Human population

How refreshing to read Mark’s column on human overpopulation (My Way of Thinking, February 2020). It is regrettable that previous clumsy attempts at population control have tarnished the strategy as you described. I share your frustration at the failure of world politicians to tackle this issue. You are not alone in your views and we need to make the debate rational, so the solution of population control becomes an acceptable strategy. Gabriella Parkes, via email

Mark is spot-on about Africa ‘being the cradle of overpopulation’, partly driven by child marriages. There exists a belief that more children mean more help for poor parents, if their children became economically successful. With Sub-Saharan Africa’s high infant and under-fives mortality rates, some people believe that having many children is an insurance, in case they lose some.

The solution, albeit controversial, is for the richer world to invest in economic development of poor countries. This will unleash increased access to education and affordable healthcare (including family planning), empowering these girls economically. There are no easy solutions, but the world has to find answers.

Dr Manyando Milupi, Doncaster

Mark Carwardine’s article on the human populations’ growth was very thought provoking. In the 1970s, the dangers of overpopulation were raised and many forecasts then have proven correct.

The problem in Africa and other developing countries is that war, drought, hunger and disease have exacerbated so much misery.

We in the West have nothing to be proud of, as our use and destruction of resources has caused so many problems. Instead of going on about global warming, which many believe has nothing to do with us and is just the Earth doing its own thing (personally I think we have caused some of it) we should be looking at curbing the growth of our own population. Oliver Craig, Edinburgh