Question

Write an essay on North-South Divide. 

Answer 1

The Northern (developed) countries and the Southern (developing) countries are always lock horned when it comes to the concerned of resource use and environment degradation. Both of them blame each other for the plight of the constant deterioration of the earth, the only habitat of the human beings.

• The views of the developed (Northern) countries: The developed countries are of the opinion that the uncontrolled population growth in the developing countries is the major cause of environment degradation.
  1. Population growth increases pressure on all sectors to increase output, which in turn increases the demand of resources and increases pollution.
  2. It also needs more food for the growing population, which leads to the exploitation of soil to increase food production. This leads to degradation of soil rendering it unproductive after a few years.
  3. To increase the food production, forests are cleared and converted into agricultural lands. This accounts for the loss of forest resources.
• Views of the developing (Southern) countries: The developing (southern) countries express their dissatisfaction over the views of the north pointing out that the high population growth is the major cause for the resource depletion and environmental degradation. This is disputed by the southern countries on two major grounds.
  1. The southern countries debate that the environmental impact of population growth in the high income developed countries far outstrip the impact of population growth in the low income developing countries. They argue that the north must reduced the level of consumption. It has been calculated that every thousand babies born in developed countries of the world consume three to four times as much of the earth's resources as nine thousand born in the developing countries due to its high purchasing power.
  2. The south feels that the high rate of deforestation is not only due to the extension of agricultural activities but more because of National debt servicing necessities and the high demand of forest - products from the developed countries. The financial assistance extended by financial institutions like World Bank and international monetary fund of the north are on two terms:
     1. The borrowing countries can sell the wood to the developed countries initially and then obtain a financial loan to reforest and repair the environmental damage.
     2. To pay back the loans, invariably more forest is cleared.