Over Population IN EAST AFRICA

By

POPULATION OF EAST AFRICA

Population Growth

Population Growth rate refers to the rate at which population changes by increasing in size.

It is calculated as;

Birth rate – Death rate divide by 1000 X 100.
Birth rate should always be higher than death rate in order for population to increase.

Population growth rate (PGR) = Birth rate – Death rate X 100
                                                                          1000   

For example, assessing the birth rate of Tanzania to be 48% per annum and its death rate 12% per annum, calculate the population growth rate? 
PGR     =          48 – 12    X 100   =       3.6%
                           1000            
Factors which lead to High Population Growth Rate in East Africa
  • Early marriages.
  • High fertility rates.
  • Polygamy.
  • Low levels of education.
  • Lack of family planning facilities.
  • Excessive birth rates over death rate.
  • Declining death rate due to improved medical facilities.
  • Rural – urban population.
  • Value the parents attach to their children.
  • Level of income.


    Over Population
    Over population refers to a situation where a country’s resources are not adequate to provide the necessary means of survival to its people. The resources are over utilised in order for the people to survive.
    Population migration
    In East Africa people are always moving from time to time. This affects the nature of the population distribution. There are a number of factors why people migrate. These include; 
    • Economic reasons
    • Political   reasons
    • Cultural   reasons
    • Social  reasons
    Migration can be for a short time and for a long time. It can be internal and external or international.   
    Reasons for migration

    • Unemployed people move from the rural to the urban centres in search for employment opportunities.
    • Cultivators migrate in search for good land for farming (agriculture) purpose.
    • Traders move in search for trade opportunities.
    • In northern Uganda people are frequently moving because of political instabilities etc.   

    Census

    Questions
    1. What is a census?
    2. Have you ever participated in a census?
    3. If so, what questions were you asked?
    4. What is the importance of carrying out a population census?
    5. What are the attitudes of people towards census exercises?
    A Census is the procedure of systematically acquiring and recording information about the members of a given population. It is a regularly occurring and official counting of a particular population.
     10. POPULATION CENSUS
    This is the counting of people in a given area.
    WHY IT IS CARRIED OUT (IMPORTANCE)
    • To establish the number of people in the country in terms of Age, Sex distribution, level of education, standards of living.
    • To enable the government distribute the resources according to the prevailing population in the area. That is, government plans on how to adequately allocate the resources.
    • To find out the relationship between the prevailing population and their conditions of living for example housing facilities, levels of income, levels of employment.
    • To help the government design a sound policy on population; in terms of birth rates, migration and distribution of resources.
    WHAT TO CONSIDER
    • Age
    • Sex
    • Level of education
    • Occupation
    • Standards of living
    • Mode of transport
    • Etc.

    11. LIFE EXPECTANCY
    Life expectancy is the average age at which people die. Life expectancy is very low in the developing countries and high in the developed countries.
    • Optimum population.Optimum population refers to a situation where the number of people is in balance with the available resources. This means that;  
    • Optimum conditions can only be maintained if the exploitation of new resources and development of employment opportunities keeps in pace with the increasing rate of population.
    • The size, distribution and structure of the population within a country must be viewed in relation to its natural resources.
    • If the country’s resources are not adequately supporting its population, then people are likely to be poor, dependant and hungry. A higher rate of unemployment is also an indicator.
    Where a country has gone beyond the optimum population level, there is likely to be a  problem of over population.