A hidden threat – Population Growth, A need for new political ideology?

By Shahab Sabahi

Energy and Environment - Policy analysis research group

I recall, when I was at my ten, my father’s simple argument why communism would suit China. Without any offence, he believed that a central planner would evenly distribute food to Chinese for the sake of the rest of the world to get enough food. 
Thirty years on, China exercises its version of capitalism and stands as the world’s second largest economy with its increasing number of middle class, who will steadily demand more food and energy.
China is not any longer the only populated spot. On World Population Day, July 11, the United Nations announced an upcoming event global population hitting the seven billion mark by late October 2011. Another projection suggests the second milestone will be in 2025 when the global population will reach eight billion.
A new study “Africa's Demographic Multiplication” conducted by the Washington-based Globalist Research Center, points out that Africa's population has more than tripled during the second half of the 20th century, growing from 230 million to 811 million. Africa has become more populous than Europe.
Only Nigeria, Africa's most populous country at 158 million, is expected to grow to 730 million by century's end, making it larger than Europe's projected population of 675 million. Nigeria is currently the only African country with a population exceeding 100 million. But 10 other countries in the African continent are expected to join that club before the close of the century: the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), Egypt, Ethiopia, Kenya, Malawi, Niger, Sudan, Tanzania, Uganda and Zambia.
Cost-benefit analysis (again economic dimension) by experts reads that in many countries, every dollar spent on family planning saves at least four dollars that would otherwise be spent treating complications arising from unplanned pregnancies. Despite the low cost and many benefits of planning, as analysis shows, world leaders, particularly emerging countries as pledged before, have not placed a priority on its funding. WHY?
Perhaps world leaders see it as an opportunity and a new market for selling products and hunting cheap workforce. It may hold in medium term however it is obvious that the world’s scarce resources will be a pressing issue in foreseeable future.