The Impact of Population Growth on Natural Resources and Farmers’ Capacity to Adapt to Climate Change in Low-Income Countries

Abstract

Population growth and natural resources are intricately linked and play role in climate disruption and farmers’ ability to adapt to climate change especially in developing countries with rapid demographic changes and economies mostly dependent on natural resources. Although literature exists on population issues, emphasis was given to positive roles of population growth providing only incomplete picture for stakeholders and policy makers. This constrained climate change adaptation and mitigation strategies, improving food security and attaining sustainable development goals. We reviewed publications on low-income countries with emphasis on sub-Saharan Africa and Southeast Asia. This review will bring forth often sidelined issue of population growth for decision-makers and future research in the context of achieving sustainable development goals of the United Nations for 2015–2030. Therefore, this review was initiated to reveal the impacts of population growth on natural resources and to uncover farmers’ capacity to adapt to climate change in low-income countries. Rapid population growth continues to be a major underlying force of environmental degradation and a threat to sustainable use of natural resources. It reduces the quality and quantity of natural resources through overexploitation, intensive farming and land fragmentation. Regions with high population pressure face scarcity of arable land, which leads to shortened/removed fallow period, declining soil fertility and farm income due to farm subdivision. Furthermore, landless individuals or those who operate small farms resettle or cultivate marginal lands, encroach on natural forests in search of more vacant land, which alters carbon source sink dynamics of the environment. Low farm income from small farms not only exacerbates food insecurity of farmers but also constrains their ability to adopt certain climate change adaptation technologies. All stakeholders should take swift actions to address challenges of rapid population growth and alter the dynamics between population, natural resources and climate change and its adaptation.