Conclusion

China is currently undergoing the most rapid case of overpopulation and urbanization any country has ever seen, leading to a multitude of environmental problems.  Although China's population growth has slowed considerably, its ecological footprint is increasing faster than ever before due to the country's rising affluence level.  Some of these environmental effects are well known -- particularly urban air pollution and carbon emissions, while other go largely under the radar such as declining supplies of food and fresh water.

As China increasingly becomes the world's leading superpower, it's consumption and emissions are unlikely to decline in the near or intermediate future, so in that sense the issue may never be resolved. However, measures are being taken to encourage businesses and individuals to adopt more eco-friendly practices, and as concern grows and green technology improves, China's ecological footprint will only improve.  Hence, it seems that the most realistic solution to China's overpopulation problems is not to decrease the population, but rather to decrease the consumption per capita.

In the next 50 years, we will likely see more countries begin to resemble modern-day China such as India, Indonesia, Pakistan, and Ethiopia.  These countries - those that have large populations but are still underdeveloped - can learn from the trajectory China has taken and what measures have worked and have not worked.