POPULATION AND DEVELOPMENT COMMISSION CONSIDERS ‘NATIONAL EXPERIENCES'; EXCESSIVE POPULATION GROWTH, ECOLOGICAL BALANCE AMONG ISSUES RAISED

Commission on Population and Development

Thirty-fourth Session

3^rd Meeting (AM)

POPULATION AND DEVELOPMENT COMMISSION CONSIDERS ‘NATIONAL EXPERIENCES';

EXCESSIVE POPULATION GROWTH, ECOLOGICAL BALANCE AMONG ISSUES RAISED

The Commission on Population and Development heard from a number of countries this morning on their national experiences regarding population matters as it continued its thirty-fourth session focusing on the theme of population, environment and development.

A subsidiary body of the Economic and Social Council, the Commission is charged with studying and advising the Council on population changes and their effect on economic and social conditions.  Following the International Conference on Population and Development (Cairo, 1994), the Commission began meeting annually, beginning in 1996, to assess implementation of the Cairo Programme of Action.

The representative of China told the Commission this morning that, as the most populous country in the world, China was fully aware of her role and responsibility in handling the issue of population, environment and development.  It was focusing its efforts on slowing down the excessive population growth, safeguarding the ecological balance and ensuring environmental protection and poverty alleviation, so as to improve the living standards of its people.  As of 1 November 2000, he added, China’s total population had reached 1.3 billion and an estimated net increase of more than 10 million annually was expected.  Of growing concern were the ageing population and the pressures put on employment.

The links between the environment and population, said Germany’s representative, were most often addressed in the context of rapidly growing populations and their effects on natural resources and overall sustainability.  As a highly industrialized country with a predicted future decline in population, Germany was more concerned with its contribution to environmental pollution.  Its priorities, therefore, were focused on supporting developing and newly industrialized countries with creating population, education and health policy measures reflective of the goals of the Cairo Conference.

Belarus’ greatest concern right now, stated its representative, was how to counter the negative effects of environmental factors, such as the Chernobyl disaster, on the population.  The consequences of that accident had affected the lives and health of almost 2 million people, or 20 per cent of the entire

population of that country.  A considerable proportion of those affected had been women of childbearing age.  The full effect and scope of the demographic consequences of the disaster had yet to be determined.

Also this morning, the Commission concluded its consideration of follow-up actions to the recommendations of the ICPD, with statements by the representatives of the United States and Brazil.  The Executive Director of the Committee for International Cooperation in National Research in Demography also spoke.

Statements in the general debate on national experiences were also made by the representatives of Malaysia, Indonesia, Lithuania, Croatia, Algeria, Mexico, Philippines, El Salvador, Niger, Portugal, Netherlands, United States and Turkey. 

The Commission will meet again at 3 p.m. today to continue its general debate, as well as to hold a panel discussion on population, environment and development.

Background

The thirty-fourth session of the Commission on Population and Development met this morning to begin its general debate on national experience in population matters: population, environment and development.  It was first expected to conclude its consideration of follow-up actions to the recommendations of the International Conference on Population and Development (ICPD) (Cairo, 1994).  (For background, see Press Release POP/792 issued 30 March.)

Statements

PERRY MILLER (United States) said that at its intersessional meeting, the Bureau had discussed the possible options for a ten-year review of implementation of the Cairo goals to be held in 2004.  It had proposed that an international event be convened and the title could be population and development challenges for the twenty-first century.  Any decision on what might or might not be done would provide an important opportunity to break away from the automatic pattern for five-year reviews, in which the United Nations had held a review for the sake of having one with little to show for it afterwards.

Any review in 2004 for ICPD, he said, should stand on its own merits.  The decision should be guided by one fundamental principle -- what was the value added by such a review?  He disagreed with the idea of a special session of the General Assembly for the ten-year review.  If the international event was to occur, it should not be an international negotiation, but a technical event limited to the population and development challenges ahead.  The Commission should have the primary responsibility for such a review.  With regard to the specific proposal that international migration and its impact on sending and receiving countries should be included in 2004, he believed that issue could best be discussed in a regional context. 

