fertility within marriage. The only important exception to this statement relates to Ireland, where the decline in the birth rate was brought about by an increase of several years in the age at marriage combined with an increase of 10 to 15 per cent in the proportion of people remaining single. The average age at marriage rose to 28 and more than a fourth of Irish women remained unmarried at age 45. In other countries, however, such social changes have had either insignificant or favorable effects on the birth rate. In these countries—England, Wales, Scotland, Scandinavia, the Low Countries, Germany, Switzerland, Austria, and France—the birth rate went down because of the practice of contraception among married couples. It is certain that there was no decline in the reproductive capacity; in fact, with improved health, the contrary is likely.

Only a minor fraction of the decline in western European fertility can be ascribed to the invention of modern techniques of contraception. In the first place, very substantial declines in some European countries antedated the invention and mass manufacture of contraceptive devices. Second, we know from surveys that as recently as just

before World War II more than half of the couples in Great Britain practicing birth control were practicing withdrawal, or coitus interruptus. There is similar direct evidence for other European countries.

In this instance, the decline in fertility was not the result of technical innovations in contraception, but of the decision of married couples to resort to folk methods known for centuries. Thus we must explain the decline in the western European birth rates in terms of why people were willing to modify their sexual behavior in order to have fewer children. Such changes in attitude were doubtless a part of a whole set of profound social and economic changes that accompanied the industrialization and modernization of western Europe. Among the factors underlying this particular change in attitude was a change in the economic consequences of childbearing. In a pre-industrial, agrarian society children start helping with chores at an early age; they do not remain in a dependent status during a long period of education. They provide the principal form of support for the parents in their old age, and, with high mortality, many children must be born to ensure that some will survive to take care of their parents. On the other hand, in an urban, industrialized society, children are less of an economic asset and more of an economic burden.

Among the social factors that might account for the change in attitude is the decline in the importance of the family as an economic unit that has accompanied the industrialization and modernization of Europe. In an industrialized economy, the family is no longer the unit of production and individuals come to be judged by what they do rather than who they are. Children leave home to seek jobs and parents no longer count on support by their children in their old age. As this kind of modernization continues, public education, which is essential to the production of a literate labor force, is extended to women, and thus the traditional subordinate role of women is modified. Since the burden of child care falls primarily on women, their rise in status is probably an important element in the development of an attitude favoring the deliberate limitation of family size. Finally, the social and economic changes characteristic of industrialization and modernization of a country are accompanied by and reinforce a rise of secularism, pragmatism, and rationalism in place of custom and tradition. Since modernization of a nation involves extension of deliberate human control over an increasing range of the environment,

it is not surprising that people living in an economy undergoing industrialization should extend the notion of deliberate and rational control to the question of whether or not birth should result from their sexual activities.

As the simplified representation in Figure 1 indicates, the birth rate in western Europe usually began its descent after the death rate had already fallen substantially. (France is a partial exception. The decline in French births began late in the 18th century and the downward courses of the birth and death rates during the 19th century were more or less parallel.) In general, the death rate appears to be affected more immediately and automatically by industrialization. One may surmise that the birth rate responds more slowly because its reduction requires changes in more deeply seated customs. There is in most societies a consensus in favor of improving health and reducing the incidence of premature death. There is no such consensus for changes in attitudes and behavior needed to reduce the birth rate.

DECLINING FERTILITY AND MORTALITY IN OTHER INDUSTRIALIZED AREAS

The pattern of declining mortality and fertility that we have described for western Europe fits not only the western European countries upon which it is based but also, with suitable adjustment in the initial birth and death rates and in the time scale, eastern and southern Europe (with the exception of Albania), the Soviet Union, Japan, the United States, Australia, Canada, Argentina, and New Zealand. In short, every country that has changed from a predominantly rural agrarian society to a predominantly industrial urban society and has extended public education to near-universality, at least at the primary school level, has had a major reduction in birth and death rates of the sort depicted in Figure 1 .

The jagged line describing the variable current birth rate represents in some instances—notably the United States—a major recovery in the birth rate from its low point. It must be remembered, however, that this recovery has not been caused by a reversion to uncontrolled family size. In the United States, for example, one can scarcely imagine that married couples have forgotten how to employ the contraceptive

techniques that reduced the birth rates to a level of mere replacement just before World War II. We know, in fact, that more couples are skilled in the use of contraception today than ever before. (Nevertheless, effective methods of controlling family size are still unknown and unused by many couples even in the United States.) The recent increase in the birth rate has been the result largely of earlier and more nearly universal marriage, the virtual disappearance of childless and one-child families, and a voluntary choice of two, three, or four children by a vast majority of American couples. There has been no general return to the very large family of pre-industrial times, although some segments of our society still produce many unwanted children.

POPULATION TRENDS IN LESS-DEVELOPED COUNTRIES

We turn now to a comparison of the present situation in the less-developed areas with the demographic circumstances in western Europe prior to the industrial revolution. Figure 2 presents the trends of birth and death rates in the less-developed areas in a rough schematic way similar to that employed in Figure 1 . There are several important differences between the circumstances in today’s less-developed areas and those in pre-industrial Europe. Note first that the birth rate in the less-developed areas is higher than it was in pre-industrial western Europe. This difference results from the fact that in many less-developed countries almost all women at age 35 have married, and at an average age substantially less than in 18th-century Europe. Second, many of the less-developed areas of the world today are much more densely populated than was western Europe at the beginning of the industrial revolution. Moreover, there are few remaining areas comparable to North and South America into which a growing population could move and which could provide rapidly expanding markets. Finally, and most significantly, the death rate in the less-developed areas is dropping very rapidly—a decline that looks almost vertical compared to the gradual decline in western Europe—and without regard to economic change.

The precipitous decline in the death rate that is occurring in the low-income countries of the world is a consequence of the development and application of low-cost public health techniques. Unlike

Figure 2 . Schematic presentation of birth and death rates in less-developed countries, mid-20th century. (The steep drop in the death rate from approximately 35 per thousand began at times varying roughly between 1940 and 1960 from country to country.)

the countries of western Europe, the less-developed areas have not had to wait for the slow gradual development of medical science, nor have they had to await the possibly more rapid but still difficult process of constructing major sanitary engineering works and the build-up of a large inventory of expensive hospitals, public health

services, and highly trained doctors. Instead, the less-developed areas have been able to import low-cost measures of controlling disease, measures developed for the most part in the highly industrialized countries. The use of residual insecticides to provide effective protection against malaria at a cost of no more than 25 cents per capita per annum is an outstanding example. Other innovations include antibiotics and chemotherapy, and low-cost ways of providing safe water supplies and adequate environmental sanitation in villages that in most other ways remain relatively untouched by modernization. The death rate in Ceylon was cut in half in less than a decade, and declines approaching this in rapidity are almost commonplace.

