How Do Environmental Scientists Estimate Populations to Plan for Resource Usage?

by Gizelle Morales

Submitted : Spring 2019

The objective of this project was to demonstrate how environmental scientists would model population patterns over the span of a certain amount of time in order to predict future population size, its resources use, as well as its effect on the environment. Broward County was chosen for estimating population growth. Its population in 2010 and population in 2017 was used to calculate the population growth rate, and with that number the population for Broward was calculated for five-year increments starting from 2022 until 2052. After calculating this data, water use per capita was found and compared to population growth.  Showing that as population increases so does water resources use–sources Broward will have to invest more in to provide. Environmental scientists use these methods to help determine the life expectancy of certain resources for current and future generations, working together with governments to create futuristic plans for communities ensuring those resources will be available for the future.

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