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Net benefit of smaller human populations to environmental integrity and individual health and wellbeing

Bibliographic Data

ID22091067
AuthorsChitra Maharani Saraswati (0000-0002-8159-0414, The Kids Research Institute Australia), Melinda A Judge (0000-0002-9948-1865, The Kids Research Institute Australia), Lewis J Z Weeda (0000-0002-8920-9104, The University of Western Australia), Quique Bassat (0000-0003-0875-7596, Institució Catalana de Recerca i Estudis Avançats), Ndola Prata (0000-0002-5913-0737, University of California, Berkeley), Peter N Le Souëf (0000-0003-0930-1654, The University of Western Australia), Corey J A Bradshaw (0000-0002-5328-7741, Australian Research Council, corresponding author)
Year2024
Volume12
Pages1339933-1339933
Publication date2024-03-05
Peer ReviewedYes
Open AccessYes
TypeARTICLE
VenueFrontiers in Public Health (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 2296-2565 • E-ISSN: 2296-2565
PublisherFrontiers Media SA (PUBLISHER • CH)
DOI10.3389/fpubh.2024.1339933
PMID38504675
OpenAlexW4392456045
LanguageEN
Citations received3
References cited219

Introduction: The global human population is still growing such that our collective enterprise is driving environmental catastrophe. Despite a decline in average population growth rate, we are still experiencing the highest annual increase of global human population size in the history of our species-averaging an additional 84 million people per year since 1990. No review to date has accumulated the available evidence describing the associations between increasing population and environmental decline, nor solutions for mitigating the problems arising. Methods: to identify all relevant peer-reviewed and gray-literature sources examining the consequences of human population size and growth on the biosphere. We reviewed papers describing and quantifying the risks associated with population growth, especially relating to climate change. Results: These risks are global in scale, such as greenhouse-gas emissions, climate disruption, pollution, loss of biodiversity, and spread of disease-all potentially catastrophic for human standards of living, health, and general wellbeing. The trends increasing the risks of global population growth are country development, demographics, maternal education, access to family planning, and child and maternal health. Conclusion: Support for nations still going through a demographic transition is required to ensure progress occurs within planetary boundaries and promotes equity and human rights. Ensuring the wellbeing for all under this aim itself will lower population growth and further promote environmental sustainability

Biology · Climate change · Economic growth · Economics · Environmental health · Environmental resource management · Geography · Global health · Health care · Natural resource economics · Planetary boundaries · Population · Population growth · Population health · Population size · Prosperity · Sustainability · Climate Change and Health Impacts · Environmental Science · Health, Environment, Cognitive Aging · Medicine · Zoonotic diseases and public health · Ecology

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Unique citing works3
Citations per year3
Citation span2025 - 2026 (2)
Citation velocitycurrent
Highly citedNo
Citation typesNeutral: 3
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