MARIA LUIZA RIBEIRO VIOTTI (Brazil) said that since the early 1990s, her country had taken significant steps to implement structural reforms and create an enabling environment conducive to social development and reflective of the agreements reached at Cairo.  One recent initiative had been a major project aimed at improving the living conditions of the poorest municipalities.  The goals for 2002 included the enrolment of all children at school age, the setting up of teams to provide health services to households, the eradication of child labour and improvement of sanitation.

In the area of health, she said her country’s HIV/AIDS programme deserved special mention.  Among that programme’s distinctive features was a strong treatment component to accompany preventive measures.  Since 1996, every Brazilian living with HIV/AIDS had access to free anti-retroviral therapy and other drug treatments.  Further, the programme was paying off; death rates had drastically declined and opportunistic infections had decreased.  Through follow-up, the programme had also kept those living with the disease in contact with public health services.

She next drew the Commission’s attention to some of the most recent population data from Brazil.  The 2000 demographic census had indicated that the country’s population now stood at 169.5 million.  While that figure was an increase over 1991 data, it also indicated that the average rate of population growth declined to 1.6 per cent a year.  That decline could be attributed to a decline in both fertility and mortality rates.  Another important trend concerned the distribution of the population; it now appeared that more and more people were living in urban areas.  She said that migratory movements during the last decade were less intense than in previous periods. 

PHILIPPE COLLOMB, Executive Director, Committee for International Cooperation in National Research in Demography, said that his organization focused on the interrelations between population factors, bio-physical environment and socio-economic and cultural factors, as seen from a sustainable development perspective.  It insisted on underlining the political and scientific importance of those interrelations and the role of population factors in them.  Such research was complex, must automatically be interdisciplinary and required a systemic approach, which depended on partnerships between experts and institutions.  Further, the phenomena presented regional, nation and local variations, which required comparative research. 

The issues of environment and sustainable development would figure prominently in the future agenda of the international community, in particular within the Commission for Sustainable Development, to prepare for Rio + 10 in 2002, he said.  There was a danger that population factors would not receive sufficient attention in that process.  He alerted the members of the Commission that the member States had, with the network of 600 population centres distributed both in developed and developing countries and which formed the backbone of his organization, a valuable instrument which could have a considerable impact on improving the knowledge base and its translation into policies and programmes.

FATIMAH SAAD (Malaysia) said that her Government had taken notice of the fact that the agreements reached in Cairo had stressed the notion that demographic factors combined with poverty, lack of access to resources, excessive consumption and wasteful production all contributed to environmental degradation, which could impede sustainable development.  With that in mind, Malaysia had taken steps to contribute to global efforts in mitigating environmental degradation by becoming party to many environmental agreements, including the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change.  The country had also implemented conservation measures to protect its own biological resources.  Now in place was a National Policy on Biological Diversity.

She went on to say that it was evident that population growth added pressure to the environment.  The challenge, then, was to find ways to meet the demands of a population that was not only increasing, but one that was also becoming more affluent.  To make an environment sustainable under such pressures over the long run would necessarily demand at the macro-level, better integration of population factors within the overall development planning processes.  At the micro-level, it would require a better understanding of the links among population, environment and sustainable development.  To that end, various government agencies, non-governmental bodies and private agencies in Malaysia had implemented environmental education, training and awareness programmes under the ministry of science, technology and environment. 

PRIJONO TJIPTOHERIJANTO (Indonesia) highlighted some of the issues and concerns that were key for reorienting his country’s population policies and strategies into a broader framework of the ICPD.  First, those concerns should be integrated into development strategies, planning, decision-making and resource allocations at all levels and across all regions of the world.  In Indonesia, the fundamental changes and reforms that were reshaping the country provided it with opportunities to further accelerate people-centered development.  Second, rather than concentrating solely on demographic objectives, emphasis should be placed on the importance of human and family development and the need to change attitudes towards reproduction and client-centered provisions of high quality family planning information and services. 

Third, he continued, Indonesia’s success in implementing its ICPD commitments had been, similar to other Asian countries, drastically undermined by the Asian financial crisis that crippled its previously dynamic economy.  He strongly believed in the need for a comprehensive and enduring solution to the problem of foreign indebtedness that confronted those countries most affected by the economic crisis.  That would include, among others, debt swaps for population and development programmes.  Being acutely aware of the impact of the population dimension on sustainable development, the Government would establish a new institution this year responsible for regulating population growth and ensuring that sustainable development was promoted, he added.