The result of a precipitous decline in mortality while the birth rate remains essentially unchanged is, of course, a very rapid acceleration in population growth, reaching rates of three to three and one-half per cent. Mexico’s population, for example, has grown in recent years at a rate of approximately three and one-half per cent a year. This extreme rate is undoubtedly due to temporary factors and would stabilize at not more than three per cent. But even at three per cent per year, two centuries would see the population of Mexico grow to about 13.5 billion people. Two centuries is a long time, however. Might we not expect that long before 200 years had passed the population of Mexico would have responded to modernization, as did the populations of western Europe, by reducing the birth rate? A positive answer might suggest that organized educational efforts to reduce the birth rate are not necessary. But there is a more immediate problem demanding solution in much less than two centuries: Is the current demographic situation in the less-developed countries impeding the process of modernization itself? If so, a course of action that would directly accelerate the decline in fertility becomes an important part of the whole development effort which is directed toward improving the quality of each individual’s life.

POPULATION TRENDS AND THE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT OF PRE-INDUSTRIAL COUNTRIES

The combination of high birth rates and low or rapidly declining death rates now found in the less-developed countries implies two different characteristics of the population that have important impli-

cations for the pace of their economic development. One important characteristic is rapid growth, which is the immediate consequence of the large and often growing difference between birth and death rates; the other is the heavy burden of child dependency which results from a high birth rate whether death rates are high or low. A reduced death rate has only a slight effect on the proportion of children in the population, and this effect is in a rather surprising direction. The kinds of mortality reduction that have actually occurred in the world have the effect, if fertility remains unchanged, of reducing rather than increasing the average age of the population.

Mortality reduction produces this effect because the largest increases occur in the survival of infants, and, although the reduction in mortality increases the number of old persons, it increases the number of children even more. The result is that the high fertility found in low-income countries produces a proportion of children under fifteen of 40 to 45 per cent of the total population, compared to 25 per cent or less in most of the industrialized countries.

What do these characteristics of rapid growth and very large proportions of children imply about the capacity to achieve rapid industrialization? It must be noted that it is probably technically possible in every less-developed area to increase national output at rates even more rapid than the very rapid rates of population increase we have discussed, at least for a few years. The reason at least slight increases in per capita income appear feasible is that the low-income countries can import industrial and agricultural technology as well as medical technology. Briefly, the realistic question in the short run does not seem to be whether some increases in per capita income are possible while the population grows rapidly, but rather whether rapid population growth is a major deterrent to a rapid and continuing increase in per capita income.

A specific example will clarify this point. If the birth rate in India is not reduced, its population will probably double in the next 25 or 30 years, increasing from about 450 million to about 900 million. Agricultural experts consider it feasible within achievable limits of capital investment to accomplish a doubling of Indian agricultural output within the next 20 to 25 years. In the same period the output of the non-agricultural part of the Indian economy probably would be slightly more than doubled if the birth rate remained unchanged.

For a generation at least, then, India’s economic output probably can stay ahead of its maximum rate of population increase. This bare excess over the increase in population, however, is scarcely a satisfactory outcome of India’s struggle to achieve economic betterment. The real question is: Could India and the other less-developed areas of the world do substantially better if their birth rates and thus their population growth rates were reduced? Economic analysis clearly indicates that the answer is yes. Any growth of population adds to the rate of increase of national output that must be achieved in order to increase per capita output by any given amount.

To double per capita output in 30 years requires an annual increase in per capita output of 2.3 per cent; if population growth is three per cent a year, then the annual increase in national output must be raised to 5.3 per cent to achieve the desired level of economic growth. In either instance an economy, to grow, must divert effort and resources from producing for current consumption to the enhancement of future productivity. In other words, to grow faster an economy must raise its level of net investment. Net investment is investment in factories, roads, irrigation networks, and fertilizer plants, and also in education and training. The low-income countries find it difficult to mobilize resources for these purposes for three reasons: The pressure to use all available resources for current consumption is great; rapid population growth adds very substantially to the investment targets that must be met to achieve any given rate of increase in material well-being; and the very high proportions of children that result from high fertility demand that a larger portion of national output must be used to support a very large number of non-earning dependents. These dependents create pressure to produce for immediate consumption only. In individual terms, the family with a large number of children finds it more difficult to save, and a government that tries to finance development expenditures out of taxes can expect less support from a population with many children. Moreover, rapid population growth and a heavy burden of child dependency divert investment funds to less productive uses—that is, less productive in the long run. To achieve a given level of literacy in a population much more must be spent on schools. In an expanding population of large families, construction effort must go into housing rather than into factories or power plants.

Thus the combination of continued high fertility and greatly reduced mortality in the less-developed countries raises the levels of investment required while impairing the capacity of the economy to achieve high levels of investment. Economists have estimated that a gradual reduction in the rate of childbearing, totaling 50 per cent in 30 years, would add about 40 per cent to the income per consumer that could be achieved by the end of that time.

To recapitulate, a short-term increase in per capita income may be possible in most less-developed areas, even if the fertility rate is not reduced. Nevertheless, even in the short run, progress will be much faster and more certain if the birth rate falls. In the longer run, economic progress will eventually be stopped and reversed unless the birth rate declines or the death rate increases. Economic progress will be slower and more doubtful if less-developed areas wait for the supposedly inevitable impact of modernization on the birth rate. They run the risk that rapid population growth and adverse age distribution would themselves prevent the achievement of the very modernization they count on to bring the birth rate down.

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Essay on Population Growth in India

Students are often asked to write an essay on Population Growth in India in their schools and colleges. And if you’re also looking for the same, we have created 100-word, 250-word, and 500-word essays on the topic.

Let’s take a look…

100 Words Essay on Population Growth in India

Introduction.

India, the second most populous country globally, has seen significant population growth over the years. This growth has both benefits and challenges.

Causes of Growth

Several factors contribute to India’s population growth, including high birth rates, declining mortality rates, and increased life expectancy due to medical advancements.

Impacts of Growth

Population growth affects various aspects of society. It can strain resources, increase unemployment, and exacerbate poverty. However, it also provides a large workforce, boosting economic growth.

In conclusion, while population growth presents certain challenges, effective planning and policy-making can turn it into an asset for the nation.

250 Words Essay on Population Growth in India

India, the second most populous country in the world, is experiencing explosive population growth. This growth, while indicative of improved health services, has significant repercussions on the country’s socio-economic fabric.

