Is it right to think that population is a threat to the global environment? Is there really a direct correlation between population and environment? Does overpopulation exist and who has the power to say that what they call overpopulation exists? These are some of the questions that cross my mind. Now, in answer to the question “Is limiting population growth a key factor in protecting the global environment?” I with all conviction say no. I believe that it is people's behavior and not population growth itself that affects the environment. In many developing countries, perhaps, another factor they link to population is poverty. If the population number is large, poverty exists which ultimately leads to scarcity of resources. But this is hardly true, studies show that there is no direct link between population growth and poverty. The National Academy of Sciences (NAS) in the United States concluded in its 1986 report, entitled Population Growth and Economic Development, cited by Jan (2003), that it is misleading to equate poverty with population growth per se. He found that the claim that population growth leads to resource depletion was wrong and pointed out that to a large extent environmental problems could be solved by appropriate government policies designed to correct market failure. This study was later confirmed by the Independent Inquiry Report into Population and Development (IIRPD) commissioned by the Australian Government in 1994. It recognized a positive correlation between population growth and sustainable development (January 2003). There may still be a push and pull factor as to why the environment suffers from depletion...... middle of paper ...... economically, environmentally and environmentally, and this would only happen if we prioritize and we give importance to what people can do, such as what Community-based forest management states that “people first and then sustainable development will follow”. Good governance among countries will spur the necessary development, not just any development but sustainable development especially for underdeveloped and developing countries. Works Cited Bautista, ND (2010). Reproductive Health Bill. Truth and dilemmas. A position paper. Jan AU (2003, July 9). Overpopulation: Myths, Facts, and Politics. Available at http://www.albalagh.net/population/overpopulation.shtml.Owens, James (n.d.). Is limiting population growth a key factor in protecting the global environment? Available at http://pcguy.qondio.com/is-limiting-population-growth-a-key-factor-in-protecting-the-global-environment.