effects on warfare population size sex ratios infant mortality and population age

effects on warfare, population size, sex ratios, infant mortality, and population age. Depending on the particular case, each of these variables is not equally important or even relevant. Rapid urbanization across the globe is setting the stage for possible clash of cultures, ethnic groups, religions and social-economic classes. This will strain city government resources, law enforcement and other municipal services of present and future megacities. Urban development that goes uncheck can result in environmental and health risks. While the world’s population continues to increase it doesn’t compare to the alarming rate of urbanization. Factors that affect rates of urbanization are; birth rates, migration and reclassification of rural areas. Migration will be the prominent factor that influences the high rate of urbanization as people leave rural areas to live in cities in search of better opportunities. These cities that are struck by rapid urbanization could be possible breeding grounds for extremist groups to recruit young males that have few employment opportunities. The movement of large segments of people from developing nations to developed nations may cause conflicts regarding territorial disputes. Some border cities in Mexico are good examples of when rapid urbanization overwhelms local law enforcement resulting in drug cartels taking over. In some places, city governments and police departments are plagued by corruption and are incapable of combating drug cartels. The military could intervene but does not have the skills or capabilities to effectively address problems that law enforcement normally handles. Urbanization, along with the heath hazards, environmental impact also presents a security dilemma for law enforcement and military that neither one can handle alone. As the world’s population become more urbanized, it is also getting younger. Demographers are calling this phenomenon, “The Youth Bulge”, as a large segment of the world’s population will be under the age of 30 in the coming decades. This is not necessarily a bad thing as young people are more open to new ideas and ideologies that could translate into politics and potentially better governments. Young people are also better for the economy as they are more likely to spend money versus older consumers. The negative side of this phenomenon is young people are more prone to being recruited into criminal and extremist associations when employment is hard to come by. In the next 10 year more than half of the world’s population will be under the age of 30. In many developing countries, unemployment rates for urban youth stand at over 50 percent. Urban youth may be the biggest security the world may face because of the absence of job opportunities and inequality.The spread of infectious diseases and pandemic are another security risk associated with overpopulation. Large groups of people who come from developing states were access to basic medical care may be non-existent. Diseases such as Ebola spread in places were sanitation and medication may not be available to combat the virus. In our globalized economy products and people can move around the globe in a matter of hours. 24-hour news coverage and social media platforms shares some of the blame for fearmongering and exaggerating the damage a disease outbreak. Often these reports are spread with attention catching titles and are missing critical details regarding the particular outbreak. These reports could potentially jeopardize the lives of asylees or refugees fleeing warzones or areas known for outbreaks. AIDS and HIV pose greater threat to global security than nuclear weapons as an outbreak can affect millions of people and spread rapidly. With the migration of large numbers of people from the developing world to urban centers will put pressure on sanitation services and international travel could escalate an epidemic to a pandemic in a matter of days. In developing regions few doctors and nurses are available to threat the ill and there is a state of war medical services may be out of the question as refugees attempt to evacuate.Food is another security issue associate with population growth that must be addressed as more people are moving to urban centers. The increased population will take a toll on the area’s agriculture and water. Agriculture is very resource intensive, needing land and access to large amounts of freshwater. Climate change, land degradation and water scarcity are major factors in being able to produce more food for a growing population. Water would have to be used in a sustainable way to meet the needs of a bigger population. In conclusion, the projected population bomb may have already occurred and we are now experiencing a more of a tapering off period of population growth. The overall population will continue to grow for the foreseeable future but not at the rate witnessed during the earlier times in human history. The massive migration to urban centers from developing nations and the creation of more megacities will be a legitimate global security threat. Resource scarcity, infectious diseases, shifts in societal dynamics and development of military weaponry will all factor into the fear of overpopulation being a global security threat.