5. Summary. Population and Sustainable Development: A crucial but overlooked link

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1 Submission from Population and Sustainability Network (PSN) to the 2011 Environmental Audit Inquiry into Preparations for Rio+20: The United Nations Conference on Sustainable Development. August 2011 Introduction 1. The Population and Sustainability Network (PSN) welcomes the Environmental Audit Committee s inquiry and fully supports work to ensure that the important opportunities the Rio+20 summit offers to advance sustainable development are successful. We believe the UK government is extremely well placed to exercise the strong leadership necessary to ensure that the international community makes significant commitments towards addressing the many pressing global issues compromising sustainable development. We are grateful for the opportunity to contribute to these initiatives in this way. 2. Acknowledging the complex interplay of environmental, social and economical factors which demands a holistic approach to promoting sustainable development, PSN is keen to bring to the Government s attention the importance of integrating a focus upon population dynamics into sustainable development approaches and the Rio+20 priorities. While population size and other dynamics including density and migration are of great significance to sustainable development, these factors are commonly overlooked and to date have not commanded the focus required. Between now and the end of the century the world population is expected to increase from 7 billion in 2011 to beyond 10 billion. 1 If sustainable development objectives are to be achieved it is critical that this key factor influencing use of the planet s finites resources is taken into account and addressed in ways that respect and protect human rights. 3. With the aim of encouraging the UK government to address this critical factor and ensure that population dynamics receive the necessary consideration at the summit, the importance of integrating consideration of population dynamics into sustainable development approaches is the focus of this submission. This paper outlines the critical links between population and the pillars of sustainable development, and argues that advancing reproductive health and rights offers opportunities to reduce population growth while contributing to poverty alleviation and promoting sustainable development. 4. It is important to acknowledge the role that unsustainable and inequitable patterns of consumption by countries of the global North play as the primary drivers of global environmental problems, including climate change. For this reason and because population growth is for the most part concentrated in developing countries which have far lower per capita consumption rates, a focus on the relationship between population dynamics and environmental issues is complex and sensitive, and is sometimes wrongly interpreted as seeking to blame population growth in the global South for pressing environmental issues resulting primarily due to the actions of industrialized nations. We therefore wish to note that our focus on population dynamics in this submission seeks to increase awareness of the role that population dynamics play in undermining poverty alleviation and development progress in developing countries. This we argue can and 1

2 must be addressed through increasing access to voluntary reproductive health programmes that protect and respect human rights. Achieving Millennium Development Goal target 5B universal access to reproductive health by 2015, not only makes sense in human rights terms but also because there is no sustainable development challenge that won t be easier to achieve if all women and men are able to plan and achieve the family size of their choice Summary - Between now and the end of the century the world population is expected to increase from 7 billion in 2011 to beyond 10 billion. 1 Alongside unequal consumption patterns, population dynamics influence the use of the planet s finite resources and undermine poverty alleviation and therefore must be taken into account if sustainable development is to be achieved. - The way that population and society interact with the natural environment determines environmental sustainability. Population dynamics including growth, density and migration contribute to the depletion of natural resources and environmental problems including deforestation, land and water shortages and degradation, and loss of biodiversity due to habitat destruction. - Population dynamics place pressure and constraints on economic development and poverty alleviation, with implications for governments capacities to make a successful transition to a green economy. - Global population dynamics need to be addressed in ways that respect and protect human rights, placing women s needs at the heart of all reproductive health policies. - High rates of population growth are concentrated in developing countries and are correlated with low access to family planning services and high unmet need for contraception. There are an estimated 215 million in developing countries who say they are at risk of unwanted pregnancy and wish to control their fertility but are not using modern contraception, often due to lack of access to appropriate reproductive health services. 3 - Addressing unmet need for contraception by increasing access to comprehensive, voluntary reproductive health programmes offers considerable scope to achieve stabilisation of the world s population and contribute to poverty alleviation, gender equality, improved health, environmental sustainability and other important aspects for sustainable development. 2 - The significant implications of population dynamics for sustainable development were recognised by the 1992 UNCSD yet have since been overlooked and require urgent attention at Rio+20. The UK government is well placed to provide the necessary strong leadership in this area and we call on the government to encourage the international community to commit to actions to promote an integrated approach to population and sustainable development, guided by agreement and outcomes based on the policy points set out in this submission. Population and Sustainable Development: A crucial but overlooked link 2

