The importance of human population to sustainability (original) (raw)
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Population and environment in the twenty-first century
Population and Environment, 2007
In the past 50 years global population grew by 3.7 billion. There is a large unmet need for family planning and wherever women have been given the means and the information to decide if or when to have the next child, then family size has fallen, often rapidly. However, since the UN 1994 Cairo conference on population and development, support for international family has collapsed and fertility declines in many of the poorest countries have stalled. Amongst some of the most vulnerable groups family size has risen. The investment made in voluntary family planning will largely determine whether, in the next 50 years, the global population grows to something less than 8 billion or to over 10. The trajectory taking us to the higher figure could jeopardize any possibility of transitioning the global economy to a biological sustainability. Much precious time has been lost. Almost all the additional growth in population will take place in the world's poorest countries, and it is imperative that the international community act to improve access to family planning in those countries, within a human rights frame framework.
Family Planning and Environmental Sustainability: Assessing the Science
Is there a scientific evidence base demonstrating that the use of family planning contributes to environmental sustainability? This report explores that question based on a two-year collaborative review of more than 900 peer-reviewed research papers from around the world published from 2005 through early 2016. No scientific discipline systematically examines or confirms the influence of voluntary family planning on environmental problems. Looking at pathways that lead through the slowing of population growth and the empowerment of women, however, the Family Planning and Environmental Sustainability Assessment (FPESA) found a wide-ranging literature generally affirming that this influence is both real and constructive. FPESA identified considerable evidence supporting—and very little refuting—the statement that the practice of voluntary family planning promotes environmental benefits and that expanding access to it can help bring about an environmentally sustainable world that meets human needs. The diversity of researchers interested in the family-planning connection to the environment is high, the report also concludes. The report features the project's findings, perspectives on major related issues by eight authors, and an annotated bibliography containing assessments of 50 of the most compelling papers relevant to the linkage. Through research and outreach that inspire action, the Worldwatch Institute works to accelerate the transition to a sustainable world that meets human needs. The Institute's top mission objectives are universal access to renewable energy and nutritious food, expansion of environmentally sound jobs and development, transformation of cultures from consumerism to sustainability, and an early end to population growth through healthy and intentional childbearing.
Despite their complex and nonlinear relationship, reproductive rights and environmental sustainability likely have a synergistic relationship. Social movement theory suggests that reframing reproductive rights in this light can strengthen and benefit them by diversifying their moral appeal and support base. Yet despite increasing scientific evidence demonstrating ways in which population size, growth, and distribution tend to undermine various aspects of environmental sustainability, and increasing public awareness and concern for environmental degradation, linking these issues remains a contested and polarised enterprise. In this article, we explore the marginalisation processes at play surrounding this linkage and introduce the concept of population reductionism. We review advice and normative trends on communicating messages linking the fulfilment of reproductive rights with improved environmental sustainability. We elaborate a strategic communication roadmap to promote the operationalisation of the family planning and environmental sustainability linkage, centred on individual empowerment, and propose a global rallying cry-'empowered, smaller families are better for the planet'.
We begin this paper by reviewing the history of population studies, and many different concepts allied and aligned with the field of population studies such as total fertility rate, population momentum, infant mortality rate, maternal mortality rate, pronatalism, antinatalism, the theory of demographic dividend, demographic window, demographic winter, etc, and investigate the causes of population growth. We also review the history of human population growth since early time immemorial, particularly since the time of the Neolithic revolution when early reliable estimates are available, and investigate population growth rates, and trends in population growth in different parts of the world, to lend credence to the theory of a demographically divided world. We also explain why we need a "Low population for the environment" or a "LOPE" movement, as the benefits of low populations are indeed, very many. This is done by reviewing the drawbacks and limitations of the theory of demographic dividend, and the dangers of pronatalism that is an unfortunate new trend associated with the far right. We therefore propose the need to develop "ideal fertility" rates in different parts of the world, and propose terms such as population management. At the same time, we also need a renewed thrust on pedagogy and education, and a renewed emphasis on high-quality human resources. Therefore, copy and paste scholarship is extremely dangerous we believe, and the needs and requirements of different societies and cultures must always be taken into account with local considerations duly studied. This is one of the essential prerequisites of our globalization of science movement which must be taken forward to its logical conclusions.