CHARLOTTE HOEHN (Germany) said the links between the environment and population were most often addressed in the context of rapidly growing populations and their impact on natural resources and overall sustainability.  As a highly industrialized country with a predicted decline in population over the coming years, Germany, like many other developed countries, was more concerned with its contribution to environmental pollution.  Therefore, its priorities were focused on supporting developing and newly industrialized countries with their efforts to create population, education and health policy measures reflective of the goals of the ICPD plan of action.  What was needed at all levels, however, was an “ecological globalization” that set international standards, prevented environmental dumping and created decent living conditions for growing populations.

She said Germany was also focused on making its contribution to the creation of implementable environmental policy for economic development, which facilitated human living standards and favourable development opportunities for a growing population faced with limited ecological resources.  Ecological modernization in Germany meant changing economic and social structures in order to make sustainable living and working a possibility.  It also included efforts to sever the link between economic growth and use of resources.  The Government had also introduced a climate protection programme geared toward a 25 per cent reduction in carbon dioxide emissions by 2005.  She added that environmental and population problems went beyond borders and for that reason, intensive international cooperation on all such matters was crucial.

RITA ZEMAITYTE, the International Cooperation Division, Ministry of Social Security and Labour of Lithuania, said that since the restoration of independence in 1990, and switching from a planned economy to a market one, the existing demographic tendencies in the country had changed.  It became difficult to predict the number and the composition of the population in the long-term.  Since 1992 the population had been constantly decreasing.  Recently, the speed of the decrease had been slowing down.  In Lithuania, as in many European countries, the decrease in birth rate had led to a larger ageing population.  The other problem faced in the country was an overall decline in fertility. 

However, she continued, the birth rate was higher in families living in rural areas, which were more vulnerable to poverty.  The two largest groups in those areas were the very old and very young, both of whom were not active in the labour market.  The unfavourable demographic composition, high unemployment and the predominance of small and subsistence farms all contributed to the lower standard of living in the rural areas.  Taking into consideration those factors, the Government sought to integrate demographic factors into social development strategies and into all stages of resource distribution planning. 

FRANKA VOJNOVIC (Croatia) said, as it had become more and more clear that the depletion of natural resources and other environmental changes were inextricably linked to population growth and economic development, it had also become necessary to include ecological factors in modern population studies.  Indeed, current environmental crises worldwide, such as unchecked production of goods and services and technological development, had seriously threatened natural resources and the quality of life for all.  In any given demographic area, those factors could affect populations differently.  Croatia, she said, recognized the need to ensure sound environmental protection polices.  In that regard, she was pleased to report that the state of Croatia’s environment was rather satisfactory.

She said that while Croatia could be considered a country with a medium- sized population, its uneven spatial densities had varying effects on the environment in different areas.  Further, entire regions had been affected by depopulation, leading to “social demographic depression” in certain areas.  That was especially true of war-torn areas.  On the other hand, densely populated urban areas continued to put pressure on their respective environments.  In many major cities, there was insufficient housing, unauthorized construction and generally inadequate infrastructure.  It was important to note, however, that recent development plans viewed environmentally stable rural areas as ideal opportunities to relieve overpopulated cities.

RACIDA BENKHEILIL (Algeria) said that the Cairo Conference and its five-year review had brought to the forefront the urgent need to address population and development challenges.  The link between population and development had been addressed in Algeria’s policies.  Since the end of the 1980s the country had seen a considerable increase in its population.  It had been able to produce a cut in its growth rate, as a result of changes in reproductive behaviour, which brought down fertility levels.  Family planning had become common.  The report of the National Committee on Population sought to achieve population sustainability by the end of the decade.  Changes in national policy were also taking into account changes in population policy.  The Government was ensuring that it had information campaigns and an integrated approach to population matters, which included environmental concerns.