Causes of Population Growth

The primary cause of this surge is a decrease in mortality rates due to advancements in medical sciences and an increase in birth rates. Socio-cultural factors such as the preference for a male child, leading to larger families, also contribute.

Impacts of Population Growth

The burgeoning population exerts immense pressure on India’s limited resources, leading to issues like unemployment, poverty, and inadequate public health and education services. It also poses a severe threat to the environment due to overexploitation of natural resources.

Population Control Measures

India has implemented various population control measures like family planning and awareness programs. However, their effectiveness is often limited by socio-cultural barriers and lack of access to resources in rural areas.

While population growth signifies a healthy populace, it is imperative for India to check this growth to prevent socio-economic and environmental crises. This requires comprehensive strategies that address not just the symptoms but the root causes of population growth, including societal norms and access to resources.

500 Words Essay on Population Growth in India

India, the second most populous country in the world, is experiencing significant population growth. With over 1.3 billion people, the demographic changes in India are influencing its social, economic, and environmental dynamics. This essay explores the causes, implications, and potential solutions to the population growth in India.

The primary cause of India’s population growth is the decline in death rates. With advancements in healthcare and technology, life expectancy has improved, leading to a larger ageing population. Furthermore, despite efforts to promote family planning, the fertility rate remains high in many regions, particularly in rural areas. This is due to a lack of education, socio-cultural norms, and limited access to contraception.

Implications of Population Growth

The population surge in India brings both challenges and opportunities. On one side, it places immense pressure on resources such as water, food, and land. Rapid urbanization and the subsequent strain on infrastructure, including housing, sanitation, and transportation, are notable issues. Additionally, it exacerbates environmental degradation and climate change.

On the other hand, a large population signifies a vast labor force, which, if harnessed correctly, could propel economic growth. However, this demographic dividend can only be realized if the population is healthy, educated, and skilled, which is a challenge in itself given the current state of India’s public services.

In response to the population growth, the Indian government has implemented several measures. Family planning programs, awareness campaigns about contraception, and efforts to improve women’s education and empowerment have been at the forefront. However, these initiatives have not been uniformly successful across the country.

The Way Forward

Addressing population growth requires a multifaceted approach. Firstly, it is essential to improve the quality of education and healthcare, particularly in rural and marginalized areas. This includes comprehensive sex education and easy access to contraception to enable informed family planning decisions.

Secondly, empowering women through education and employment opportunities is crucial. Women who are educated and economically independent tend to have fewer children and invest more in their wellbeing, contributing to a decline in population growth.

Finally, it is vital to foster sustainable development and resource management to mitigate the environmental impact of population growth. This includes promoting green technologies, sustainable agriculture, and efficient use of water and energy.

India’s population growth is a complex issue with deep-rooted socio-cultural, economic, and environmental implications. While it presents significant challenges, it also offers opportunities if managed effectively. A combination of education, healthcare improvement, women’s empowerment, and sustainable development can help India navigate its demographic transition and harness its potential demographic dividend.

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Human Population and the Environment Essay

• To find inspiration for your paper and overcome writer’s block
• As a source of information (ensure proper referencing)
• As a template for you assignment

Alien Invasion

Environmental benefits and challenges of urbanization.

A higher birth rate than the death rate of a species will lead to an increase in the population size of the species. Secondly, immigration into a given habitat at a faster rate than the emigration will also result to an increase in the population of the area.

Immigration is the movement of new species into the habitat from another habitat and this may be influenced by the presence of food and other resources in the new habitat that are unavailable from where the species are emigrating. Another factor that leads to the increase of the population is a reduction in the mortality rate.

When the mortality rate reduces for a particular population, the number of newly born surviving to grow into adulthood rises thus increases the population size (Zavaleta, Hobbs, & Mooney, 2001). Lastly, the total fertility rate of the population influences the rate of change in the population size.

The fertility rate of a given species will depend on the life history characteristics of the species such as the number of reproductive periods in the lifetime of the species and the number of offspring produced at each reproductive period (Berg & Hager, 2009).

In the nutria case, the high fertility rate and life history characteristic of the animal affect its population. The nutria reach the reproductive age when they are six months old and a mature female is capable of forty births in three years. Another factor affecting their population is the lack of a predator, which leads to a low infant mortality and death rate of the adult population. The absence of a predator causes the replacement rate of the nutria population to be much higher than its depletion rate (Messing & Wright, 2006).

When the land is depleted of the nutria’s food source, the population of the nutria will rapidly decline because of starvation. The nutria has a high daily food demand of about a quarter of their body mass. It would be difficult for the population to find a replacement food source within the same habitat that can sustain their population (Messing & Wright, 2006). Therefore, the nutria population will decrease significantly or wipe out entirely.

Speaker Notes

Introduction.

The term “Urbanization” refers to the transformation of a rural area into an urban area. An area that previously had the characteristics of a rural area gradually transforms into an urban area as its population increases and the dominant economic and social activities of the area change.

Contrasting urban areas and rural areas adequately offer the description of urbanization. While rural area populations work in occupations that directly extract natural resources such as fishing, logging and farming, their urban counterparts, as a result of industrial specialization, engage in occupations that relate to the transformation of the already harvested natural resources or the provision of services not directly related to the harvest of natural resources (Berg & Hager, 2009).

Cities represent urban areas that have fully passed the transition from being rural area and have the characteristic of diversity in race, ethnicity, religion and the social economic status of residents.

Challenges of Urbanization

As areas transform into urban areas they become more populated because they attract immigrants looking for better economic opportunities. The growth in population and the subsequent development of facilities to support the large population creates environmental problems in the urban areas.

One direct environmental impact is the encroachment of forests, wetlands, agricultural land and wildlife habitats. This encroachment changes the primary use of the given land and disrupts the environmental balance, which has consequences on the life of the urban residents and that of the biodiversity around them.

Encroachment into agricultural land leads to an immediate decrease in the food supply capacity of the adjacent rural area that supplies food to the urban area. Therefore, urban residents have to look further for food supplies and seek ways to make the dwindling agricultural land to produce more food per unit land size.

Another challenge of urbanization is the increased commuting distance necessitated by the large urban area. As cities grow geographically, residents have to commute longer distances to their work places, schools, hospitals and to access other social amenities or meet other people.

The increase in the commuting distance comes with an increase in the reliance on motorized transport with comes at a cost to the environment. Vehicles use fuels and emit airborne gases as their byproducts. The larger the number of vehicles used in a city, the greater the emission of the airborne gases to the atmosphere.

These airborne gases are pollutants to the environment because they affect the supply of clean gases such as oxygen beneficial to human and animal life. Vehicles also emit smoke that pollutes the environment by making visibility difficult. Moreover, the sound of vehicles especially in traffic jams as drivers hoot is disturbing to the listeners and is a form of noise pollution.

