Disadvantages of Dense Population

Disadvantages of Dense Population

Introduction 

Prior to modernization and civilization, people were based in the rural areas. Activities such as farming and livestock grazing were the main sources of income. With modernization however, cities began to come up. As would be expected of any growth is that opportunities begun to sprout.  People were needed to work in the newly built factories and industries in the city, job opportunities were now available. This saw a migration of people from rural areas to the cities. Perhaps not anticipating the large number of people who would move in search of jobs, the cities rapidly became densely populated. This paper looks at some of the disadvantages of living in densely populated area. The paper also examines how might life be less satisfying in cities as compared to living in small family based society. 

Environmental Degradation 

With a large number of people living in one place, the natural resources are likely to be overused. Each natural resource is supposed to support up to certain level of population.  When the population surpasses capacity, this leads to encroachment. It is for this reason that resources such as water can become a challenge in urban dwellings. The number of people depending on that resource is too high that the resource is not sufficient. Consumption of other resources such as electricity and gas are higher in urban areas as compared to the rural ones (Child, 2012). Unfortunately, since there are no structural mechanism to support the increase, any attempts to widen the scope of support has an adverse effect on the environment. 

Affordable Living 

Housing is one of the basic essentials for any person. Yet, it remains a huge challenge for majority of people living in the city set up. Due to the high population in cities, the demand for housing has gone up over the years. The resulting effect is that the cost of housing continues to rise. Majority of the population in the cities has been forced to contend with poor housing that are more affordable as compared to the high quality and decent housing (Child, 2012). Good life as it would be perceived now remains a privilege of the few who can afford it. The rest of the populations opt for low quality but affordable housing. On the flip side, a small family based set-up away from the city is enjoying good quality yet affordable housing. Since the demand for housing outside the city is not high, the cost is relatively lower as compared to the city. 

General Dissatisfaction 

According to a survey conducted some years back, people living in one of the cities were asked how happy they were with their lives. Surprisingly, majority of them replied that were generally unsatisfied with their lives. They cited multiple factors as their source of unhappiness. Among the factors mentioned is the amount of time they use to commute to and from work (Ingraham, 2018).  Some of those interviewed felt that they did not have ample spaces for activities such as gardening due to constrained living spaces. A similar survey was conducted on another group living in rural areas and their responses were a sharp contrast. They seemed happy with the uninterrupted access to resources such as water, electricity and gas (Ingraham, 2018). Additionally, they were happy that they had enough space for children to play and they could also do extra fun activities such as gardening. 

Pressure and Frustration 

City life is often associated with better paying jobs and therefore better conditions of life. While that may largely be the case, it is not a case for one fits all. There are people living in cities with low income jobs. As previously mentioned, high population in cities has led to high demand for all basic amenities. A high demand pushes the cost up and this is a source for pressure especially for low income earners. This is even harder for people without a job. 

Unemployment and Crime 

Almost everything in the cities is up for grabs. The number of people looking for jobs is more than the opportunities available. As a result, at any given time, there is a large number of people who are unemployed. And yet, these people will require basic amenities such as food, housing and clothing. How then do they survive without a source of income? In modern and developed economies, governments have put mechanisms that cater for the unemployed. This is however not the case for countries in third world economies.  As a result, crime becomes rampant as people must find ways to fend for themselves. 

Conclusion 

People move to urban areas in search of a better life. While that may have been the case when the cities were originally established, the status quo has changed over time. The population in urban areas is growing rapidly and the resources available can no longer accommodate them. The solution in this case would be for people to consider moving out of the cities and embrace living in the outskirts of the city. These areas are less populated meaning that the resources can easily support the population. It also means that the cost of living is more affordable due to less demand. 

References 

Childs, A. (2012). Rural Psychology. Springer Ingraham, C. (2018) People who live in small towns and rural areas are happier than everyone else, researchers say. Retrieved September 9^th 2022 from https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/wonk/wp/2018/05/17/people-who-live-in-small- towns-and-rural-areas-are-happier-than-everyone-else-researchers-say/