China Overpopulation
As of September 2019, the population of China is 1.43 billion. Since the year 2000, China has added nearly 140 million people. Nearly 94% of the country's population lives in the east. Most of this population is centered at the bottom of the Yangtze and Yellow rivers, specifically. China's largest cities are all centered in the eastern portion of the country. The country's largest city is Shanghai, which lies are the mouth of the Yangtze River. (https://thetranslationcompany.com/resources/language-country/china-chinese/major-cities.htm#:~:text=China's%20largest%20cities%20are%20Shanghai%2C%20Beijing%20and%20Hong%20Kong.)
Shanghai, China
There are two layers on this map, the first indicating the population density across the entire country of China. The provinces on the eastern side, closest to the ocean are much higher than the provinces on the west side. This layer also includes China's largest rivers. There is a high correlation with higher densities and rivers, which makes sense because rivers allow water access to farmlands.
Population Density by Province
The second layer is indicated by the green outlined box, which is fertile land. All land within the green boxes are fertile enough for crops to grow. These areas are predominantly in eastern China, where all rivers ultimately flow.
With great access to water and vast amounts of flat fertile land, China has the capacity to support over one billion people, possibly more. China is also a very large country, as it is the third largest country in the world with an area of 9.6 million square kilometers. ( https://edubirdie.com/examples/the-reasons-for-overpopulation-issue-in-china/#:~:text=China%20has%20become%20overpopulated%20due,large%20numbers%20of%20its%20people. )
China is well aware of it's overpopulation issue and has tackled it with many different solutions, such as the one child policy (OCP). The One Child Policy was implemented as a national law in 1980 and restricted families to only having one child. This policy has many pros and cons. The positive effect of this policy is that it helps battle overpopulation and allows for more resources to be available countrywide. The negative effects this policy has is that it only limits families to one gender with their child. Another negative effect is that it is widening both the gender gap and age gap. In 2016, the one child policy ended and upgraded to the two child policy, allowing families a second chance. Then in 2021, married couples were granted to have three children. The UN projects China to peak in population around 2030, earliest 2027 and then start declining after. ( https://www.britannica.com/topic/one-child-policy/Consequences-of-Chinas-one-child-policy )
I personally find overpopulation a huge concern, especially for the United States in the coming decades as it will most likely become a part of my life later on. With climate change becoming worse, the entire Phoenix area and southern Arizona may become unbearable to live in with water access steadily decreasing. In this particular scenario, millions of people in southern Arizona and Phoenix (5th largest US city) will be displaced and must move elsewhere. A bigger concern is rising oceans and most Americans living within close proximity to the ocean, displacing even more people. We also have to add in the influx of people from across the world moving here as well, as many projections say that the US will near 500 million people by 2100. Overpopulation is not something we usually think about here in Arizona, but with climate change worsening it may become one of the biggest problems by the end of the century.