Another environmental challenge of urbanization is pollution of water. A characteristic of urban areas is the paving of roads, paths and parking lots. In addition, buildings cover any open grounds such that rain and wastewater has to be channeled over the surface through drainage systems into outlets or treatment facilities before it leaves the cities to join the natural river system.

The problem of artificial overflow of water is that it lacks the ability to sift toxic materials from the water before it joins the waterways. As water overflows on roads and other paved surfaces and roofs, it collects a lot of toxic materials that are later transferred into water ways and are consumed by aquatic life, animals and humans who are using the water.

When the rate of population increase in urban areas is much higher than the development of economic opportunities to sustain the population an imbalance arises. Additionally, developments of systems that adequately control the social character of the population have to match the population growth to prevent the social imbalance that arises.

Unprecedented growth of the urban population results to a strain on resources that can support such a high population, otherwise referred to as the carrying capacities of the urban area. An ideal population growth should be at a rate that matches the development of the necessary social amenities and economic capacities such as employment opportunities to support the growing population. Population problems blamed on urbanization lay squarely on the insufficiencies of the urban area to support its large population.

Urbanization becomes undesirable when it results to urban problems of matching facilities and the population that it supports. These challenges occur as sewage treatment, pollution, congestion, inadequate supply of clean water, limited availability of medical facilities, and few transport systems to match population growth among other challenges.

Benefits of Urbanization

Cities and other urban areas have more job opportunities than rural areas and can therefore support large number of people seeking opportunities for social and economic development. The concentration of diverse occupations and cultures in urban areas makes them the center for economic, education and cultural development.

Residents of urban areas have a faster and easier access to the available opportunities for interaction and personal growth that would otherwise require travelling long distance for the rural area resident. Urban areas also make it easy for authorities to conduct their administration duties.

In most cultures of the world, women, the disabled and the minority have limited access to economic opportunities; however, in urban areas the same marginalized people get employment in a variety of industries (Berg & Hager, 2009). In the following section we discuss two winning projects and how they overcame the challenges of urbanization discussed earlier.

Project on Sites and Services for Low-Income Family Groups Argentina

This project aims to address the challenges of providing a good quality residence to urban residents lacking the necessary economic ability to obtain their own land for development of houses. The project identified that despite the availability of land, the poor could not afford the high selling prices.

After the realization that speculators were responsible for the high price of land, the project acquired land that was later subdivided and allocated to poor residents who would afterwards pay for the land in installments without having to suffer the rising cost arising out of the speculation.

In addition, to ensure that the quality of life within the new residents was desirable, the project included the development of physical infrastructure for the low-income residents. The project included the development of roads, drainage facilities, light pillars and street lighting.

The project also addressed the supply of key services like electricity and clean water. To make the project sustainable, the development of the low-income site used the concept of a land bank where land is set aside for future allocation to low-income earners who would otherwise be unable to afford the speculative prices (UNESCO, n.d. a).

The Bronx Center Project – “Don’t Move, Improve” USA

This is a collaboration of the communities around the South Bronx area, which aims to revitalize 300 deteriorated blocks. In the revitalization plan, the project intended to create job opportunities for the community and avail job-training programs that would expand the economic opportunities for South Bronx workers, entrepreneurs and investors.

In coming up with the project, its managers realized that the urban area had been neglected and offered very little social and economic support to its residents making most of them to emigrate to look for better opportunities (UNESCO, n.d. b).

Overcoming Challenges: The Bronx Center Project – “Don’t Move, Improve” USA

In the Bronx center project, the managers focused on the redevelopment of dilapidated and abandoned buildings and using them as economic centers or administrative centers.

For example, an old courthouse was rehabilitated and designated as a community labor exchange building for residents seeking all types of employment. Throughout the implementation period of the project, the project managers engaged the community through different participating avenues so that the final development plans and designs benefited all community members.

Limited economic opportunities of the area led to an inadequate supply of affordable housing as residents earned low incomes. As a remedy, the project included the identification and addressing of the constraints that affect the low-income earners quest for housing.

This included provision of grant and loans for purchase of houses. The project also included the development of a new senior citizen’s residency. Finally the project, addressed the supply of social amenities be redesigning open spaces and streets in addition to development of transport facilities (UNESCO, n.d. b).

Overcoming challenges: Project on Sites and Services for Low-Income Family Groups Argentina

The project was able to provide a land bank for the low-income earners to shield them from the high land prices caused by speculation. It also made the land more affordable to low income earners by giving them an opportunity to pay in monthly installments in addition to letting them construct semi-permanent houses as they seek funds to develop their planned houses.

To make the project sustainable, beneficiaries were allowed to construct houses using their own resources so that there would be no dependencies associated with the success of the project.

To ensure the new residency remained desirable in providing a good quality of living, the project put in place measures limiting the number of houses that can be constructed on a single piece of land; and provided social services like roads, electricity and clean water to the site (UNESCO, n.d. a).

Berg, L. R., & Hager, M. C. (2009). Visualizing environmental science (2nd ed.). John Wiley and Sons, Inc.

Messing, R. H., & Wright, M. G. (2006). Biological control of invasive species: solution or pollution. Frontier Ecological Environment, 4 (3), 132-140.

UNESCO. (n.d. a). Project on sites and services for low-income family groups Argentina. Retrieved from Most Clearing House Best Practices: https://en.unesco.org/

UNESCO. (n.d. b). The Bronx Center Project – “Don’t Move, Improve” USA. Retrieved from Most Clearing House Best Practices: https://en.unesco.org/

Zavaleta, E., Hobbs, R. J., & Mooney, H. A. (2001). Viewing invasive species removal in a whole-ecosystem context. Trends in Ecology and Evolution, 16 (8), 454-459.

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Bibliography

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Colorado takes a new – and likely more effective – approach to the housing crisis

Assistant Professor of Business Law, Ross School of Business, University of Michigan

Disclosure statement

Brian J. Connolly is a co-founder of the Colorado Housing Affordability Project (CHAP). CHAP is an unincorporated volunteer group that has researched state land-use regulation in Colorado and ways to advance housing affordability.

University of Michigan provides funding as a founding partner of The Conversation US.

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In recent years, Colorado has been a poster child for the U.S. housing crisis. Previously a relatively affordable state, it has seen home prices increase nearly sixfold over the past three decades , outstripping even Florida and California.

Once a problem confined to coastal cities, unaffordable housing has increasingly become an issue in the nation’s heartland .