3 6. The need to balance economic, environmental and social factors is central to the concept of sustainable development, as a process through which society can meet present needs and improve quality of life without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their needs. Sustainability therefore requires attention to the ways that population and society react. Population size, as a key determinant of use of the planet s finite resources, is a critical component of sustainability. Addition demographic trends play a role in determining human impact on the environment. For example, population density, urbanisation and ageing, each influence consumption rates in different ways, as well as having implications for poverty reduction and other issues relevant to sustainable development. Given the critical role played by human population size in determining environmental impact, it was recognised by the 1992 UNCSD that urgent progress towards achieving stabilization of the world population is critical to the achievement of sustainable development At the time of the first UNCSD in 1992 the world population was 5.5 billion. This year it will reach 7 billion and until the most recent UN population projections were published this year the world population was long expected to stabilize at just over 9 billion in the middle of this century. It is now expected to exceed 10 billion by the end of the century and keep growing. 1 Ninety-seven per cent of the growth in the world s population that is expected to take place before 2050 will be in developing nations, which are already struggling to meet their citizens basic needs Agenda 21, the action plan from UNCSD in 1992, recognised that population dynamics have significant implications for the economic, social and environmental pillars of sustainable development, meaning that initiatives to promote sustainability require attention to the ways that population and society interact. 4 Yet while the original UN Conference on Sustainable Development in Rio on 1992 acknowledged the importance for sustainable development of integrated environment and development programmes taking into account demographic trends and factors, population dynamics have since received less attention by the international community and within the sphere of sustainable development. 9. The importance for sustainability of achieving population stabilization is recognised by a report published in May 2010 by the Preparatory Committee for Rio+20 reviewing progress and remaining gaps in the implementation of the outcomes of sustainable development summits. The report notes that it it is useful to think of sustainable development as three inter-twined transitions referring to demographic transition, developmental transition and decoupling of resource use from consumption and production. On the issue of demographic transition it records that; The ultimate goal is to stabilize the global population. 6 Yet despite this recognition and the rapid population growth projected this century, population dynamics do not appear to be on the Rio+20 agenda. Population, environment and biodiversity 10. Population growth, density and migration can place extreme pressures upon the natural environment. Acting in tandem with climate change in some developing countries, rapid population growth increases demand for natural resources and results in intensified agriculture and use of land and water supplies. This in turn depletes the natural resource base and exacerbates environmental problems, including deforestation, land and water shortages and degradation, and loss of biodiversity due to habitat destruction. 7 3

4 11. As a result of rapid population growth, overcrowding and increasingly climate change, poor communities can be forced to inhabit or migrate to the most ecologically fragile areas which are particularly vulnerable to degradation and depletion of the natural resource base. In particular, the drive to feed growing population is causing deforestation and intensive use of natural resources: depleting the natural resource base which sustainability and the health and wellbeing of populations is dependent upon. While food insecurity is already a concern for many developing countries, population growth is likely to compound the issue in the future. In Africa, for example, the population is set to more than triple by the end of the century, 1 at the same time as communities and governments will be struggling to cope with the effects of climate change upon agricultural output. 12. In recent years evidence has grown of the links between high rates of population growth and loss of biodiversity, due to environmental degradation and habitat loss. A study of population dynamics in 25 areas of the world identified as biodiversity hotspots, found that population growth rates in these areas are significantly higher than the population growth rate of the world as a whole, and above the average for developing countries. The study concludes therefore that; substantial human-induced environmental changes are likely to continue in the hotspots and that demographic change remains an important factor in global biodiversity conservation. 8 Population dynamics and climate change 13. Climate change makes discussion of population and consumption difficult, because it is consumption and ways of living in the North that is driving climate change, while it is the countries of the South that are the most vulnerable to the impacts of climate change. Yet while the connection is complex and controversial, it is important. Simply from a mitigation perspective, adapting to the effects of climate change would be easier without population growth placing continued pressure on scarce natural resources. In terms of the sea level rises expected to result from climate change for example, one third of the world s population lives within 60 miles of a coast, and 13 of the world s 20 largest cities are on a coast. Migration in land is therefore going to be important, which will be a task far easier to achieve if women and men are able to exercise their right to choose whether and when to have children Developing countries are themselves identifying the ways in which population dynamics in their countries are heightening vulnerability to climate change and undermining adaptation capacity. In the National Adaptation Programmes of Action (NAPA) reports in which the forty least developed countries set out their most pressing climate change adaptation issues and priorities, ninety- three per cent of the countries identified population growth as one of the factors confounding their attempts to adapt to the effects of climate change. The most frequently mentioned climate change adaptation issues that are exacerbated by population growth are: soil degradation and erosion, fresh water scarcity, migration, deforestation and shortages of farm land. Additional vulnerabilities linked to population growth include loss of biodiversity and natural habitat, desertification and diminishing fish stocks. 7 Population dynamics, poverty and the green economy 15. Sustainable development aims to achieve human well-being, requiring a focus on poverty alleviation which is of course linked to economic growth and the necessary 4

