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Population Growth and Environmental Problems in Taiwan (Formosa): A Case-study

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  24 August 2009

Yuan-Hui Li
Yuan-Hui Li
Affiliation:
Senior Research Associate, Lamont-Doherty Geological Observatory of Columbia University, Palisades, New York 10964, U.S.A.; formerly Visiting Professor, Institute of Oceanography, National Taiwan University, Taipei.
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Extract

Taiwan has the highest population density in the world today. The population growth-rate has been decreasing linearly since 1951, but the present growthrate of 2% is still much too high to lessen the population pressure. With the area of agricultural land severly limited, the agricultural sector of Taiwan can no longer absorb extra farm labourers without sacrificing the productivity of each farm labourer.

In order to feed the growing population, the high productivity of a rice paddy has been maintained by applying ever-increasing amounts of chemical fertilizers and pesticides, which in turn cause many pollution problems. Moreover the rapid growth of industries, which are mainly financed by outside capital, causes the expansion and congestion of the cities along with all sorts of pollution problems (air pollution of cities, water pollution of rivers, harbours, coastal waters, etc.)

The heavy dependence on imported energy (70% of the total energy consumption) and on trade with Japan and the United States, puts Taiwan in a vulnerable position with regard to fluctuations in the world economy. The ever-increasing population density, and the demands of a higher per caput consumption on the limited natural resources, risk leading to economic inadequacy and ecological degradation. Such a situation could endanger our industrial civilization more widely.

Type
Main Papers
Information
Environmental Conservation , Volume 3 , Issue 3 , Autumn 1976 , pp. 171 - 177
Copyright
Copyright © Foundation for Environmental Conservation 1976

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