Like elsewhere, there’s no single reason why real estate has become so expensive in Colorado. Instead, there are several : Demand is rising among millennials, seniors are remaining in their houses longer, investors are buying second homes and short-term rentals, and housing construction has failed to keep up . Then there are supply-chain disruptions and labor shortages.

The result? Colorado has been experiencing declining population growth , increasing homelessness and hiring challenges for employers .

But new legislation may change that.

This year, Colorado’s General Assembly passed several laws that, from my perspective as an expert on real estate and land use , will make Colorado a national leader in expanding housing affordability.

On May 13, 2024, Colorado Gov. Jared Polis signed a bill requiring local governments to plan and zone for more apartments and condominiums near transit stations . On the same day, the governor signed a law allowing accessory dwelling units – small apartments located on the same lot as a single-family house – to be constructed in large cities and towns. These bills followed others that eliminated minimum vehicle parking requirements for apartments and preempted local rules prohibiting people from living with roommates . These changes will make housing more affordable by allowing developers to build more – and more diverse – housing at a lower cost.

Even more legislation, including a bill that would give local governments a right to purchase existing homes in order to preserve affordability, will soon reach the governor’s desk. Each of these actions aims to hold down housing costs for developers and home seekers.

Restricting new housing causes problems

To end the housing crisis, governments need to get rid of rules that prevent developers from building new homes.

For decades, economists have observed that restrictive zoning laws in some of the nation’s wealthiest cities are a major factor blocking new development.

Under the law of supply and demand , limiting housing supply increases housing prices.

That doesn’t just mean it’s hard to buy a home in Boulder or Vail. Unaffordable housing in prosperous U.S. cities has far-reaching effects. It increases the household wealth gap between existing, higher-income homeowners and renters. It reduces workforce dynamism , as workers can’t afford to move to places where they might find better-paying, more productive jobs. This, in turn, hurts national economic growth. Unaffordable housing also aggravates racial inequity and accelerates gentrification and displacement in lower-income neighborhoods.

The housing affordability crisis even makes climate change worse . As people seek cheaper housing farther from employment centers, their commutes produce more greenhouse gas emissions.

Colorado is addressing issues head-on

Colorado’s transit-oriented housing law is intended to address these issues. And, as my forthcoming research suggests , it may prove more effective than other states’ interventions to make housing more affordable.

Beginning with Oregon in 2019 , several states attacked single-family zoning by overruling local zoning laws that only allow one detached home per parcel. Many cities have passed similar changes.

Advocates herald these reforms, but eliminating single-family zoning has produced little new housing .

Bolstered by my experience as a land-use lawyer, my research demonstrates some of the issues with well-intentioned single-family zoning reforms: It is too expensive and difficult to finance projects that add just one or two additional units to properties sporadically. What’s more, small projects like these don’t attract experienced developers.

Allowing higher-density housing, reducing development fees and speeding up permitting time frames will result in more homes being built more quickly, my research shows.

Colorado’s legislation does a better job of harnessing market forces. The state’s new transit-oriented development law requires 31 cities to plan and zone for housing at an average density of 40 dwelling units per acre within a half-mile of a fixed-rail transit station or high-frequency bus corridor. That’s roughly equivalent to a three- or four-story apartment building .

It’s impossible to predict exactly how many new housing units this law will create. But the Denver region’s transit agency has 77 light-rail stations, and the law will force local governments to plan and zone for approximately 60,000 housing units around those stations alone. That number of units would help to close Colorado’s 101,000-unit housing shortage . And that’s not counting the units that will be allowed to be built along bus lines.

The new law builds on experiments in Massachusetts and California , where state governments have begun to require towns to zone for and eliminate red tape on moderate-density housing near transit. However, Colorado’s law goes further by allowing much denser development, mirroring locally adopted and highly effective transit-oriented development laws in Minneapolis and Los Angeles .

Colorado’s law hits a sweet spot for developers. Mid-rise projects are the most profitable type of new multi-family housing construction, according to the University of California Berkeley’s Terner Center for Housing Innovation . That’s because they can be built with inexpensive materials such as wood and don’t require specialized building-safety components that go into high-rise construction.

Developers can spread costs in these projects across more units than in, say, a duplex or triplex. Under proper market conditions or with modest incentives, larger projects make it more feasible for developers to set aside affordable units for below-market-rate affordable prices if local governments require it.

By design, residents of these new homes will have easy access to public transit, which should ease Colorado’s air-quality issues and reduce its carbon footprint. As a result, a broad coalition of housing, transportation and environmental advocates supported the bill.

Colorado’s transit-oriented law also addresses a common argument against state intervention in land-use regulation. Opponents argue that state laws governing land use eat away at local communities’ right to govern themselves.

Local control is political, if not legal, dogma in many states . Honoring Colorado’s strong home rule tradition , the transit-oriented development bill allows cities to determine where in their transit areas to permit multi-family housing. A town could spread the required units throughout its transit areas, for example, or concentrate them in a particular location. But they can’t opt out from building them in the first place.

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• Homelessness
• Legislation
• Housing crisis

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What was Trump found guilty of? See the 34 business records the jury decided he falsified

Donald Trump was found guilty of 34 felony counts of falsifying business records after prosecutors successfully convinced a jury he disguised hush money reimbursement as legal expenses. He is the first former president to be convicted of a crime.

Each count is tied to a different business record that prosecutors demonstrated Trump is responsible for changing to conceal or commit another crime .

Those records include 11 checks paid to former lawyer Michael Cohen , 11 invoices from Michael Cohen and 12 entries in Trump's ledgers.

The jury found that Trump authorized a plan to reimburse Cohen for the $130,000 hush money payment issued to Stormy Daniels and spread the payments across 12 months disguised as legal expenses.

Live updates: Former President Donald Trump found guilty on all counts in hush money case

Prep for the polls: See who is running for president and compare where they stand on key issues in our Voter Guide

Breakdown of 34 counts of falsifying business records

Here are the 34 business records Trump was found guilty of falsifying, as described in Judge Juan Merchan 's jury instructions :

