Reducing the human population is the most realistic and fastest solution to fix environmental problems, claims new research.

Ecologists Professor Corey Bradshaw and Professor Barry Brook from the University of Adelaide's Environment Institute led the new research.

Even if leaders implemented the one-child policy worldwide, the Earth would still have about 7 billion living humans in the 22^nd century.

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Various catastrophic events that greatly reduce populations like wars and pandemics, and population control via family planning don't address environmental issues so total population still increases or remains the same.

Researchers said roughly 14% of all the people who ever existed are alive today.

The two professors constructed nine different scenarios using data from the World Health Organization and the US Census Bureau. The international database of these two organizations includes population data ranging from "business as usual" through various fertility reductions, to highly unlikely broad-scale catastrophes resulting in billions of deaths.

Controlling population may help reduce the pressure on natural resources but this will take a lot of time since ongoing demographic phenomenon can't be stopped.

The researchers asserted it's more important to focus on creating policies and technologies that will reverse the rising consumption of natural resources, do more plans to preserve the ecosystem and enhance recycling for more immediate sustainability gains.

TagsEnvironmental Solution, environmental problems, population control, One Child Policy, family planning