Population density Dissertation Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3750 words

Population density - Dissertation Example Though the two theories tend to be in discordance, in unison they reflect the importance of the links that exist between the different existing scope modifiers like various institutional variables and the prevalent economy type of that community, to the population growth rate. Thus, there are no doubts that population density and growth rate has signi?cant in?uence over the socio-economic and demographic characteristics of any community (rural and urban). †¢ Higher population density and a high population growth rate subsequently results in increased demands for natural resources like water, food, fuel, agricultural land, an others from the natural resource pool. Rapidly expanding population thus results in over exploitation of natural resources, owing to the persistently rising demands. †¢ High population densities or rising population growth rate leads to elevation in agricultural activities that in turn intensifies deforestation, promoting urbanisation and greater land u se conflicts. †¢ Population growth expansion leads to higher energy demands and use (especially fuel oil and its derivatives, since they form the common energy sources both for urban and rural communities). †¢ population growth and density also ascertains the need for various essential public services like health, water, food, education, housing, transport, etc. thus, affecting the process of governmental budgetary allocation. The significant influence yielded by population on the natural resources, and socio-economic characteristics of a community, makes it necessary to study the orientation in population density and distribution, in order to plan and implement any program associated with growth and development of a State. To under the trends in population density and distribution it is necessary to study and analyse periodically the available standardised data (presently the data from census is used for analysis) on size and spatial distribution of population over a spec ific length of time. However, on studying the various available literatures on population density and its effects on the socioeconomic characteristics of a community, it is seen that very little research has been conducted in this regards. A closer look revealed that it was primarily owing to the complex nature of the term, ‘population density,’ not much work has been done on it (Fonseca and Wong, 2000). Thus, it makes it difficult for the researcher to differentiate between the cause and effect, while analyzing the multidimensional aspects of human density, and its relationship with socio-economic aspects. The intricate nature of the population density is also reflected in the association of various other factors, besides the socio-economic one, like historical or environmental factors, that assist in the formation a specific density range like clustered, linear, or randomly distributed, as regards any urban or rural population (Argent, Smailes, & Grif?n, 2006). 1.2 De nsity The term density forms to be one of the most important dimensions within the geographical aspects of development, and is seen as the economic output that is generated from a unit of land. The term, â€Å"refers to the economic mass per unit of land area, or the