• Count 1: Michael Cohen's invoice dated Feb. 14, 2017
• Count 2: Entry in the Detail General Ledger for the Donald J. Trump Revocable Trust dated Feb. 14, 2017
• Count 3: Entry in the Detail General Ledger for the Donald J. Trump Revocable Trust dated Feb. 14, 2017
• Count 4: A Donald J. Trump Revocable Trust Account check and check stub dated Feb. 14, 2017
• Count 5: Michael Cohen's invoice dated March 16, 2017
• Count 6: Entry in the Detail General Ledger for the Donald J. Trump Revocable Trust dated March 17, 2017
• Count 7: A Donald J. Trump Revocable Trust Account check and check stub dated March 17, 2017
• Count 8: Michael Cohen's invoice dated April 13, 2017
• Count 9: Entry in the Detail General Ledger for Donald J. Trump dated June 19, 2017
• Count 10: A Donald J. Trump account check and check stub dated June 19, 2017
• Count 11: Michael Cohen's invoice dated May 22, 2017
• Count 12: Entry in the Detail General Ledger for Donald J. Trump dated May 22, 2017
• Count 13: A Donald J. Trump account check and check stub May 23, 2017
• Count 14: Michael Cohen's invoice dated June 16, 2017
• Count 15: Entry in the Detail General Ledger for Donald J. Trump dated June 19, 2017
• Count 16: A Donald J. Trump account check and check stub dated June 19, 2017
• Count 17: Michael Cohen's invoice dated July 11, 2017
• Count 18: Entry in the Detail General Ledger for Donald J. Trump dated July 11, 2017
• Count 19: A Donald J. Trump account check and check stub dated July 11, 2017
• Count 20: Michael Cohen's invoice dated Aug. 1, 2017
• Count 21: Entry in the Detail General Ledger for Donald J. Trump dated Aug. 1, 2017
• Count 22: A Donald J. Trump account check and check stub dated Aug. 1, 2017
• Count 23: Michael Cohen's invoice dated Sept. 11, 2017
• Count 24: Entry in the Detail General Ledger for Donald J. Trump dated Sept. 11, 2017
• Count 25: A Donald J. Trump account check and check stub dated Sept. 12, 2017
• Count 26: Michael Cohen's invoice dated Oct. 18, 2017
• Count 27: Entry in the Detail General Ledger for Donald J. Trump dated Oct. 18, 2017
• Count 28: A Donald J. Trump account check and check stub dated Oct. 18, 2017
• Count 29: Michael Cohen's invoice dated Nov. 20, 2017
• Count 30: Entry in the Detail General Ledger for Donald J. Trump dated Nov. 20, 2017
• Count 31: A Donald J. Trump account check and check stub dated Nov. 21, 2017
• Count 32: Michael Cohen's invoice dated Dec. 1, 2017
• Count 33: Entry in the Detail General Ledger for Donald J. Trump dated Dec. 1, 2017
• Count 34: A check and check stub dated Dec. 5 2017

Jurors saw copies of these records entered as evidence. Evidence from the entire trial is available on the New York Courts website .

Contributing: Aysha Bagchi

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When Prison and Mental Illness Amount to a Death Sentence

The downward spiral of one inmate, Markus Johnson, shows the larger failures of the nation’s prisons to care for the mentally ill.

Supported by

By Glenn Thrush

Photographs by Carlos Javier Ortiz

Glenn Thrush spent more than a year reporting this article, interviewing close to 50 people and reviewing court-obtained body-camera footage and more than 1,500 pages of documents.

• Published May 5, 2024 Updated May 7, 2024

Markus Johnson slumped naked against the wall of his cell, skin flecked with pepper spray, his face a mask of puzzlement, exhaustion and resignation. Four men in black tactical gear pinned him, his face to the concrete, to cuff his hands behind his back.

He did not resist. He couldn’t. He was so gravely dehydrated he would be dead by their next shift change.

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“I didn’t do anything,” Mr. Johnson moaned as they pressed a shield between his shoulders.

It was 1:19 p.m. on Sept. 6, 2019, in the Danville Correctional Center, a medium-security prison a few hours south of Chicago. Mr. Johnson, 21 and serving a short sentence for gun possession, was in the throes of a mental collapse that had gone largely untreated, but hardly unwatched.

He had entered in good health, with hopes of using the time to gain work skills. But for the previous three weeks, Mr. Johnson, who suffered from bipolar disorder and schizophrenia, had refused to eat or take his medication. Most dangerous of all, he had stealthily stopped drinking water, hastening the physical collapse that often accompanies full-scale mental crises.

Mr. Johnson’s horrific downward spiral, which has not been previously reported, represents the larger failures of the nation’s prisons to care for the mentally ill. Many seriously ill people receive no treatment . For those who do, the outcome is often determined by the vigilance and commitment of individual supervisors and frontline staff, which vary greatly from system to system, prison to prison, and even shift to shift.

The country’s jails and prisons have become its largest provider of inpatient mental health treatment, with 10 times as many seriously mentally ill people now held behind bars as in hospitals. Estimating the population of incarcerated people with major psychological problems is difficult, but the number is likely 200,000 to 300,000, experts say.

Many of these institutions remain ill-equipped to handle such a task, and the burden often falls on prison staff and health care personnel who struggle with the dual roles of jailer and caregiver in a high-stress, dangerous, often dehumanizing environment.

In 2021, Joshua McLemore , a 29-year-old with schizophrenia held for weeks in an isolation cell in Jackson County, Ind., died of organ failure resulting from a “refusal to eat or drink,” according to an autopsy. In April, New York City agreed to pay $28 million to settle a lawsuit filed by the family of Nicholas Feliciano, a young man with a history of mental illness who suffered severe brain damage after attempting to hang himself on Rikers Island — as correctional officers stood by.

Mr. Johnson’s mother has filed a wrongful-death suit against the state and Wexford Health Sources, a for-profit health care contractor in Illinois prisons. The New York Times reviewed more than 1,500 pages of reports, along with depositions taken from those involved. Together, they reveal a cascade of missteps, missed opportunities, potential breaches of protocol and, at times, lapses in common sense.

Prison officials and Wexford staff took few steps to intervene even after it became clear that Mr. Johnson, who had been hospitalized repeatedly for similar episodes and recovered, had refused to take medication. Most notably, they did not transfer him to a state prison facility that provides more intensive mental health treatment than is available at regular prisons, records show.

The quality of medical care was also questionable, said Mr. Johnson’s lawyers, Sarah Grady and Howard Kaplan, a married legal team in Chicago. Mr. Johnson lost 50 to 60 pounds during three weeks in solitary confinement, but officials did not initiate interventions like intravenous feedings or transfer him to a non-prison hospital.

And they did not take the most basic step — dialing 911 — until it was too late.

There have been many attempts to improve the quality of mental health treatment in jails and prisons by putting care on par with punishment — including a major effort in Chicago . But improvements have proved difficult to enact and harder to sustain, hampered by funding and staffing shortages.

Lawyers representing the state corrections department, Wexford and staff members who worked at Danville declined to comment on Mr. Johnson’s death, citing the unresolved litigation. In their interviews with state police investigators, and in depositions, employees defended their professionalism and adherence to procedure, while citing problems with high staff turnover, difficult work conditions, limited resources and shortcomings of co-workers.

But some expressed a sense of resignation about the fate of Mr. Johnson and others like him.

