The Overpopulation in China
Research Methods
John Abbot College
This literature review discusses the impacts of overpopulation on the environment in China through four main studies. Each study directed its research on one consequence: the water issue and the aquatic ecosystem, the overexploitation of land and resources as well as the extinction of green land, climate change, GHG emission and desertification of land1. Several methods and sources were used such as Pressure–State–Response (PSR), urban-rural population model or other research papers written previously2. The results of these studies clearly show that the overpopulation has multiple negative impacts on the Chinese environment and that strategies and policies regarding these issues should be established.
The population of China is growing exponentially and it is a serious issue because of its impact on the environment. The water deficiency is growing and as it is presented, the expectations of the Chinese people exceed the capacity of the land3. Since the population of China is increasing fast, the urbanization of land and the agricultural development increase at the same rhythm4. As it is presented, human activity and human density are the main explanation for climate change5. According to Shijie Wang’s study, the southwest of China is experiencing a desertification, in other words the land becomes like a desert left with no resources6.
Each article presents a different way of conducting its research to prove its point. In Qian Hong et al. research, the methods used to pursue the study are Pressure–State–Response (PSR), the landscape ecology method and Remote Sensing – Global Positioning System (RS-GPS) 7. According to the authors, there are three types of indicators: Pressure indicators, State indicators and Response indicators7. The indicators either presented a high or a low number. If the number is high, it means that the region suffered
Bibliography: Shen, J. “China 's Future Population and Development Challenges”. The Geographical Journal 164 no. 1 (1998): 32-40 Hung, M., et al. “China 's Response to Climate Change: A Policy Analysis.” Journal Of Alternative Perspectives In The Social Sciences 3 no. 2 (2011): 362-375. Wang, S., et al. “Mechanism of Rocky Desertification in the Karst Mountain Areas of Guizhou Province, Southwest China.” International Review For Environmental Strategies 3 no. 1 (2002): 123-135 Hong, Q., et al. “Regional aquatic ecological security assessment in Jinan, China”. Aquatic Ecosystem Health & Management 13 no. 3 (2010): 319-327