KP Marks Population Day with Focus on Overpopulation 

News Desk 

Peshawar: World Population Day is observed annually to raise awareness about overpopulation and its adverse effects on food security, socioeconomic services, and living creatures on Earth.

In Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa, both government and private institutions marked the day with special functions, seminars, and walks, emphasizing the importance of controlling population growth and addressing its impact on the environment, education, healthcare, food, agriculture, and wildlife.

The Population Welfare Department of KP, NGOs, civil society, and the general public organized various events and rallies to educate people about the negative effects of overpopulation. These events highlighted the urgent need for population control to ensure sustainable development.

World Population Day was first observed on July 11, 1987, when the global population reached five billion. Dr KC Zachariah, a senior demographer at the World Bank, proposed this day to be observed annually. The theme for this year’s World Population Day is “Leave No One Behind, Count Everyone.”

Population Trends

The UN World Population Report 2022 projects that the global population will reach 8.5 billion in 2030, 9.7 billion in 2050, and 10.4 billion in 2100.

Pakistan, with a population of approximately 243 million and an annual growth rate of 1.91 percent, faces significant challenges due to overpopulation.

Overpopulation’s Impact

Niaz Ali Khan, former Chief Conservator of Forests, explained that overpopulation poses enormous challenges to food security, economic stability, and environmental sustainability in Pakistan.

The country’s increasing population exerts tremendous pressure on agriculture, forests, biodiversity, and food services. Forests and wildlife in northern KP and Gilgit-Baltistan are particularly under threat due to population growth.

Control Population

Experts underscore the need for special policies to control population growth. They advocate for the promotion of cash crops and tree species cultivation to meet future food demands.

Dr Ehsan Khan, Director of the Edible Oil Productivity Institute, highlighted the country’s dependence on edible oil imports and the need to increase domestic production to meet the growing demand.

Edible Oil Production 

Pakistan spends approximately US$ 4 billion annually on edible oil imports. Despite having suitable land for cultivating oil seeds like olive, sunflower, soybean, corn, and canola, the country imports around 80 percent of its edible oil.

To address this, the government has launched various projects, such as the “Enhancement of Productivity of Oil Seeds” and “Promotion of Olive Trees Cultivation on Commercial Scale,” to boost domestic production.

The Way Forward

Experts recommend promoting edible oil and rice farming and increasing wheat cultivation areas to stabilize food prices amid population growth. They also suggest preparing educational videos for social media to raise awareness about overpopulation and its consequences.

The efforts and initiatives undertaken by the government and various organizations aim to ensure that Pakistan can sustainably meet the food and resource needs of its growing population.