Relationship of Population on Resources (Edexcel IGCSE Geography)

Population & Resources

Spec point — 4GE1-S6.067

• Economic activities all involve the use of resources and energy

• The rate at which resources & energy are used depends on two main factors:

  • The population size
  • The rate of development

• Many resources including energy sources are finite and non-renewable

Carrying capacity

• Each country/area has a carrying capacity, which is the maximum number of people (population) an area's resources can sustain

• The population that results in the highest standard of living is the optimum population:

  • There are not so many people or so few resources that the standard of living falls
  • There are enough people to develop the resources of the country

• Underpopulation is when the population is too small to develop the resources effectively

• **Overpopulation **is when there are too many people or too few resources to ensure a high standard of living

• Population pressure occurs when the population is greater than the** carrying capacity**

Optimum Theory of Population

• The Earth's population is now over 8 billion
• Whether there are enough resources to sustain the population has been examined by different theorists

Theories of Thomas Malthus

Spec point — 4GE1-S6.067

• Malthus proposed his theory in 1798 in An Essay on the Principle of Population

• He had a pessimistic view of the relationship between population and resources (specifically food) which states:

  • population growth is increasing at a faster rate than food supply
  • there will be a time when there is not enough food to sustain the population
  • as a result, population growth will stop as a result of a Malthusian catastrophe - famine, disease or war
  • these are known as **positive checks **as they increase the death rate
  • preventative checks are factors which decrease the birth rate
  • these** limiting factors** maintain the balance between population and resources

• Malthus's predictions were incorrect as they came before much of the technological developments which have enabled food supply to be increased

• As the world population increases much of the world's productive land has been used

• Neo-Malthusians today base their views on Malthus' theory. They argue that:

  • we have now used most of the available agricultural land
  • the amount of fertile land is in decline
  • food prices are increasing
  • the population continues to increase

• They suggest that famines are one example of how Malthusian theory has proved to be correct

• Neo-Malthusians argue that population control is essential to avoid Malthusian catastrophe

Graph illustrating Malthus' theory

Theories of Ester Boserup

Spec point — 4GE1-S6.067

• A Danish economist,Ester Boserup put forward her theory in 1965

• An optimistic view of the relationship between population and resources (specifically food) which states that:

  • population growth will stimulate developments in technology to increase food production
  • more efficient resources will be discovered/used
  • renewable resources will replace non-renewable

Graph illustrating Boserup's theory

Exam Hint Remember Malthus and Boserup both focus on food resources. However, the ideas can be applied to other resources.