TWS Position Statement: Human Populations

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Burgeoning human populations, increasing per capita consumption, and changes in land use place an increasing demand on the world’s limited natural resources. Degradation of terrestrial and aquatic communities due to human population growth and increasing consumption is biologically detrimental to the natural systems on which humans and wildlife depend. Ecosystem management, including consideration of human populations, is needed to sustain the world’s natural resources. These resources will continue to decline or sustain damage if human population growth is not restrained and per capita consumption of resources not reduced.

The policy of The Wildlife Society in regard to human populations is to:

1. Actively support a policy of voluntary population stabilization and reduction to encourage conservation of natural resources and enhance the quality of human life.

2. Promote a better understanding of human impact on and role in ecosystems and the use of biological information in land use decisions to minimize contamination and harmful alteration of the global environment.

3. Support policies that encourage sustainable consumption of resources.

Approved by Council November 2017.

Human Populations Position Statement pdf