Prisoners have “much better chances in a hospital, but that’s not their situation,” said a senior member of Wexford’s health care team in a deposition.

“I didn’t put them in prison,” he added. “They are in there for a reason.”

Markus Mison Johnson was born on March 1, 1998, to a mother who believed she was not capable of caring for him.

Days after his birth, he was taken in by Lisa Barker Johnson, a foster mother in her 30s who lived in Zion, Ill., a working-class city halfway between Chicago and Milwaukee. Markus eventually became one of four children she adopted from different families.

The Johnson house is a lively split level, with nieces, nephews, grandchildren and neighbors’ children, family keepsakes, video screens and juice boxes. Ms. Johnson sits at its center on a kitchen chair, chin resting on her hand as children wander over to share their thoughts, or to tug on her T-shirt to ask her to be their bathroom buddy.

From the start, her bond with Markus was particularly powerful, in part because the two looked so much alike, with distinctive dimpled smiles. Many neighbors assumed he was her biological son. The middle name she chose for him was intended to convey that message.

“Mison is short for ‘my son,’” she said standing over his modest footstone grave last summer.

He was happy at home. School was different. His grades were good, but he was intensely shy and was diagnosed with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder in elementary school.

That was around the time the bullying began. His sisters were fierce defenders, but they could only do so much. He did the best he could, developing a quick, taunting tongue.

These experiences filled him with a powerful yearning to fit in.

It was not to be.

When he was around 15, he called 911 in a panic, telling the dispatcher he saw two men standing near the small park next to his house threatening to abduct children playing there. The officers who responded found nothing out of the ordinary, and rang the Johnsons’ doorbell.

He later told his mother he had heard a voice telling him to “protect the kids.”

He was hospitalized for the first time at 16, and given medications that stabilized him for stretches of time. But the crises would strike every six months or so, often triggered by his decision to stop taking his medication.

His family became adept at reading signs he was “getting sick.” He would put on his tan Timberlands and a heavy winter coat, no matter the season, and perch on the edge of his bed as if bracing for battle. Sometimes, he would cook his own food, paranoid that someone might poison him.

He graduated six months early, on the dean’s list, but was rudderless, and hanging out with younger boys, often paying their way.

His mother pointed out the perils of buying friendship.

“I don’t care,” he said. “At least I’ll be popular for a minute.”

Zion’s inviting green grid of Bible-named streets belies the reality that it is a rough, unforgiving place to grow up. Family members say Markus wanted desperately to prove he was tough, and emulated his younger, reckless group of friends.

Like many of them, he obtained a pistol. He used it to hold up a convenience store clerk for $425 in January 2017, according to police records. He cut a plea deal for two years of probation, and never explained to his family what had made him do it.

But he kept getting into violent confrontations. In late July 2018, he was arrested in a neighbor’s garage with a handgun he later admitted was his. He was still on probation for the robbery, and his public defender negotiated a plea deal that would send him to state prison until January 2020.

An inpatient mental health system

Around 40 percent of the about 1.8 million people in local, state and federal jails and prison suffer from at least one mental illness, and many of these people have concurrent issues with substance abuse, according to recent Justice Department estimates.

Psychological problems, often exacerbated by drug use, often lead to significant medical problems resulting from a lack of hygiene or access to good health care.

“When you suffer depression in the outside world, it’s hard to concentrate, you have reduced energy, your sleep is disrupted, you have a very gloomy outlook, so you stop taking care of yourself,” said Robert L. Trestman , a Virginia Tech medical school professor who has worked on state prison mental health reforms.

The paradox is that prison is often the only place where sick people have access to even minimal care.

But the harsh work environment, remote location of many prisons, and low pay have led to severe shortages of corrections staff and the unwillingness of doctors, nurses and counselors to work with the incarcerated mentally ill.

In the early 2000s, prisoners’ rights lawyers filed a class-action lawsuit against Illinois claiming “deliberate indifference” to the plight of about 5,000 mentally ill prisoners locked in segregated units and denied treatment and medication.

In 2014, the parties reached a settlement that included minimum staffing mandates, revamped screening protocols, restrictions on the use of solitary confinement and the allocation of about $100 million to double capacity in the system’s specialized mental health units.

Yet within six months of the deal, Pablo Stewart, an independent monitor chosen to oversee its enforcement, declared the system to be in a state of emergency.

Over the years, some significant improvements have been made. But Dr. Stewart’s final report , drafted in 2022, gave the system failing marks for its medication and staffing policies and reliance on solitary confinement “crisis watch” cells.

Ms. Grady, one of Mr. Johnson’s lawyers, cited an additional problem: a lack of coordination between corrections staff and Wexford’s professionals, beyond dutifully filling out dozens of mandated status reports.

“Markus Johnson was basically documented to death,” she said.

‘I’m just trying to keep my head up’

Mr. Johnson was not exactly looking forward to prison. But he saw it as an opportunity to learn a trade so he could start a family when he got out.

On Dec. 18, 2018, he arrived at a processing center in Joliet, where he sat for an intake interview. He was coherent and cooperative, well-groomed and maintained eye contact. He was taking his medication, not suicidal and had a hearty appetite. He was listed as 5 feet 6 inches tall and 256 pounds.

Mr. Johnson described his mood as “go with the flow.”

A few days later, after arriving in Danville, he offered a less settled assessment during a telehealth visit with a Wexford psychiatrist, Dr. Nitin Thapar. Mr. Johnson admitted to being plagued by feelings of worthlessness, hopelessness and “constant uncontrollable worrying” that affected his sleep.

He told Dr. Thapar he had heard voices in the past — but not now — telling him he was a failure, and warning that people were out to get him.

At the time he was incarcerated, the basic options for mentally ill people in Illinois prisons included placement in the general population or transfer to a special residential treatment program at the Dixon Correctional Center, west of Chicago. Mr. Johnson seemed out of immediate danger, so he was assigned to a standard two-man cell in the prison’s general population, with regular mental health counseling and medication.

Things started off well enough. “I’m just trying to keep my head up,” he wrote to his mother. “Every day I learn to be stronger & stronger.”

But his daily phone calls back home hinted at friction with other inmates. And there was not much for him to do after being turned down for a janitorial training program.

Then, in the spring of 2019, his grandmother died, sending him into a deep hole.

Dr. Thapar prescribed a new drug used to treat major depressive disorders. Its most common side effect is weight gain. Mr. Johnson stopped taking it.

On July 4, he told Dr. Thapar matter-of-factly during a telehealth check-in that he was no longer taking any of his medications. “I’ve been feeling normal, I guess,” he said. “I feel like I don’t need the medication anymore.”