The Power of Fertility and Its Importance for the Concept of Sustainable Development
Studia Ecologiae et Bioethicae, 2021
Demographic changes are one of the indicators of sustainable development, expressed by the value of the natural increase in the human population, resulting directly from the fertility level, which is the subject of this article. Human fertility is a complex potential conditioned by the environmental, social, and economic factors. The multi-dimensional relations of fertility that may affect its level, constitute an unlimited field of research, study, and analysis. The inter-disciplinary scope of fertility research conducted by the authors has shown that fertility is an issue that, in its historical, social, political, and medical aspects, has the potential of contributing to societal development and raising the standard of living. The aim of this article is to answer the question: whether and how the fertility of an individual has an impact on the idea of sustainable development. To achieve this, the available literature was analysed and synthesised, as well as supplemented with information provided by experts in the field. The article incorporates presentations of selected fertility determining factors, methods of measuring fertility potential, and diverse contexts, such as the impact of fertility on history and its relationship with the freedom of the human individual. Moreover, the authors present the relationship between the fertility of an individual, and the assumptions and postulates of the idea of sustainable development.
Growing Human Population and Sustainable Development
IARS International Research Journal, 2018
The 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, adopted by all United Nations Member States in 2015, provides a shared blueprint for peace and prosperity for people and the planet, now and into the future. No Poverty, Zero hunger, Health & Wellness, Gender Equality, Clean Water, and many others have been kept on priority for development across world. But what plays a critical role in planning, execution, and success of these goals is “Resource Estimation & Planning” and that in turn is dominated by the ‘Human Population Trends’ of different regions on globe. Growing Human Population has been a challenge for all future-plans for sustainable development across globe and their success. The current paper highlights the close correlation between trends of growing human population and sustainable development
Changing the perspective on low birth rates: why simplistic solutions won’t work
BMJ, 2022
The news that birth rates hit record low levels in many countries in Europe, Asia, and the Americas in the past decade was met with some alarm globally. More than half of the world's population lives in countries with a total fertility rate below two children per woman. The rate is below 1.5 in 46 countries (fig 1), and ranges from 1.3 to 1.8 in many middle income countries such as Brazil, Iran, China, Turkey, and India. 1 Countries that, until recently, had fertility Box 1: 1994 UN International Conference of Population and Development Big changes in health and longevity drove an increase in global population from 2.5 billion in 1950 to 5.3 billion by 1990. 1 This perceived unrestrained demographic growth resulted in fears of resource scarcity, environmental collapse, and overcrowding, 4 leading stakeholders to advocate reducing fertility, sometimes
Population and Sustainability: Understanding Population, Environment, and Development Linkages
The triple challenge of rapid population growth, declining agricultural productivity, and natural resource degradation are not isolated from one another; they are intimately related. However, strategic planning and development programming tend to focus on individual sectors such as the environment, agriculture, and population; they do not explicitly take into account the compatibilities and inconsistencies among them. Farm households and their livelihood strategies are at the core of the intersectoral linkages approach advocated in this chapter. Three key aspects of the population-environment-development debate are discussed: first, the finding that inconsistencies between public and individual household behavior regarding childbearing and family planning constitute a veritable "demographic tragedy of the commons;" second, the tendency to conceptualize population variables as "unmanageable," and exogenous to environmental and economic change; third, the importance of land markets and land tenure as critical population-sustainability policy issues. 1 The "commons" here refers to land under collective stewardship. It includes unexploited, virgin territories as well as heavily used farm and range lands.
International Journal of Public Health Science (IJPHS) , 2024
Uncontrolled population growth causes poverty, hunger, disease and death. Ironically, population explosions usually occur in developing countries, while population growth is usually low, zero, or even negative in developed countries. Considering these factors, this research aims to formulate effective family planning and population control methods to improve the quality of family development. In this research we present a scoping review article regarding family development models and policies, population control, and family planning. A comprehensive search was conducted in major databases, including PubMed, EBSCO, ProQuest, and ScienceDirect, via presentation methods using PRISMA-ScR guidelines. As a result, we found 16 articles meeting the eligibility criteria. The findings of this research provide insight to stakeholders and researchers into how family development, population control, and family planning policies can be modeled so that effective results can be achieved.