Population growth and development

The Global Climate Risk Index 2018 analyses to what extent countries have been affected by the impacts of weather-related loss events (storms, floods, heat waves etc.). The most recent data available – for 2016 and from 1997 to 2016 – were taken into account. The countries affected most in 2016 were Haiti, Zimbabwe as well as Fiji. For the period from 1997 to 2016 Honduras, Haiti and Myanmar rank highest. This year’s 13th edition of the analysis reconfirms earlier results of the Climate Risk Index: less developed countries are generally more affected than industrialized countries. Regarding future climate change, the Climate Risk Index may serve as a red flag for already existing vulnerability that may further increase in regions where extreme events will become more frequent or more severe due to climate change. While some vulnerable developing countries are frequently hit by extreme events, for others such disasters are a rare occurrence. Bangladesh remains among the countries most affected during climate change in the past two decades, German think-tank Germanwatch says in a report. In the latest Global Climate Risk Index 2018, Bangladesh remained in the sixth position among countries most affected during the period of 1997-2016. In 2016 alone, Bangladesh stood 13th among other countries in the world – counting a total of 222 fatalities for climate change and incurring losses over USD 1,100. (Global Climate Risk Index 2018).

Environment is a development issue, which is receiving attention in the world and particularly in Bangladesh. The country today faces major problems of deforestation, desertification, air and water pollution and other environmental degradation. In the context of population and development integration, environment problems cannot be separated from the population problems.

Population increase and economic development to raise standards of living or welfare frequently involve depletion of resources and degradation of the environment. In turn, depletion of resources and environmental degradation adversely affect development, welfare and population trends. Yet , to view the problems of environmental deterioration as a consequence of growing population and raising substance requirements is to oversimplify and, in some ways, to mistake the real situation.

In Bangladesh, the problems are considerably worse than would follow from the increase in numbers. It is not just population growth that is putting pressure on resources rather, population growth in conjunction with other processes are leading to much more rapid depletion.

Therefore, a review of the inter-relationship between population variables and environmental conditions is essential for attempts to solve environmental as well as population problems. An understanding of the inter-relationships will be useful for the formulation of guidelines for taking curative measures where deteriorating condition sexist and for the preparation of preventive measures to forestall the development of environmental problems.

At the same time, an understanding of the interrelationships will also be useful in developing the type of population policies and related activities to assist in improving environmental conditions, welfare of the population as well as regulation of population trends.

The problems are all complex and inter-related. For example, to tackle the problem of deforestation, it is necessary to understand the dynamics of forests ecology, local and regional land use for agricultural purpose, human settlements and industrial development, the socio-economic considerations of the people who raise livestock and cut fuel wood and forests, and international as well as domestic market structures of forest products.

As an example of the intricate inter-relationships involved in the problem, it could be mentioned that environmentally unsound management of terrestrial ecosystems is also bound to degrade the marine environment. Large quantities of silt carried by many of the rivers into the coastal areas primarily originate from large-scale deforestation and desertification activities upstream.

Similarly, the impairment of human health is primarily the result of environmental pollution due to industrial and urban waste discharges into water courses, automobile exhaust in major cities and lack of adequate supplies of potable water and sanitation facilities.

While environmental problems are increasing by visible and serious, we have to admit that not enough is known about the complex interrelationships between population and the environment, especially in Bangladesh. Thus one of the priorities for population and development planning in the country will be action-oriented research into the linkages to guide national development policies.

In Bangladesh, there is a serious gap in knowledge on environmental conditions and problems, as they relate to population changes. Much of the evidence presented is fragmentary or based entirely on speculation. There is indeed, an inadequate database of environmental information collected on regular basis with sufficient coverage and scale to support research work in this are.  For the time being, a deduction based on the available evidence, leads to the conclusion that population factors have distinct impact on the environment and vice versa.

In the country, in spite of a slow decline in the rate of population growth to 1.8 percent, population growth is still a threat to the country, particularly in terms of environmental deterioration. While the ultimate goal of development is the welfare of the population or

The improvement of the quality of life, it is also a philosophy of development to maintain the dynamic equilibrium between population and its environment. Thus both population and environmental concerns must be integrated into social and economic development plans in order for development to be sustainable.

To achieve these goals, rapid population growth must be slowed down and eventually stabilized while strategies on optimal population distribution should be formulated. Concomitantly, environmental conditions must be maintained or improved through: (1) Reversing deforestation and erosion in major watersheds; (2) Checking the spread of deserts; (3) Introducing sustainable water management; (4) Reducing acidification and hazardous waste; (5) Developing and introducing environmentally safe and industrial processes; (6) Eliminating hunger through sustainable and diversified agriculture; (7) Finding new and renewable source of energy efficiency; and (8) And protecting species and further loss.

