Overpopulation and waste management

1. Overpopulation and Waste Management
Problem Statement
The growth of cities, which will need to accommodate around 5 billion people by 2030,
will be another of the decade's big environmental challenges. The metropolises of the
future will need to be compact, safe, inclusive, ecological and energy efficient, with
more green spaces, more environmentally friendly buildings and more sustainable
methods of transport which put the needs of pedestrians above those of traffic.
Ideally, the increasing population in urban cities should bolster an economy, with the
number of bodies available to take on jobs. But it’s not an ideal world. In developing
countries, what this means is an influx of unproductive citizens trying to find better
opportunities in the cities, without the skills required to make a significant contribution.
They are totally reliant on government support. The government may not have the
budget to support the needs of the increasing population – and the result is less than
desirable.
Some situations that can result from unsustainable urbanization.
● The number of vehicles on the road causes traffic congestion which cuts down
on productivity.
● An estimated 400 million city dwellers face the risk of flooding due to the rising of
sea levels caused by Climate Change.
● The growing number of people in the cities puts a strain on Waste Management
efforts etc.
Proposed Strategy
We need to revisit our city planning methods to address this problem specifically.
Smaller cities near the mega cities need to be developed to evenly distribute the
population. The compact cities will remain fully connected to the resources it needs –
and from the get-go, we can make it green.
Infrastructure: Building or upgrading waste sorting and treatment facilities, closing or
refurbishing landfill sites.

2. Legislation: Policy measures and coordinated solutions for the waste management
sector.
Finance: Helping governments to improve cost management for refuse services through
local taxes and strategic planning.
Community Engagement: Behaviour change and public participation around
overpopulation, overconsumption, waste reduction, re-use and recycling.
Climate Change: Develop projects to promote sustainable refuse disposal and the
reduction of food waste.
Health and Safety: Improve public health by reducing the burning of waste and the
spread of pests and diseases.
Knowledge Creation: Examine reliable data around waste management and use the
knowledge gained to inform more viable solutions for localised waste management.
Uniqueness in our solutions
Some see population as a problem that is gradually solving itself due to demographic
transition, where populations tend to have fewer children as their economic and
educational circumstances improve, and advances in education and female economic
empowerment that allow women to choose if and when they will have children.
Others feel that the solution to overpopulation lies in more proactive measures like
economic incentives to have fewer children or regulating the number of children allowed
per family. These kinds of measures quickly lead to social and ethical considerations
that are difficult to solve.
Mitigating the impacts of overpopulation is perhaps a simpler route to take for
individuals who are not responsible for things like government policies. On an individual
level, there is much we can do to support a decrease in birth rates and a shift away from
overconsumption.
Market Plan
Consult with interested stakeholders

3. Which people in your community have information or resources related to various waste
management-related activities? (e.g., transportation, sanitation, emergency response,
environmental health, public health, public works, zoning, key industry and business
leaders)
Identify potential waste streams
What are the possible waste streams that an incident may generate in your community,
considering the industrial, agricultural, residential and commercial aspects of the
community?
Evaluate the reuse and recycling program
What reuse and recycling options (e.g., recycling facilities, end markets for reused and
recycled products) currently are available to your community within and/or across
jurisdictional lines?
Select potential waste management facilities
What reuse, composting, recycling, treatment and disposal options currently are
available in your community, state or region.
Create a waste management-focused community outreach plan
How may your community be informed of waste management-related information,
including the transportation and management of incident-related wastes in or near the
community?
Benefits and impact
Urban planning refers to the planning and designing of urban areas. Though
urbanisation provides people with the means to earn a living, most urban centres in
India are overpopulated. Overpopulation can be controlled, and the number of slums
can be significantly reduced through better planning of cities and housing facilities.
Urban planning and waste management also help in curbing pollution as well as contain
the outbreak of diseases.
After our one big step towards this problem it will impact on our society and
Actions on the individual level, Actions on the community level, Actions on the national
level, Actions on the global level all actions will be taken seriously.