Overpopulation in Niger

By, Zack Selker and Scott Campbell

Niger

• Niger is a country of extremes.• It experiences some of the most extreme

impoverishment in the world along with one of the highest infant mortality and death rates in the world

• The average life span for both a man and a women is 44 years old.

• As we speak Niger is experiencing one of the worst famines in generations.

• The infant mortality rate is 155.42/1000 births.

Overpopulation

• The problem in Niger is its overpopulation problem.

• It is a nation of 13,272,679 people.

• This excess of people is compounding the other problems that the nation faces and creates new ones.

Poverty

• There is extreme poverty in Niger

• On average, the income is $700 per year.

• In the latest survey the poverty rate was that 63% of the population lived below the poverty line.

Famine

• Right now there is a terrible famine plaguing Niger.

• This famine pushes the death rate even higher to 20.26 deaths/1,000 people while the birth rate is at 49.62 births/1,000 population.

• Even with the high death rate, the birth rate remains very high, along with the fact that women bear on average 7 children. It is easy to see where the overpopulation problem is coming from.

Its Problem

• While the overall population might not seem as high as that of China and India, and while its population density is just 12 people per square mile, Niger suffers from all of the symptoms of overpopulation.

The Land

• Niger is a barren desert, so most of its workforce is employed in industry and service (92% industry and 8% agricultural)

• This lack of farmland makes famine an everyday occurrence.

• Only 11% of the land is arable.

Contributors to the problem

• Extreme poverty is a contributor to the problem and also a result.

• The high infant mortality rate makes mothers feel the desire to have more children because most babies do not survive.

• Limited access to contraceptives.

Results of Overpopulation

• Increase in famine occurrences are likely and have happened.

• The increased spreading of diseases such as HIV/AIDS and typhoid are direct results of overpopulation.

• Poverty is a major result of overpopulation and is a main contributor also.

• Increase in rebel and anarchist activities

Solutions

• A viable solution would be to increase the quality of medical care. This would give people a fighting chance against the diseases they face. A healthier population would mean an overall better population.

Controversial Solution

• A controversial solution would include the use of military force.

• This would put pressure on the government to better the conditions in the country and stabilize the out of control population.