Dr. Thapar said he thought that was a mistake, but accepted the decision and removed Mr. Johnson from his regular mental health caseload — instructing him to “reach out” if he needed help, records show.

The pace of calls back home slackened. Mr. Johnson spent more time in bed, and became more surly. At a group-therapy session, he sat stone silent, after showing up late.

By early August, he was telling guards he had stopped eating.

At some point, no one knows when, he had intermittently stopped drinking fluids.

‘I’m having a breakdown’

Then came the crash.

On Aug. 12, Mr. Johnson got into a fight with his older cellmate.

He was taken to a one-man disciplinary cell. A few hours later, Wexford’s on-site mental health counselor, Melanie Easton, was shocked by his disoriented condition. Mr. Johnson stared blankly, then burst into tears when asked if he had “suffered a loss in the previous six months.”

He was so unresponsive to her questions she could not finish the evaluation.

Ms. Easton ordered that he be moved to a 9-foot by 8-foot crisis cell — solitary confinement with enhanced monitoring. At this moment, a supervisor could have ticked the box for “residential treatment” on a form to transfer him to Dixon. That did not happen, according to records and depositions.

Around this time, he asked to be placed back on his medication but nothing seems to have come of it, records show.

By mid-August, he said he was visualizing “people that were not there,” according to case notes. At first, he was acting more aggressively, once flicking water at a guard through a hole in his cell door. But his energy ebbed, and he gradually migrated downward — from standing to bunk to floor.

“I’m having a breakdown,” he confided to a Wexford employee.

At the time, inmates in Illinois were required to declare an official hunger strike before prison officials would initiate protocols, including blood testing or forced feedings. But when a guard asked Mr. Johnson why he would not eat, he said he was “fasting,” as opposed to starving himself, and no action seems to have been taken.

‘Tell me this is OK!’

Lt. Matthew Morrison, one of the few people at Danville to take a personal interest in Mr. Johnson, reported seeing a white rind around his mouth in early September. He told other staff members the cell gave off “a death smell,” according to a deposition.

On Sept. 5, they moved Mr. Johnson to one of six cells adjacent to the prison’s small, bare-bones infirmary. Prison officials finally placed him on the official hunger strike protocol without his consent.

Mr. Morrison, in his deposition, said he was troubled by the inaction of the Wexford staff, and the lack of urgency exhibited by the medical director, Dr. Justin Young.

On Sept. 5, Mr. Morrison approached Dr. Young to express his concerns, and the doctor agreed to order blood and urine tests. But Dr. Young lived in Chicago, and was on site at the prison about four times a week, according to Mr. Kaplan. Friday, Sept. 6, 2019, was not one of those days.

Mr. Morrison arrived at work that morning, expecting to find Mr. Johnson’s testing underway. A Wexford nurse told him Dr. Young believed the tests could wait.

Mr. Morrison, stunned, asked her to call Dr. Young.

“He’s good till Monday,” Dr. Young responded, according to Mr. Morrison.

“Come on, come on, look at this guy! You tell me this is OK!” the officer responded.

Eventually, Justin Duprey, a licensed nurse practitioner and the most senior Wexford employee on duty that day, authorized the test himself.

Mr. Morrison, thinking he had averted a disaster, entered the cell and implored Mr. Johnson into taking the tests. He refused.

So prison officials obtained approval to remove him forcibly from his cell.

‘Oh, my God’

What happened next is documented in video taken from cameras held by officers on the extraction team and obtained by The Times through a court order.

Mr. Johnson is scarcely recognizable as the neatly groomed 21-year-old captured in a cellphone picture a few months earlier. His skin is ashen, eyes fixed on the middle distance. He might be 40. Or 60.

At first, he places his hands forward through the hole in his cell door to be cuffed. This is against procedure, the officers shout. His hands must be in back.

He will not, or cannot, comply. He wanders to the rear of his cell and falls hard. Two blasts of pepper spray barely elicit a reaction. The leader of the tactical team later said he found it unusual and unnerving.

The next video is in the medical unit. A shield is pressed to his chest. He is in agony, begging for them to stop, as two nurses attempt to insert a catheter.

Then they move him, half-conscious and limp, onto a wheelchair for the blood draw.

For the next 20 minutes, the Wexford nurse performing the procedure, Angelica Wachtor, jabs hands and arms to find a vessel that will hold shape. She winces with each puncture, tries to comfort him, and grows increasingly rattled.

“Oh, my God,” she mutters, and asks why help is not on the way.

She did not request assistance or discuss calling 911, records indicate.

“Can you please stop — it’s burning real bad,” Mr. Johnson said.

Soon after, a member of the tactical team reminds Ms. Wachtor to take Mr. Johnson’s vitals before taking him back to his cell. She would later tell Dr. Young she had been unable to able to obtain his blood pressure.

“You good?” one of the team members asks as they are preparing to leave.

“Yeah, I’ll have to be,” she replies in the recording.

Officers lifted him back onto his bunk, leaving him unconscious and naked except for a covering draped over his groin. His expressionless face is visible through the window on the cell door as it closes.

‘Cardiac arrest.’

Mr. Duprey, the nurse practitioner, had been sitting inside his office after corrections staff ordered him to shelter for his own protection, he said. When he emerged, he found Ms. Wachtor sobbing, and after a delay, he was let into the cell. Finding no pulse, Mr. Duprey asked a prison employee to call 911 so Mr. Johnson could be taken to a local emergency room.

The Wexford staff initiated CPR. It did not work.

At 3:38 p.m., the paramedics declared Markus Mison Johnson dead.

Afterward, a senior official at Danville called the Johnson family to say he had died of “cardiac arrest.”

Lisa Johnson pressed for more information, but none was initially forthcoming. She would soon receive a box hastily crammed with his possessions: uneaten snacks, notebooks, an inspirational memoir by a man who had served 20 years at Leavenworth.

Later, Shiping Bao, the coroner who examined his body, determined Mr. Johnson had died of severe dehydration. He told the state police it “was one of the driest bodies he had ever seen.”

For a long time, Ms. Johnson blamed herself. She says that her biggest mistake was assuming that the state, with all its resources, would provide a level of care comparable to what she had been able to provide her son.

She had stopped accepting foster care children while she was raising Markus and his siblings. But as the months dragged on, she decided her once-boisterous house had become oppressively still, and let local agencies know she was available again.

“It is good to have children around,” she said. “It was too quiet around here.”

Read by Glenn Thrush

Audio produced by Jack D’Isidoro .

Glenn Thrush covers the Department of Justice. He joined The Times in 2017 after working for Politico, Newsday, Bloomberg News, The New York Daily News, The Birmingham Post-Herald and City Limits. More about Glenn Thrush

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