The inter-relationships between population and development are complex and dynamic. The lack of clear understanding of them could lead to a policy, which may worsen the situation.  For example, policies or rural development designed to improve the quality of village life, to relieve environmental and other rural problems, to relieve the pressure of rural –to – urban movement and to relieve the environmental problems in big cities, may themselves bring new environmental problems to rural areas. The uses of fertilizer, building more roads leading to rural areas, decentralization of industrialization, among other measures, carry the threat of polluting the rural atmosphere and upsetting the crops and the environment. Moreover, by contributing to environmental deterioration in rural areas, such development may in turn increase the rate of migration to cities rather than reduce it. To avoid the possible negative consequences, balanced development in an integrated fashion is called for.

As far as environmental problems are concerned, there is a growing need for the planning mechanism to take demographic variables into account in a more integrated way than has been done in the past. To date, most planning exercises have utilized a  time horizon of no more than five years – a period sufficiently short for fertility and mortality, if not migration rate as well, to be projected independently of economic development. Certain environmental problems may not be visible in that short period of time. Thus, for the purpose of environmental and population planning a longer-term approach should be taken, in addition to five-year plans. The changing climate will impact everyone in some manner; poor citizens in Bangladesh will suffer the most. They tend to live in places more exposed to climate risks, and they have fewer resources to adapt to changing conditions or recover from extreme weather events. Furthermore, governing institutions often lack the tools, resources, and other capacities that they need to effectively serve these populations, and the people themselves have limited power, voice, and access to information.

In conclusion, it is important to note that Recommendation 4 contained I in the World Population Plan of Action, 1984, addressed governments as follows:

“In countries in which there are imbalances between trends in population growth and resources and environmental requirements, government are urged, in the context of overall development policies, to adopt and implement specific policies including population policies, that will contribute to redressing such imbalances and promote improved methods of identifying, extracting, renewing, utilizing and conserving natural resources.

Efforts should be made to accelerate the transition from traditional to new and renewable sources of energy while at the same time maintaining the integrity of the environment. Government should also implement appropriate policy measures to avoid the further destruction of the ecological equilibrium and take measures to restore them”  

The writer is former Head, Department of Medical Sociology,

Institute of Epidemiology, Disease Control & Research (IEDCR)

Dhaka, Bangladesh

E-mail: [email protected]

 

