GEOG1100 Introduction to Human Geography

Introduction

The global human population has been burgeoning at an approximate rate of 0.05% annually (Worldometer, 2020).  By the end of the 21^st century,  The population is expected to hit  10 million (Valin et al., 2014). The population can be metamorphosed in both structure and size through the process referred to as population growth. Fundamentally, the population is dynamic across space and time. The main rationale behind the changes in the population is the changing of the death as well as the birth rates. The death rate has dropped globally owing to the amelioration in sanitation and the healthcare condition. The rate of births has however been rising leading to the overall increase in the global population (World Population Review, 2016).

Population change of any geographical region is modulated by a variety of factors that can be classified as socioeconomic, demographic characteristics, natural amenities, transport infrastructure,  socioeconomic conditions, development across time and space, and land use. The population modulation factors have diverse effects on population transformation across urban, suburban, and rural areas as well as across time and space.

The change in the growth rate, size,  and composition of the population can impose profound impacts on society, individual health and economy (Ehrlich, 2013). Economic and population change interact with each other.

Research on the population trends is vital for making informed decisions. Demographic changes may be a good signal for the underlying health issues in any place. Besides, the knowledge helps mitigate such issues if they are present. The population growth worsens factors such as competition for the limited resources,  tribal and regional warfares as well as environmental degradation (ONU, 2019).  However, it is vital to note that the analysis of population change is complex due to their modulators differing from one region to the other (Foresight: Migration and Global Environment Change, 2011).

Population change has also been driven by globalization which has two-way effects. Globalization has increased the spread of ailments such as SARS and HIV/ AIDS across the globe (Baber, 2012).  On the other hand, it has aided in the growth of medical, public health, and also family planning technology. This has also led to fertility reductions and life expectancy amelioration.  Besides, population trends and globalization have effects on inflation and labor markets (McMichael, 2013)

This study focuses on elucidating the probable factors which have led to the increase in population in the region of Burnaby in Vancouver Canada. The analysis is based on the field visit to Deer Lake Park.

Research Objectives

The main objective is to investigate the feasible factors behind the population increase in the Burnaby region. The major objective is further subdivided into the following specific objectives.

1. Find the factors contributing to the population growth
2. Using globalization as the lens to explain the population dynamics phenomenon.

Burnaby is a city in Canada, British Columbia. The city ranks 22^nd in its population in the country. In the British Columbia region, it is the 3^rd  regarding population size. It has a population density of 63680/square miles, made of Arabs, Filipinos, Latin Americans, Chinese, Blacks, Asians among others (World Population Review, 2018).  The Aboriginal group makes 1.8 % of the population whereas the Chinese make approximately 34%. The city has been growing extensively since 2000 (World Population Review, 2016).

The field excursion was carried out specifically on Deer Lake Park which is around 3 km away from the researcher’s home.

Methods And Theory

There exist varied ways for data collection. These include both the primary and secondary sources. These include interviews, documents and recordings, focus groups, questionnaires, and observations (Voleti, 2019). Each of these strategies has both merits and demerits which renders them useful and non-useful in varied circumstances. Nevertheless, the observation method was leveraged during this study.

Furthermore, cameras were utilized to take photos for the analysis of the study. This method has a variety of advantages over some of the other approaches. These include simplicity in its administration, universally acceptability, and its highly accurate results (Olsen, 2014). However, it also has some limitations. These include, the possibility of containing bias,  it is costly, it is not quite reliable and some phenomena cannot be observed (James et al., 2014).

Globalization has a high capability for advancements in a given area.  Addition, the concept it stimulates economic growth which ameliorates living standard as well as the health benefits. Globalization further denotes the improving interdependence and integration of societies and economies. It also reduces poverty by increasing sharing of ideas, capital flows, trade, and democratic institutions extension (Docquier & Rapoport, 2012).

Analysis and Discussion

The median age of Burnaby’s population is 39.8 and has been growing continuously. Burnaby city has a lot of commercials businesses. The area as well as good transport connectivity. The city has attracted a lot of famous companies such as Eastman Kodak, Ballard, Electronic Arts,  and TELUS. Nokia, Pacific Blue Cross, and the Mercedes Benz (Burnaby FAQ, 2020). The area also has good tourist attraction sites exemplified by Deer Lake Park among other lakes and parks. The growing city also has several varieties of restaurants.

