The West Papua population is increasing. In the year 2020, the population of this region was about 986,000 people. That is remarkably high if compared to the 2010 data that showed less than 800,000 people.
If calculated, the number actually increased by more than 4% per year. This shows incredibly high population growth in these regions. This growth is happening not only in West Papua, but also in other regions too.
The increasing population of people could damage the environment. This could lead to some severe changes that could not be reversed.
The West Papua Population’s Impact on the Environment
There is some damage from the growth of the population that could severely damage the environment. The damage could be shown below:
– The Increase in the Usage of Fossil Fuel
With the increase of the population on an island or a country, there will also be an increase in the use of fossil fuel energy in that place. Fossil fuels are usually used for electricity or transportation. The fuels are also usually used for industrial processes.
The more people in that place, the more fossil fuels will be used. Therefore, it could end up polluting the air quality and also the environment overall. The air quality will become bad, and over time it could get worse. With the air quality becoming bad, humans who breathe through it will also become sick because of it.
– Global Warming
When air pollution becomes more common, global warming is the biggest threat to the earth and will simply become the norm. Change of the climate, unexplainable natural disasters, or the rise of the earth’s temperature are the problems we will face if the population is not controlled.
The earth will become unbearable to live on. Someday, it will not be sufficient enough for our grandchildren to live.
– Environmental Effects on Earth
The other thing is that the West Papua population growth has an impact on the land. The increase in the population will make a lot of land become agricultural or livestock. This change could cause a lot of different flora on it to become more endangered and then later become extinct.
It may also result in the extinction of certain land-based species. The species in West Papua, such as the Cendrawasih bird, could become endangered as their home has now vanished into agricultural land.
– The Frequency of Natural Disasters is Increasing
The impact of West Papua population growth is also affected by the forest nearby. With more people on the land, the need for houses will also increase. Therefore, an activity such as forest clearing will become the norm.
This could lead to some natural disasters that could damage the environment. Such as landslides and floods. Not only the environment, but also the human population too.
– Increased Water Use
The other thing is water. The increasing West Papuan population will also affect the freshwater use for drinking in that place.
The freshwater will be used for many things, such as recreation, industrial processes, and also agriculture. The water will be extracted from rivers or from the ground to make do for drinking.
Conclusion
With the development of the West Papua population, there needs to be something being done to balance the environmental impact on the world. It does not just apply to West Papua or Indonesia, but also to other countries that are experiencing human development as well. It is a concern not only for systematic people but for everyone. Especially if you have the intention of staying on earth for a long time.