5 transition to the green economy. Demographic factors are closely linked to these goals for the reasons outlined below, meaning that progress towards sustainable development will be greater by strategies that encompass population Population dynamics are linked to key determinants of poverty including health, nutrition, education, gender, and significantly, economic development. Over the past few decades, rapid population growth has been associated with high levels of poverty. 1 Countries with rapid population growth tend to have the highest incidence of poverty and lowest levels of human development. In countries with low levels of economic development, high populations growth rates place increasing pressure on national resources and public services, reducing governments capacity to meet the basic needs of their citizens and undermining development. 11, By the end of the century the population of the countries in the world with the highest fertility rates (concentrated in the poorest countries) is set to triple. 1 While development prospects are dependent on governments capacities to increase access to health, education and other basic services, this rate of population growth is sure to outpace these investments, both exacerbating poverty and undermining the capacity of governments to undertake initiatives aimed at making a transition to a green economy. Investing in family planning as a means of slowing population growth by preventing unplanned pregnancies is an effective strategy for driving progress towards poverty alleviation. Easing population pressures allows greater per capita investment in public service delivery and other development interventions While the role played by population growth in undermining poverty alleviation and other development goals is well documented, there can be a reluctance to focus on this link through development interventions. This is partly because of the sensitivities associated with family planning and because it is sometimes assumed that any interventions to do so would be intrinsically coercive in nature, necessitating restrictions on women s and couples individual freedom to have the number of children they desire. While this concern is well-motivated and understandable given the history of coercive population control programmes of the 60s and 70s, this need not and absolutely should not be the case, for the reasons explained in the section below. Advancing sustainability through rights-based approaches to sexual and reproductive health 19. Worldwide there is a vast unmet need for contraception in developing countries, meaning that real opportunities do exist to reduce world population growth, by reducing unplanned pregnancies. This can be achieved by giving women access to voluntary, rights-based family planning services, which women want and need in order to plan and space their pregnancies as they choose. In the developing world an estimated 215 million have an unmet need for contraception, meaning that they say that they are at risk of an unwanted pregnancy but are not using contraception, often because they do not have access to reproductive health services. The role that this unmet need plays in driving high rates of population growth should not be underestimated. Women who have an unmet need for effective contraception account for 82% of all unintended pregnancies in developing countries. 3 5

6 20. Meeting the unmet need for family planning in developing countries while simultaneously fulfilling unmet need for maternal and newborn services would require an estimated doubling of current global investments. This investment would deliver dramatic achievements for maternal and infant health: averting an estimated half of all newborn deaths and two-thirds of all maternal deaths in developing countries. Furthermore it would support considerable progress towards other development goals, by averting two-thirds of all unwanted pregnancies, thereby easing population pressures. 3 Cost-benefit analysis shows just how cost-effective investing in family planning is. For every dollar spent in family planning, between 2 and 6 U.S. dollars can be saved in interventions aimed at achieving other development goals, including education, maternal and child health, HIV/AIDs and environmental sustainability In these ways a focus on population dynamics has the potential to drive considerable progress towards sustainable development in developing countries which are experiencing high rates of population growth as a result of low access to reproductive health programmes. To seize this opportunity governments and donors must be called on to embrace rights-based approaches to reproductive health as part of wider development priorities that are threatened by rapid population increase, including poverty alleviation, climate change and sustainable development. This offers a win-win approach: achieving universal reproductive health by securing access to comprehensive reproductive health services and enabling women to control their own fertility as they wish, while reducing the cost and difficulties of achieving other development goals. Conclusion 22. Amongst environmentalists and development groups there is sometimes a reluctance to discuss population dynamics, due to fears that focusing on population growth distracts from the very real and pressing environmental impacts of unsustainable and inequitable patterns of consumption by developed countries. While understanding the reasons for this concern, PSN rejects the oversimplification of these issues by arguments which set out that problems associated with the earth s carrying capacity must be addressed by tackling either consumption or population. The scale of the challenges the world faces in exceeding the planet s environmental limits requires a bold response that holistically addresses the range of factors relevant to sustainable development, including both unsustainable and inequitable consumption of resources, and the role of population dynamics. Critically, global population dynamics can and must be addressed in ways that respect and protect human rights, placing women s needs and the motivation to promote human health and well-being at the centre of all reproductive health policies. 23. Population size, as a key determinant of use of the planet s finite resources, is a critical component of sustainability, and additional demographic trends, including population density, urbanisation and ageing influence are relevant as they influence consumption rates and have implications for economic growth, poverty reduction and governments capacities to both make the transition to a green economy and adapt to climate change. The success of sustainable development initiatives which fail to consider the consequences of demographic change for sustainability will therefore be considerably limited, and opportunities to achieve more sustainable development at the same time as advancing sexual and reproductive health and rights will be lost. We do not argue that population dynamics are the sole intervention required for sustainable development, but we do argue that their absence will significantly compromise the effectiveness of other interventions seeking to advance sustainable development objectives. 6