Population growth and development

The Global Climate Risk Index 2018 analyses to what extent countries have been affected by the impacts of weather-related loss events (storms, floods, heat waves etc.). The most recent data available for 2016 and from 1997 to 2016 were taken into account. The countries affected most in 2016 were Haiti, Zimbabwe as well as Fiji. For the period from 1997 to 2016 Honduras, Haiti and Myanmar rank highest. This years 13th edition of the analysis reconfirms earlier results of the Climate Risk Index: less developed countries are generally more affected than industrialized countries. Regarding future climate change, the Climate Risk Index may serve as a red flag for already existing vulnerability that may further increase in regions where extreme events will become more frequent or more severe due to climate change. While some vulnerable developing countries are frequently hit by extreme events, for others such disasters are a rare occurrence. Bangladesh remains among the countries most affected during climate change in the past two decades, German think-tank Germanwatch says in a report. In the latest Global Climate Risk Index 2018, Bangladesh remained in the sixth position among countries most affected during the period of 1997-2016. In 2016 alone, Bangladesh stood 13th among other countries in the world counting a total of 222 fatalities for climate change and incurring losses over USD 1,100. (Global Climate Risk Index 2018). Environment is a development issue, which is receiving attention in the world and particularly in Bangladesh. The country today faces major problems of deforestation, desertification, air and water pollution and other environmental degradation. In the context of population and development integration, environment problems cannot be separated from the population problems. Population increase and economic development to raise standards of living or welfare frequently involve depletion of resources and degradation of the environment. In turn, depletion of resources and environmental degradation adversely affect development, welfare and population trends. Yet , to view the problems of environmental deterioration as a consequence of growing population and raising substance requirements is to oversimplify and, in some ways, to mistake the real situation. In Bangladesh, the problems are considerably worse than would follow from the increase in numbers. It is not just population growth that is putting pressure on resources rather, population growth in conjunction with other processes are leading to much more rapid depletion. Therefore, a review of the inter-relationship between population variables and environmental conditions is essential for attempts to solve environmental as well as population problems. An understanding of the inter-relationships will be useful for the formulation of guidelines for taking curative measures where deteriorating condition sexist and for the preparation of preventive measures to forestall the development of environmental problems. At the same time, an understanding of the interrelationships will also be useful in developing the type of population policies and related activities to assist in improving environmental conditions, welfare of the population as well as regulation of population trends. The problems are all complex and inter-related. For example, to tackle the problem of deforestation, it is necessary to understand the dynamics of forests ecology, local and regional land use for agricultural purpose, human settlements and industrial development, the socio-economic considerations of the people who raise livestock and cut fuel wood and forests, and international as well as domestic market structures of forest products. As an example of the intricate inter-relationships involved in the problem, it could be mentioned that environmentally unsound management of terrestrial ecosystems is also bound to degrade the marine environment. Large quantities of silt carried by many of the rivers into the coastal areas primarily originate from large-scale deforestation and desertification activities upstream. Similarly, the impairment of human health is primarily the result of environmental pollution due to industrial and urban waste discharges into water courses, automobile exhaust in major cities and lack of adequate supplies of potable water and sanitation facilities. While environmental problems are increasing by visible and serious, we have to admit that not enough is known about the complex interrelationships between population and the environment, especially in Bangladesh. Thus one of the priorities for population and development planning in the country will be action-oriented research into the linkages to guide national development policies. In Bangladesh, there is a serious gap in knowledge on environmental conditions and problems, as they relate to population changes. Much of the evidence presented is fragmentary or based entirely on speculation. There is indeed, an inadequate database of environmental information collected on regular basis with sufficient coverage and scale to support research work in this are. For the time being, a deduction based on the available evidence, leads to the conclusion that population factors have distinct impact on the environment and vice versa. In the country, in spite of a slow decline in the rate of population growth to 1.8 percent, population growth is still a threat to the country, particularly in terms of environmental deterioration. While the ultimate goal of development is the welfare of the population or The improvement of the quality of life, it is also a philosophy of development to maintain the dynamic equilibrium between population and its environment. Thus both population and environmental concerns must be integrated into social and economic development plans in order for development to be sustainable. To achieve these goals, rapid population growth must be slowed down and eventually stabilized while strategies on optimal population distribution should be formulated. Concomitantly, environmental conditions must be maintained or improved through: (1) Reversing deforestation and erosion in major watersheds; (2) Checking the spread of deserts; (3) Introducing sustainable water management; (4) Reducing acidification and hazardous waste; (5) Developing and introducing environmentally safe and industrial processes; (6) Eliminating hunger through sustainable and diversified agriculture; (7) Finding new and renewable source of energy efficiency; and (8) And protecting species and further loss. The inter-relationships between population and development are complex and dynamic. The lack of clear understanding of them could lead to a policy, which may worsen the situation. For example, policies or rural development designed to improve the quality of village life, to relieve environmental and other rural problems, to relieve the pressure of rural to urban movement and to relieve the environmental problems in big cities, may themselves bring new environmental problems to rural areas. The uses of fertilizer, building more roads leading to rural areas, decentralization of industrialization, among other measures, carry the threat of polluting the rural atmosphere and upsetting the crops and the environment. Moreover, by contributing to environmental deterioration in rural areas, such development may in turn increase the rate of migration to cities rather than reduce it. To avoid the possible negative consequences, balanced development in an integrated fashion is called for. As far as environmental problems are concerned, there is a growing need for the planning mechanism to take demographic variables into account in a more integrated way than has been done in the past. To date, most planning exercises have utilized a time horizon of no more than five years a period sufficiently short for fertility and mortality, if not migration rate as well, to be projected independently of economic development. Certain environmental problems may not be visible in that short period of time. Thus, for the purpose of environmental and population planning a longer-term approach should be taken, in addition to five-year plans. The changing climate will impact everyone in some manner; poor citizens in Bangladesh will suffer the most. They tend to live in places more exposed to climate risks, and they have fewer resources to adapt to changing conditions or recover from extreme weather events. Furthermore, governing institutions often lack the tools, resources, and other capacities that they need to effectively serve these populations, and the people themselves have limited power, voice, and access to information. In conclusion, it is important to note that Recommendation 4 contained I in the World Population Plan of Action, 1984, addressed governments as follows: In countries in which there are imbalances between trends in population growth and resources and environmental requirements, government are urged, in the context of overall development policies, to adopt and implement specific policies including population policies, that will contribute to redressing such imbalances and promote improved methods of identifying, extracting, renewing, utilizing and conserving natural resources. Efforts should be made to accelerate the transition from traditional to new and renewable sources of energy while at the same time maintaining the integrity of the environment. Government should also implement appropriate policy measures to avoid the further destruction of the ecological equilibrium and take measures to restore them The writer is former Head, Department of Medical Sociology, Institute of Epidemiology, Disease Control Research (IEDCR) Dhaka, Bangladesh E-mail: [email protected]