Environmental Sciences: Towards a Sustainable Future Chapter 6

Addressing the Population Problem

Chapter Introduction: Kerala (India) Although highly populated, in a developing

nation, and considered poor by every economic measurement, Kerala has a low fertility rate, high literacy, and women who have achieved high status.

Why? Strong public policy commitment to health

development and education.

Kerala Continued Kerala shows that it is possible to

bring a developing nation from the midphase of the demographic transition to the threshold of its completion without the thorough economic development characterized in the industrialized countries.

Reassessing the Demographic Transition

The Demographic Transition

Fertility Transition is the most vital demographic transition

Growth of Population Two conflicting schools of thought:

Concentrate on population policies and family planning technologies to bring down birth rates.

Concentrate on development, population growth will slow automatically (as it did in developed nations)

UN Population Conferences Bucharest, Romania: 1974.

Us thought: Population control through family planning.

Mexico City: 1984 Us thought: “Development is the answer”

Opinion changed because of pressures from the right-to- life advocates.

ICPD International Conference on Population and

Development. Cairo: 1994 Discussed: poverty, population growth, and

development Developing nations directly responsible for

bringing fertility rates down although developed nations pledged to help with technology and other forms of aid.

ICPD Four things need to happen:

Women’s rights to health care, education, employment

Reduction in poverty Poverty should not be tolerated (human dignity) Sustainable development

5 and 10-year reviews prove affirmation of commitment to goals.

Factors Influencing Family Size Why do developing countries desire large

numbers of children? Old age security Infant and childhood mortality rates Helping Hands: Children: an economic asset Importance of education: Children: an econo

mic liability Status of women Availability of contraceptives Skip to:

religion

Old Age Security Tradition and expectation

that children will take care of there aging parents. Social programs like welfare

and social security don’t exist.

Infant and Child Mortality The common and personal

experience of children dying leads people to desire more children as an “insurance policy” for security in their old age.

Helping Hands Children help out with the

household work that is primarily put onto the woman. All direct care and support

of the family

Importance of Education Depending on whether a child

is required to go to school is whether they will be considered a liability (needs of school supplies, fees and clothing) or an asset (extra hands to help out).

Status of Women Because they are barred from

education, land ownership, etc. the women do what they are able: bear children. Often the number of children a woman bears is in direct proportion to her husband’s respect.

Availability of Contraceptives No doubt that contraceptives

make limiting the number of children easier.

For every 12% increase in use there is on less child born.

Religion Although religion can be a

factor in the number of children a woman has, it becomes less of a factor as education and other barriers to women are broken down.

Agrarian Society The six factors that agrarian societies have that

support large family size are not supported in industrialized and developed nations… High cost of raising children Existence of social security and pension Opportunities for women in the workforce Access to contraceptives Adequate health care High education Older at marriage

Promoting Development

Lesson 6.2

Without development: Poor

countries end up in the poverty cycle.

Overusing resources

for survival

More “little hands” needed to help the family in a depleted environment.Illiteracy.Lack of Contraceptives.

Dwindling resources divided among more people

Social progress Tremendous social progress has been made

in many developing countries. Efforts made by:

WHO, FAO, UNESCO, ONFPA, UNICEF, NGOs.

Literacy rates up, percentage of people with access to clean water is up, sanitary sewers…

UNFPA- State of the World Population Year 2002 “Overall economic growth is not enough:

it requires directing development efforts to the poor…economic growth will not by itself end poverty…ending extreme poverty calls for commitment to the task, and specific action directed to it.”

Development Fosters trade, cooperation,

and peace among nations. (Wright- 8th edition)

World Bank 1944 Specialized agency within the

United Nations Made from 5 closely associated

agencies…IBRD, IDA, IFC are the most prominent (p.152)

Helps governments of developing nations borrow large sums of money at low interest rates.

World BankPros Takes seriously the

three intersecting concerns in sustainable development: balances economic, social and environmental factors.

