Chapter 1 - Preamble

Section 1 - Social & Economic Dimensions
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8

Section 2 - Conservation and Management of Resources

Section 3 - Strengthening the Role of Major Groups

Section 4 - Means of Implementation

Chapter 5: Population and Sustainability

The world’s growing population and production, combined with unsustainable consumption patterns, is putting increasing stress on air, land, water, energy and other essential resources.

The world’s population was more than 5.5 billion in 1993, and is expected to exceed 8 billion by the year 2020.

Development strategies will have to deal with the combination of population growth, health of the ecosystem, technology and access to resources. The primary goals of development include the alleviation of poverty, secure livelihoods, good health and quality of life, including an improvement in the status of women. Development plans have to deal with such needs as food security, basic shelter, essential services, education, family welfare, reforestation, primary environmental care and employment.

Population concerns should be part of national sustainable development strategies, and countries should establish population goals and programmes. Countries need to assess how the age structure of their populations will create future demands for resources.

Countries need to know their national population carrying capacity. Special attention should be given to critical resources, such as water and land, and environmental factors, such as ecosystem health and biodiversity. (The carrying capacity is the ability of the resource base to support and provide for the needs of humans without becoming depleted.)

The world needs to do a better job of forecasting the possible outcomes of current human activities, including population trends, per capita resource use and wealth distribution. One outcome that may be expected is major migrations as a result of climate change and the cumulative environmental change that may destroy people’s local livelihoods. The world will need policies to deal with both the migrations that result from and lead to environmental disruption.

Sustainable development will require reproductive health programmes to reduce maternal and infant mortality, and provide men and women with the information and means to plan family size. Women should have access to pre-natal care, and the opportunity to breast-feed for at least four months after birth. They should also be assured of education and job opportunities.

Population programmes need to be part of broader policies that also deal with such factors as ecosystem health, technology and human settlements, and with socio-economic structures and access to resources. Resource management must be able to cope with the needs of the people and be sustainable over the long term.

Population programmes will require the support of political, indigenous, religious and traditional authorities, the private sector and the scientific community. The programmes will also need adequate funding, including support to developing countries.

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