The document discusses how overpopulation is straining resources in East Asia. It notes that China is the world's largest agricultural importer due to urbanization reducing the number of farmers, and rising food safety issues. Water resources are also strained, as 1/5 of Chinese rivers are toxic from industrial and human waste. Energy is heavily reliant on coal in China and other countries import much of their supply. Major cities are overcrowded with populations over 20 million and rural land is being developed rapidly. This rapid urbanization will see 250 million people move to cities in the next 12-15 years. Transportation and manufacturing are stressed to meet rising demand for goods from growing consumer spending.

1. Strained Resources in
East Asia: A Result of
Overpopulation

2. Food

3. Food

4. Feeding China
• Lack of quality control, production shortcuts, and
rising consumer spending
• The world’s largest importer of agricultural
products
• Urbanization: 260 million farmers have moved to
cities since 1976… who is growing the food?
• Food-borne illness: numerous outbreaks of bird flu
• With higher number of imports, food prices will rise

5. Water

6. Water

7. Water
• 1/5 of Chinese rivers are toxic
• Comes from waste from both individuals
and factories who provide consumable
products

8. Energy

9. Energy
• 4/5th of China’s electricity comes from coal
powered plants
• Much of South Korea’s energy is imported
• Japan, being an island nation, imports
much of its energy
– 1st largest natural gas importer, 2nd largest
coal importer, 3rd largest oil importer

10. Shelter

11. Shelter

12. Shelter
• Tokyo, Seoul, Shanghai, Beijing, Osaka
have over 20 million residents
• There are over 160 cities in China with a
population over 1 million

13. Space for Cities
• 250,000,000 people will move from farms
to cities in the next 12-15 years
• Rural farms are replaced by high rise
apartments

14. Transportation

15. Transportation

16. Goods

17. Goods
• As spending power increasing among
those in East Asia, so does demand for
consumable goods.
– Chinese buy more cars than any other
country and is a growing luxury goods market
• Many goods are still manufactured in East
Asia
– Many counterfeit goods are also
manufactured in China

18. Jobs
• Urbanization has caused 160 million
migrants to move to cities to find work in
China
• Labor in factories is decreasing as
cheaper labor is found outside of China;
fewer jobs available

19. Spread of Disease
• Diseases spread when people are close
and crowded
• An outbreak of a highly contagious
disease could be a huge issue in
overpopulated areas