Why is the population of South Asia growing

so fast?

Intro – What does overpopulation look like?

Slumdog Overpopulation Questions

1. Where are the kids playing? Explain why.

2. Describe their neighborhood.

Start at 6:20

What is overpopulation? Overpopulation is when an area surpasses its carrying capacity. When the population goes above the carrying capacity pollution,

famine, and disease can increase.

Carrying Capacity is the maximum number of people that can live

in an area without negative effects

Directions: Record what is in the box in your notebook

Worksheet Directions

1. Copy down what is inside the box on your worksheet.

2. Read along the rest of slide as we discuss it to find the answer.

- Make sure you are silent during the discussion.

- Call out the answer when we go over the box.

Causes of Overpopulation

1. Agrarian (Farming) Societies 60% of all workers in South Asia work

in agriculture (mostly rice, cotton, tea, and sugarcane farmers)

Farmers tend to have more children to help them work the farm

Because of this, Agrarian (farming) societies usually have higher birth rates and rapidly growing populations

South Asian countries have a rapidly ________ populations because of the large number

of small, family ________

2. Lack of Education for Women Many women in South Asian countries are

unable to receive a quality education The literacy rate for South Asia is low and

especially low for women Males – 73.4% Females – 47.8%

As women receive more education they tend to begin having children later in life and the birth rate drops

Because many _________ in South Asian countries do not receive a good education, the

birth rate is _______

3. Gender Preference

In many South Asian cultures, there is a preference to have a son rather than a daughter.

Because of this local culture and tradition many families will continue having children until they have a son.

Improvements in healthcare have led to a decrease in the infant mortality rate causing a population explosion

Because there is a ________ _____________ for male

babies, the birth rate is _____ in South Asian countries

Reflection Questions

• Answer the three reflection questions at the bottom of the Causes side of the worksheet.

Effects of Overpopulation

How does overpopulation effect South Asian countries?

1. Deforestation Wood is used for building materials,

furniture, funeral pyres, and so on.

The rapidly growing population of South Asian countries have created an increase in the demand of wood

The increased demand for wood and new arable (farm) land has led to deforestation (the clear cutting of forested land)

The rapid population growth is creating rapid ___________ in

South Asian countries.

2. Endangered Species Rapid population growth results

in the loss of habitat for many endangered species.

As animals like tigers, elephants and rhinos lose habitat they can become endanger of extinction.

For example, in the early 20th century there were 40,000+ tigers in the wild. Today there are only about 4,000.

Rapid population growth is destroying the natural

________ of many ___________ _______ like

tigers, elephants, and rhinos

Clip

3. Pollution of the Ganges River As the population rapidly increases

and urbanizes, more waste and pollution is created.

Over 350 million people live along the banks of the Ganges River

The Ganges River has become extremely polluted and now effects the health of the nearby population

The growing population has increased ___________ of the ________ River and increased

the health risk to the 350 million people that live there

http://Ganges River Video Clip

4. The Green Revolution The growing population

in South Asia created a shortage of food and frequent famines.

In order to increase food production, new crop varieties and new technologies (like irrigation projects and new fertilizers) were developed.

The increased food production has allowed India to feed its growing population but has also increased pollution from pesticides and fertilizers

Rapid population growth led to the _______ Revolution and an increase in ______ production