Chapter 5 Human Resources

**People** are considered a nation's most significant resource. Natural resources become valuable only when people identify their utility. It is through human demands and capabilities that elements from nature are transformed into 'resources'. Therefore, **human resource** is regarded as the ultimate resource. A population that is healthy, well-educated, and motivated is crucial for developing resources effectively to meet societal needs.

Like other types of resources, human resources are **not distributed equally** across the globe. Populations vary in their levels of education, age structure, and gender composition. The total number and characteristics of the human population are also constantly changing over time.

The Pradhan Mantri Kaushal Vikas Yojana (PKVY), launched in India in 2015 with a target of training one crore youth by 2020, is an example of a government initiative focused on developing human resources by providing quality training to enhance employable skills among existing and potential wage earners.

Distribution Of Population

The way the world's population is spread across the Earth's surface is known as the **pattern of population distribution**. This distribution is highly uneven.

Some key facts about global population distribution:

• Over 90% of the world's population inhabits only about **30% of the total land area**.
• Areas can be very crowded or very sparsely populated.
• **Crowded areas** (densely populated) typically include regions in South and Southeast Asia, Europe, and north-eastern North America.
• **Sparsely populated or uninhabited areas** include high-latitude regions, tropical deserts, high mountains, and areas with dense equatorial forests.
• A significantly larger proportion of the world's population lives **north of the Equator** than south of it.
• Approximately three-quarters (75%) of the world's population resides in just **two continents: Asia and Africa**.
• Sixty percent of the world's population lives in just **10 countries**, each with more than 100 million people.

Fig. 5.1 is a pie chart illustrating the distribution of the world's population across different continents. It visually shows the disproportionate concentration of people in Asia and Africa compared to other continents.

Fig. 5.2 is a bar chart listing the world's most populous countries along with their approximate populations. This chart highlights the concentration of a large percentage of the global population within a small number of nations.

Density Of Population

**Population density** is a measure used to describe how crowded an area is. It is defined as the **number of people living in a unit area of the Earth's surface**, typically expressed as the number of persons **per square kilometre**.

The **average density of population globally is 51 persons per square km**. Within India, the average density of population is significantly higher, recorded at 382 persons per square km (as per Census of India, 2011 data).

Regions with the highest population densities are generally found in South Central Asia, followed by East Asia and Southeast Asia. These areas often correlate with favourable geographical and climatic conditions for human settlement.

Factors Affecting Distribution Of Population

The uneven distribution of population across the world is influenced by a combination of geographical, social, cultural, and economic factors.

Geographical Factors

• **Topography:** People generally prefer to live on **plains** rather than in mountainous or plateau regions. Plains offer flat land suitable for agriculture, manufacturing industries, and service activities. Densely populated areas include the Ganga plains in India, while mountains like the Andes, Alps, and Himalayas are sparsely populated.
• **Climate:** Extreme climatic conditions are usually avoided. People tend to stay away from very hot or very cold climates, such as the Sahara desert or the polar regions of Russia, Canada, and Antarctica.
• **Soil:** Areas with **fertile soils** are attractive for settlement as they support agriculture. Densely populated fertile plains include the Ganga and Brahmaputra plains in India, the Hwang-He and Chang Jiang river valleys in China, and the Nile valley in Egypt.
• **Water:** The availability of **fresh water** is a crucial factor. People prefer to settle in areas where fresh water is easily accessible, leading to dense populations in river valleys compared to sparsely populated desert regions.
• **Minerals:** Regions with significant **mineral deposits** often attract populations due to employment opportunities in mining and related industries. Examples include the diamond mines of South Africa and areas where oil has been discovered in the Middle East.

Social, Cultural And Economic Factors

• **Social Factors:** Areas offering **better housing, education, and health facilities** tend to be more densely populated. Pune in India is cited as an example.
• **Cultural Factors:** Places holding **religious or cultural significance** often attract populations. Examples include cities like Varanasi (India), Jerusalem, and Vatican City.
• **Economic Factors:** **Industrial areas** create numerous **employment opportunities**, drawing large numbers of people and resulting in high population density. Osaka in Japan and Mumbai in India are examples of densely populated industrial centres.

Population Change

**Population change** refers to the variation in the number of people within a specific time period. The world's population has not been constant but has increased significantly over time, often referred to as exponential growth.

Historically, for a very long period until the 1800s, the world's population grew relatively slowly and steadily. Although birth rates were high, a large number of infants and children died early due to inadequate health facilities and insufficient food production to meet everyone's needs. This kept the overall population increase quite low.

A significant acceleration in population growth occurred later:

• The world's population reached **one billion in 1804**.
• Just 155 years later, in **1959, it reached 3 billion**, a rapid increase often termed a **population explosion**.
• Only 40 years after that, in **1999, the population doubled again to 6 billion**.

The primary driver for this rapid growth was a **decline in death rates**, largely due to advancements in food supply and medicine, while **birth rates remained relatively high**. This widening gap between births and deaths led to faster population increase.

Key demographic terms related to population change:

• **Birth rate:** The number of live births per 1,000 people in a population over a specific period.
• **Death rate:** The number of deaths per 1,000 people in a population over a specific period.
• **Migration:** The movement of people from one place to another, either within a country or between countries.

**Births and deaths** are considered the **natural causes of population change**. The difference between a country's birth rate and its death rate is known as the **natural growth rate** of the population. A positive natural growth rate indicates that more people are being born than dying, leading to population increase (Fig 5.4).

The rapid increase in the world's population is primarily a result of a significant rise in the natural growth rate, driven by falling death rates outstripping falling or stable birth rates.

Fig. 5.3 is a graph illustrating the trajectory of world population growth over historical periods. It vividly shows the accelerating rate of growth, particularly from the 19th century onwards, leading to the rapid increases observed in the 20th century.