7 Policy points for an integrated approach to population and sustainable development 24. We believe the UK government is extremely well placed to play a key leadership role in promoting through the Rio+20 Summit the urgent consideration of the significance of population dynamics for sustainable development. Working in partnership with the UK Department for International Development which already has a strong remit and reputation for advancing reproductive health and rights, we call on the UK government to promote an integrated approach to population, poverty and sustainable development, guided by agreement and outcomes relating to the following policy points: - There must be greater recognition of the relationship between population dynamics and sustainability, and particularly of the potential for population stabilization to contribute to sustainable development through poverty reduction, alleviation of environmental pressures and improved quality of life (as recognised by the UN International Conference on Population and Development); - Population dynamics should be taken into account in economic and development strategies and considered at all levels of planning, decision making and resource allocation; - Global population dynamics can and must be addressed in ways that respect and protect human rights, placing women s needs at the heart of all reproductive health policies; - Greater funding must be made available for rights-based family planning programmes so that all women are able to control their fertility as they wish; offering a win-win approach of advancing reproductive health and rights while at the same time contributing to the achievement of sustainable development. References 1. UN Population Division (2011) World Population Prospects: The 2010 Revision. New York: UN. 2. PSN (2011) Investment in voluntary family planning programmes: Benefits and costsaving effects. Available at: 3. Guttmacher Institute (2010) Facts on Investing in Family Planning and Maternal and Newborn Health. New York: Guttmacher Institute and UNFPA. 4. UN Economic and Social Development Division for Sustainable Development (1992) Agenda 21: The United Nations Programme for Action from Rio. 5. Population Reference Bureau (2009) Population Bulletin, 64, UN General Assembly May 2010, Progress to date and remaining gaps in the implementation of the outcomes of the major summits in the area of sustainable development and analysis of the themes for the Conference, Report of the Secretary- General to the Preparatory Committee for the United Nations Conference on Sustainable Development. 7. Stephenson, J., Newman, K and Mayhew, S (2010) Population dynamics and climate change: what are the links? Journal of Public Health, 32, 2, pp Richard P. Cincotta, Jennifer Wisnewski & Robert Engelman (2000) Human population in the biodiversity hotspots Nature 404, pp

8 9. PSN (2010) Population Dynamics and Climate Change Briefing. Available at: Global Science Panel on Population and Environment (2001) Population in Sustainable Development: Science Policy Statement. 11. De Souza, R-M. (2006). Reducing Poverty by Integrating Poverty, Health and the Environment. Washington, DC: The Population Reference Bureau. 12. Population and Sustainability Network (2010) Population Dynamics and Poverty Reduction: A PSN Briefing Paper. Available at: Moreland, S. & Talbird, S (2006). Achieving the Millennium Development Goals: The contribution of fulfilling the unmet need for family planning. Washington D. C: USAID. About Population and Sustainability Network The Network is an international advocacy group which aims to bring together development, environment and reproductive health NGOs, government departments, academics, policy makers and others, to increase leverage on population issues. It endeavors to provide a 'space' in which different constituencies can learn from each other. The intention is that such increases in understanding of the issues will inform the strategies and activities of Network members, and bring population issues higher up the policy agenda in a range of other organisations. A central aim of the Network is to increase public and professional understanding of the inter-relationship of the key issues and their importance in addressing sustainable development, poverty reduction and climate change both in the rich minority world and in the majority world. In addition, the Network aims to explore the barriers that inhibit discussion about and action on these issues and, finally, to promote processes that increase participation and exchange between the various stakeholders. The Network is predominantly UK based but encompasses an increasingly broad range of overseas organisations. It was launched as a United Nations Commission for Sustainable Development Partnership at CSD 12 in New York in April Our guiding principles are: The rights of women and men to choose to plan their families must be safe-guarded where they already exist and promoted where they do not; Coercive family planning practices must not be tolerated. If you require any further information about our work or our submission, please do not hesitate to contact: Sarah Fisher, Research and Communications Office sf@populationandsustainability.org , ext 29 8