1. Chapter 9 Addressing Population Issues

2. Overview of Chapter 9 Population and Quality of Life
Population and Chronic Hunger
Economic Effects of Population Growth
Reducing the Total Fertility Rate
Culture and Fertility
Social and Economic Status of Women
Family Planning Services
Government Policies and Fertility
China, India, Mexico, Nigeria, Europe
Achieving Population Stabilization

3. Basic Requirements of Life
Balanced Diet
Clean Water
Decent Shelter
Adequate Clothing

4. Population and Quality of Life
Difficult to meet basic needs in developing countries
Problems associated with overpopulation:
Environmental degradation
Hunger
Persistent poverty
Economic stagnation
Urban deterioration
Health issues

5. Carrying Capacity Carrying Capacity (K)
The maximum number of individuals of a given species that a particular environment can support for an indefinite period, assuming no changes in the environment
Overuse of land can cause a decrease in carrying capacity
Uncertain what the carrying capacity of the earth is for humans

6. Human Carrying Capacity
In order to estimate human carrying capacity assumptions must be made about our quality of life
Should everyone in the world have the same standard of living as the average US citizen?
If so, planet could only support a fraction of the humans if everyone had the barest minimum of food, clothing, and shelter
What future technology might be developed that would change the carrying capacity

7. Developing Nations
On a national level, developing countries have the largest rates of population increase
Often have the fewest resources to support their growing numbers
If a country is to support its human population, it must have either the agricultural land to raise enough food for those people or enough of other natural resources, such as minerals or oil, to provide buying power to purchase food.

8. Population and Chronic Hunger
Food insecurity
Condition in which people live with chronic hunger and malnutrition
More than 800 million people in the world do not have food security
86 countries are considered low income and food deficient
FAO estimates that as many as 2 billion people face food insecurity intermittently as a result of poverty, drought, or civil strife

9. Population and Chronic Hunger
Effects of Chronic Hunger
Weakened immune system
Illness and disease
Malaria
Measles
Diarrhea
Acute respiratory illness
Accounts for 90% to
95% of world’s hungry
people
Famine only accounts for 5% to 10%

10. Population and Chronic Hunger
Solving the Food Problem
Control population growth
Promote economic development of developing countries without adequate food supplies
Provide access to food and land resources to those who live in areas without them

11. Hunger and Child Mortality

12. Economic Effects of Population Growth
Two viewpoints from economists:
Population growth stimulates economic development and technological innovation
Rapidly expanding population hampers developmental efforts
Most observations support the second viewpoint
Developmental efforts are also hampered by debt from past development attempts

13. Debt in Developing Countries
If a country is to raise its standard of living, its economic growth must be greater than its population growth
Many developing nations have realized economic growths due to loans from banks and governments of highly developed nations, or the World Bank or the International Monetary Fund
Many nations have difficulty raising their standards of living due to tremendous debts

14. Reducing the Total Fertility Rate
Three major influences on total fertility rate
Cultural traditions
Social & economic status of women
Family planning

15. Cultural Traditions
Culture influences and controls individuals’ behaviors
Marriage age
Couple is expected to have large number of children
Due to high infant and child mortality rates
Children often work in family business
Provide support for aging parents
Religious values

16. Social & Economic Status of Women
Gender inequality is common worldwide
Disparities
Political participation
Social status
Economic status
Health status
Legal rights
Education
Employment and
earnings
Illiteracy in 2002
Single most important factor affecting high total fertility rates is low status of women

17. Marriage Age and Fertility
Total fertility rate is affected by the average age women marry, which is determined by the laws and customs of the society in which they live
Women who marry are more apt to bear children than women who do not marry
The earlier a woman marries, the more children she is likely to have

18. Educational Opportunities and Fertility
Women with more education
Marry later
Have fewer children

19. Educational Opportunities and Fertility
Education increases the probability that women will know how to control their fertility, and it provides them with knowledge to improve the health of their families
Decrease in infant and child mortality
Children who are educated have a greater chance of improving their living standards, partly because they have more employment opportunities

20. Family Planning Services
Traditionally family planning services have focused on maternal and child health, including prenatal care to help prevent infant and maternal death or disability
In many countries men make reproductive decisions regarding contraceptives

21. Family Planning Services
Family planning services offer information to both men and women on:
Sexuality
Contraception
STDs
Parenting

22. Family Planning Services
Most effective when they are designed with sensitivity to local social and cultural beliefs
Do not try to force people to limit their family sizes, rather attempt to convince people that small families are acceptable and desirable

23. Contraceptive Use Among Married Women of Reproductive Age
Green Bar –
Contraceptive Use
Red Bar –
Total Fertility
Rate

24. Government Policies and Fertility- China
Largest population in the world
Controversial Family Planning Policy
1971- Chinese Government pursued birth control seriously
1979- Incentives to promote later marriages and one-child families
Medical care, schooling for child, preferential housing, retirement funds
Brought about rapid and drastic decrease in fertility

25. Government Policies and Fertility- China
Law – controversial and unpopular
Compromised freedom of choice
Social pressure to abort a second child
Pressure to abort/kill female first child
More boys than girls in China
Law more relaxed in rural China

26. Government Policy and Fertility- India
Severe population pressure
1950- first country with government-sponsored family planning
Did not work due to language/cultural barriers
1976- introduced incentives and compulsory sterilization
Unpopular and failure
Recent years- government focused on education
Much more effective, but TFR still above replacement level

27. Government Policy and Fertility- Mexico
Young age structure
Huge potential for population growth: 33% of population is under age 15
Positive growth momentum
1974- government imparted educational reform, family planning, health care
Very successful

28. Government Policy and Fertility- Nigeria
Population challenge
Largest population of any African country
Very high reproductive potential: 43% of population is less than age 15
Current National Population Policy
Improving health care
Population education

29. Government Policy and Fertility- Europe
Population concern
Proportion elderly people in population is increasing
Due to low TFR
Decrease in population could cause decrease economic growth

30. Achieving Population Stabilization
How can developing country governments help?
Increase $$ allotted to public health and family planning services
Education on affordable, safe, effective methods of birth control
Increase average level of education
Especially for women
How can developed country governments help?
Provide financial support
Supporting research and development of new birth control methods