Fig. 5.4 uses simple diagrams to explain how the balance between birth rates and death rates affects population size: if the birth rate is higher, the population increases; if they are equal, the population is steady; if the death rate is higher, the population decreases.

Patterns Of Population Change

**Migration** is another crucial factor that influences population size. People move from one area to another, either within their own country (internal migration) or between different countries (international migration).

Key terms related to migration:

• **Emigrants:** People who **leave** a country.
• **Immigrants:** People who **arrive** in or enter a new country.

Countries like the **United States of America and Australia** have historically experienced significant population growth due to a high rate of **immigration** (in-migration). Conversely, countries like **Sudan** have seen a decrease in population numbers due to substantial **emigration** (out-migration).

The general trend in international migration is from **less developed nations to more developed nations**. People often migrate in search of better employment opportunities, higher wages, and improved living conditions. Within countries, a large number of people move from rural areas to urban centres, also driven by the search for employment, better educational facilities, and improved healthcare services.

While the total world population is currently increasing rapidly, the **rates of population growth vary considerably across different countries** (Fig 5.5). Not all nations are experiencing the same rate of increase.

Examples of varying growth patterns:

• Some countries, like **Kenya**, have experienced high population growth rates. Historically, they had high birth and death rates. With improvements in healthcare, death rates have significantly fallen, but birth rates have remained high, resulting in a high natural growth rate and rapid population increase.
• In contrast, countries like the **United Kingdom** have experienced slower population growth or even stagnation. This is because both their death rates and birth rates are low, leading to a low natural growth rate.

Fig. 5.5 is a world map depicting countries according to their rates of population growth. It visually highlights that while overall global population is rising, the pace of this increase varies significantly from one nation to another, with some having high growth rates and others low or even negative growth rates.

**Life Expectancy** is a statistical measure referring to the average number of years a person is expected to live based on current mortality rates.

Population Composition

The sheer number of people or how densely populated a country is does not necessarily reflect its level of economic development. For instance, both Bangladesh and Japan have high population densities, but Japan is considerably more economically developed than Bangladesh. To truly understand the role of people as a resource, it's essential to examine their qualities and characteristics.

**Population composition** refers to the **structure of the population**. It provides insights into various characteristics of the people, such as their age groups, gender distribution, literacy levels, health status, types of occupations, and income levels. Understanding population composition is vital for planning and development.

A useful tool for studying population composition is the **population pyramid**, also known as an **age-sex pyramid**. This is a graphical representation that shows:

• The **total population divided into various age groups** (e.g., 0-4 years, 5-9 years, 10-14 years, and so on).
• The **percentage of the total population within each age group**, further subdivided into males and females. The male population is typically shown on the left side of the central vertical line, and the female population on the right.

Fig. 5.6 provides a visual explanation of a population pyramid. It shows how the diagram is structured with age groups on the vertical axis and the percentage of the population in each age group (divided by gender) on the horizontal axis, illustrating what information can be gleaned from its shape.

The **shape of a population pyramid** provides valuable information about the demographic characteristics and history of a country:

• The **base of the pyramid** (the bottom bars representing the youngest age groups, typically 0-14 years) reflects the **birth rate**. A broad base indicates a high birth rate, with a large proportion of children in the population.
• The **top of the pyramid** (representing the oldest age groups, typically above 65 years) indicates the number of aged people and is influenced by the **death rate** and life expectancy. A narrow top suggests fewer people surviving to old age.

Population pyramids also help in understanding the **dependency ratio**. There are two categories of dependents:

• **Young dependents:** Individuals aged below 15 years, who rely on the working population.
• **Elderly dependents:** Individuals aged over 65 years, who typically depend on support from others.

The population aged between 15 and 65 years is generally considered the **working age** or economically active population.

Different pyramid shapes illustrate different population characteristics:

• **Pyramid with high birth and death rates (Broad base, rapidly narrowing top):** This shape is characteristic of countries with high birth rates (wide base) but also high death rates, particularly among young children (rapid narrowing). Relatively few people survive to adulthood and old age. The population pyramid for **Kenya** (Fig 5.7) shows this shape.
• **Pyramid with decreasing death rates (Broad base, wider in younger age groups):** This shape is seen in countries where death rates, especially infant mortality, are decreasing. The broad base indicates a high birth rate, but more infants survive to older age groups, resulting in a wider pyramid in the younger adult segments. The population pyramid for **India** (Fig 5.8) exhibits this shape. Such populations have a relatively large number of young people, implying a potentially strong and expanding labour force in the future.
• **Pyramid with low birth rates (Narrow base):** This shape is typical of countries with low birth rates, resulting in a smaller proportion of young people (narrow base). Low death rates and higher life expectancy mean a larger number of people live to old age, making the upper parts of the pyramid relatively wider compared to the base. The population pyramid for **Japan** (Fig 5.9) is an example of this shape.

Fig. 5.7 shows the population pyramid of Kenya, characterised by a broad base indicating high birth rates and a rapid tapering towards the top, typical of populations with high death rates and lower life expectancy.

Fig. 5.8 shows the population pyramid of India. It has a broad base indicating high birth rates, but the slower tapering compared to Kenya suggests declining death rates, with more people surviving to younger adult ages, leading to a larger proportion of young people and a significant potential workforce.

Fig. 5.9 shows the population pyramid of Japan, which has a narrow base reflecting low birth rates and a wider top section indicating a larger proportion of elderly people due to high life expectancy and low death rates.

A nation's future depends significantly on its young population. A country with a large number of skilled, energetic, and hopeful young people, equipped with a positive outlook, has a great potential for development. India is fortunate in this regard. It is crucial that this young resource is properly educated, provided with necessary skills, and given opportunities to become capable and productive contributors to the nation's progress.