KARACHI:
World Population Day, established by the United Nations Development Program in 1989, is observed annually on July 11 to highlight the growing problems that come with a burgeoning global population — currently standing at an alarming 7.8 billion. Asia is the most populous continent in the world, with China and India together constituting nearly 36% of the total global population. With such humongous growth, problems are bound to arise.
This year, the commemoration theme was about recognising the impact that the Covid-19 pandemic had on fertility rates, and sexual and reproductive health. As a consequence of this ongoing pandemic, health care systems that cater to sexual and reproductive needs have been compromised and disrupted. Overpopulation has emerged as a crucial issue that requires urgent attention by policy makers, considering the fact that world resources are depleting at an unprecedented rate. It is unfortunate that even in this day and age, millions of women around the world are still denied access to safe and effective family planning methods, which should be a basic human right and a voluntary choice. Curbing birth rates is crucial if we are to ensure gender equality, enhance women empowerment and ultimately reduce poverty. While addressing the public last year, Pope Francis said there was no need to “breed like rabbits”. He was of course addressing the Catholics, but he could well have been addressing people of all faiths. The “ticking time bomb” of overpopulation in Pakistan is a grave threat to the very existence of the nation as our current population stands at a whooping 225 million, up from 208 million in 2020. The projected number of 342 million people by 2050 is ringing the alarm bell but the sound has fallen on deaf ears.
Some of the steps that can be taken to curb the growing rate of Pakistan’s population may include setting a minimum age for marriage, empowering women financially, spreading awareness through education, choosing adoption over biological parenthood, and opening a dialogue on the right to abortion. Religious scholars in Pakistan should also actively participate in the effort and spread awareness regarding the matter.
Salma Tahir
Lahore
Published in The Express Tribune, July 14th, 2021.
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