Cons Projects not always

eco-friendly Developing countries

end up in the poverty cycle. No increased GNP

Increased absolute poverty

Large-scale projects: hydroelectric dams

Large cattle operations Cash crops

The Debt Trap World bank loans/entices

nations to “buy on credit” To relieve their debt they

have done one or more of the following…

Cattle crops Occur at the expense of the peasant

farmer Adopt austerity measures

Reduce expenditures on education, health clinics etc. to pay off more interest

Rapid exploitation of natural resources Logging of forests and extraction of

minerals

Addressing the problem of the World Bank loans

Two initiatives: CGAP: increases access to financial services

to very poor households through microfinancing

HIPC: debt relief and debt cancellation as long as countries demonstrated a track record of carrying out economic and social reforms that lead to greater stability and alleviate poverty.

Foreign Investment Plays a large role in the

development of poor nations Has increased fourfold in

developing countries

Other Branches of the UN Efforts have:

Increased literacy rates Helped gain access to clean

drinking water And other social indicators of

development

Millennium Project 1997, representatives from the UN,

world bank, and OECD Goals-Listed as the MDG’s Encompassing goal: reduce the extreme

poverty in many countries and its various impacts on human well-being.

Millennium Development Goals: MDG (table 6-2) Reduce numbers in extreme

poverty Enroll children in primary school Progress towards gender equality Reduce infant/child mortality

Reduce maternal mortality Provide access to reproductive

health services and other diseases National strategies for sustainable

development so as to reverse the loss of environmental resources

Global Partnership for development

Social Modernization

Lesson 6.3

Kerala as Example Using Kerala as an example

of a poor nation that has lowered fertility rates, social modernization puts special emphasis on efforts made on behalf of the poor…

A New Direction Education: esp. girls and women Improving health Access to family planning Enhance income through

employment Improve resource management

Skip to Cairo conference

Education Basic Literacy: read, write,

do simple calculations. Allows easier passing of

knowledge without one on one counseling.

Improving Health Basics of good nutrition and

hygiene. Basic health care when

extended to rural areas is one of the most effective ways to deliver family-planning information and contraceptives.

Contraceptives Psychological/Behavioral: abstention,

calendar rhythm method Mechanical: condoms, diaphragms Chemical: the pill, Norplant Surgical: tubal ligation, vasectomy Intrauterine Devices (IUD): abortion

device

Family Planning Services to include:

Counseling and education on STD’s Best possible pre and post natal care Avoidance of high risk pregnancies Provision of contraceptives

Effective family planning programs have experienced the most rapid decline in fertility

Enhancing Income Microlending

Small, short term. Provide such basic things as

fertilizer, pans, yarn, tools. Credit associations

Groups of people who agree to be responsible for each other’s loans.

Enhancing Income: Grameen Bank Loans

Primarily to women Do not upset existing social structure Utilize local resources Utilize central work places Help develop self-reliance

Social Modernization Improved health care for mothers

and children Old-age security apart from

children Educational opportunities for

women

The Cairo Conference

Lesson 6.4

The 1994 Cairo Conference All nations agreed that population is an

issue of crisis proportions that must be confronted.

Formulated the 1994 International Conference on Population and Development Program of Action (ICPD Program of Action) Goals to be achieved by 2015

Cairo Conference First time in history where

the scientific, religious and political community reached a consensus on the population issue.

The Document Goals set in terms of

creating economic, social, and cultural equality for all people regardless of race, gender, or age.

The Document Passed by 179 nations. Contains objectives on the following:

Empowerment of women, Family, Reproductive and basic health, Education, Migration, and International cooperation.

Funded by: International cooperation (.7% GNP of developed world)

1999 Review Review and appraisal of the

ICPD took place and was found to be implemented in many nations. Family planning on the rise,

mortality falling (with some HIV epidemic exceptions)

Funding Remains a problem because

developed countries have only fulfilled 70% of their obligation.

The Good News The international community is

taking the ICPD seriously. This means greater world

security and much better chance of achieving sustainability in our interactions with the environment.