Population and sustainable development

The World Population Day is celebrated annually on July 11. The genesis of this date goes back to 11 July 1987 when the world?s population crossed 5 billion people. It was then decided by the UN that July 11 would be World Population Day, when the UN system and the global community would focus on population issues and related developments. Over this period of time, thinking on matters of population has changed substantially, and in contrast with the earlier concern on growing numbers of the human race, there is now much greater understanding of development issues, the problem of gender balance, women?s empowerment, and the widespread problem of poverty, all of which have a direct link with and bearing on population and demographics. Events in preparation for the World Population Day normally start a week earlier, on July 4 each year. The UNFPA (United Nations Population Fund) is the central UN organization that promotes new thinking and initiatives in this area. However, it is necessary to take a crosscutting approach in dealing with population issues. In particular, the issue of empowerment of women and ensuring gender equality is paramount in determining future directions in population policy. This is a very complex subject that spans all aspects of economic and social development. Several concerned individuals around the world often raise an alarm at the growing numbers of human beings on this planet. There are certainly valid reasons for assessing current policies related to population, but it is also important to address the question of lifestyles and consumerism. There are several examples of densely populated societies being able to carve out a sustainable form of development. For instance, the population density of England is much higher than that of India. Yet, one does not consider England to be an overpopulated country. Very similar is the case of Japan, a nation which despite high population density, is able to maintain almost two-thirds of its land area under some form of green cover. While the World Population Day is around the corner, it is necessary for us to focus on broad cross-sectoral issues related to population and the pursuit of sustainable development. Demographic changes cannot be viewed in isolation of environmental variables and the stock of natural resources. Nor can they be separated from the existence of widespread poverty and social indicators of development.