The population of Burnaby is still expected to grow due to its reputation as an ideal region to play, work and live. The diversification of the population of the town has underpinned the region’s international connectivity thus opening it up for the immigrants. The region has strong cultural as well as historical connections to the Asian Pacific.

The presence and synergy of the above factors support the growth of the region's population. The region has green space despite being urbanized.  It also offers great opportunities for playing, learning, living, and also working. It has diverse communities and companies attracting international people. There are also good housings which are surrounded by recreational opportunities as observed in the lake. The area also offers easy accessibility to many of its regions due to a good transport network.

Conclusion

The population of any region is dynamic due to a variety of factors that regulated them. Movement from one place to the other is one of the determinants of population changes coupled with the death and the birth rate. This study analyzed the rationale behind the population changes in the Burnaby region of Vancouver in Canada. The data was collected through observation around Dear Lake Park. This study found various indicators which offer an informative signal for the population transformations. The reasons could be the economic development, the level of immigration, good housing facilities surrounded by green spaces, great attraction sites with high biodiversity, and the presence of international companies in the area. Globalization has also led to the mixed races inhabiting the area.

Limitations and Recommendations

The field study was carried out only in the regions of Burnaby, Deer Lake Park. There could be other drivers of the population changes in the area. The Park is quite small and thus the sample is limited.  The study area size could be increased. Only the observation method was used for the collection of data. This is quite limited. The use of other methods such as questionnaires, focus groups, and interviews could help provide more information on the population change drivers in the area.

References

Baber, H. E. (2012). Globalization. In The Routledge Companion to Theism. https://doi.org/10.4324/9780203123294

Burnaby FAQ. (2020). Frequently Asked Questions about Burnaby, BC. https://www.burnaby.com/faq-burnaby-population/

Docquier, F., & Rapoport, H. (2012). Globalization, brain drain, and development. In Journal of Economic Literature. https://doi.org/10.1257/jel.50.3.681

Ehrlich, P. (2013). The population bomb. In The Future of Nature: Documents of Global Change. https://doi.org/10.9774/gleaf.978-1-907643-44-6_6

Foresight: Migration and Global Environment Change. (2011). Final Project Report. In The Government Office for Science, London.

James, E., Milenkiewicz, M., & Bucknam, A. (2014). Qualitative Data Collection. In Participatory Action Research for Educational Leadership: Using Data-Driven Decision Making to Improve Schools. https://doi.org/10.4135/9781483329369.n5

McMichael, A. J. (2013). Globalization, Climate Change, and Human Health. New England Journal of Medicine. https://doi.org/10.1056/nejmra1109341

Olsen, W. (2014). Data Collection: Key Debates and Methods in Social Research. In Data Collection: Key Debates and Methods in Social Research. https://doi.org/10.4135/9781473914230

ONU. (2019). World population prospects 2019. In Department of Economic and Social Affairs. World Population Prospects 2019.

Valin, H., Sands, R. D., van der Mensbrugghe, D., Nelson, G. C., Ahammad, H., Blanc, E., Bodirsky, B., Fujimori, S., Hasegawa, T., Havlik, P., Heyhoe, E., Kyle, P., Mason-D’Croz, D., Paltsev, S., Rolinski, S., Tabeau, A., van Meijl, H., von Lampe, M., & Willenbockel, D. (2014). The future of food demand: Understanding differences in global economic models. Agricultural Economics (United Kingdom). https://doi.org/10.1111/agec.12089

Voleti, S. (2019). Data Collection. In International Series in Operations Research and Management Science. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-68837-4_2

World Population Review. (2016). World Population Prospects. In World Population Prospects. https://doi.org/10.18356/cd7acf62-en

World Population Review. (2018). Vancouver Population 2018 (Demographics, Maps, Graphs). World Population Review.

Worldometer. (2020). World Population Clock: 7.8 Billion People. Worldometer. https://www.worldometers.info/world-population/

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