Māris kļaviņŠ, azamat azizov, JĀnis zaļoksnis environment, pollution, development: the case of uzbekistan

Figure 12.2. 
Simplified 
scheme of division of 
labour in globalised 
economy: structures of 
centre and periphery
Figure 12.3. 
Distribution 
of welfare: countries of 
the world. The size of the 
countries on the map is 
in proportional to their 
per capita GNP

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ENVIRONMENT, POLLUTION, DEVELOPMENT:  THE CASE OF UZBEKISTAN
the depletion of the existing reserves by economising resources 
and  preserving  the  volume  of  investments.  A  smaller  population 
growth in more developed countries enables them to allocate most 
of production capital to industrial investments and diminish in vest-
ments in the service sphere, particularly in health care and education. 
Rapidly developing countries and economies cannot afford it.
In developing countries, there are considerable restrictions 
to capital growth due to growing population and other reasons. 
The surplus value that could be used for investments is allocated, 
luxury of the power elite, payment of external debt or excessive 
militarisation. Conducive to poverty is corruption, low level of edu-
cation, and mismanagement, while population is placed under the 
growth model that increases the number of population and prevents 
the growth of welfare. The structure that relates the number of 
population to capital ensures the principle of the global economy 
model which can be illustrated by an ancient proverb: the rich 
become richer, the poor beget children. Notably, these features of 
the system are by no means accidental. The system has been created 
to produce precisely such results, and the process will continue if 
the structure is not subjected to well-considered changes. Population 
growth impedes the growth of production capital, calling forth ever-
increasing demands of schools, hospitals, resources and basic goods, 
in this way diminishing the part of industrial produce that could 
be invested in production. Poverty makes the growth of human 
population endless, forcing people to live without quality education, 
health care and access to family planning. The only choice or way to 
live on is a big family and a hope that children will help to raise the 
family income or serve their family as labour force.
Poor people need food, shelter and material values. The well-
off people use material growth in order to satisfy other needs, real 
but  non-material:  boosting  their  own  recognition,  self-confidence, 
unity, personality. While we are rapidly approaching the limits of 
our planet, unfortunately, discussions about the limits to growth in 
many cases does not have any influence on these people.