Among the factors contributing to the environmental degradation in Algeria was population growth, she said.  In 2001, the country’s population was 30.2 million, with the number of those living in towns on the rise.  Also, Algeria was unusual in that four-fifths of its territory was desert.  Water and arable land were limited.  Urban growth and industrial development had also increased pollution.  Respiratory diseases were increasing, particularly in larger towns.  The Government had called for urgent measures to be taken to conserve land and water, cautioning against overuse of those limited resources.  Combating poverty and marginalization were also priorities for the Government, which had an action plan intended to narrow the gap between different groups and increase basic social services.

ELENA ZUÑIGA, National Council of Population of Mexico, said her country recognized that environmental processes were related, to varying degrees, with demographic dynamics, such as population size and spatial distribution.  To that end, the country carried out systematic studies and programmes to address rapid population growth and uneven regional demographic distributions which, interacting with other factors such as poverty or access to natural resources, placed serious pressure on Mexico’s fragile ecosystems.

There was now a commitment to promote development modalities that preserved natural resources and considered the interests of both present and future generations, she said.  The Government would also promote strategies and programmes that reflected environmental protection initiatives, as well as ideas for diverse and sustainable use of natural resources.  It would also implement education programmes and environmental training courses to promote positive production and consumption patterns.

She said available information had shown that several environmental problems required immediate attention, including soil degradation, desertification, deforestation, water and air pollution and inappropriate disposal of industrial waste.  Her country also gave special attention to population densities within certain areas.  It had carried out actions to improve population distribution and to promote the integration of environmental concerns into urban planning schemes.  Local municipalities were also encouraged to consider the competitive advantages of intermediate cities, as well as the consideration of those cities as ideal destinations for migratory flows.  Countless programmes were pending.  In particular, her Government was planning to double its efforts to advance the incorporation of environmental approaches in economic and social development programmes at the federal, State and local levels.

TOMAS M. OSIAS (Philippines) said that his country’s national population policy was guided by a reproductive health approach, which ensured the availability and accessibility of quality information and services so that informed choices could be made, and an approach to adolescent health and youth development that focused on information, education and counseling services.  It had adopted a Population and Sustainable Development Framework that illustrated the interrelationship among population, society’s productive capacity in terms of both natural and human resources, and their link to development, which, in turn, influenced population variables. 

He said an important aspect in that Framework was a definition of development that included: the capacity to bear and rear children; the achievement of desired fertility and other population, environment and development goals within the context of responsible parenthood; access; gender equity; and empowerment.  Consistent with that framework, it was recognized that sustainable development must be based on a continuing decentralized population programme, approached in a holistic and multidisciplinary manner, that was gender sensitive, emphasizing male participation in fertility management and recognizing current social realities.

JOSÉ ROBERTO ANDINO SALAZAR (El Salvador) said his country’s socio-demographic map was very complex.  El Salvador was very small, but had high population density.  Further, as the recent earthquakes there had proved, its regional location made it most susceptible to natural disasters.  Those two factors combined to place both the population and the environment at risk.  The Government, therefore, considered it a top priority to ensure the implementation of ICPD commitments. 

He said some of the initiatives currently under way included environmental education programmes, and programmes emphasizing health care and social services. There was also a move to better coordinate and integrate institutional support of health and reproductive services within all government and ministerial sectors.  El Salvador had encouraged multi-institutional efforts to promote a more active role for women in environmental matters.  There had also been a major focus on education.

He said the Government had established other environmental programmes which identified areas of the country most susceptible to earthquakes, landslides or floods.  Further, all environmental ministries had been strengthened.  Indeed, a new ministry had been created to study volcanic and seismic activity.  Another ministry would study proper use of soil.  There was an urgent need to institute broad and far-reaching international initiatives to provide resources to countries susceptible to natural disasters.  It was a sad fact that costly reconstruction efforts would force some nations to sacrifice some developmental programmes.  Life in El Salvador would continue, however, and the nation and its people possessed a hope and an inner strength, supported by the Government.  That would ensure that public development policies would continue to provide the necessary resources at all times.

ANDREI POPOV (Belarus) said that there were two sides to population problems.  Population was a significant external factor, which had an impact on the environment.  Likewise, environmental factors affected the way demographics developed.  The national policies of Belarus were developed as part of a broader strategy for achieving sustainable development.  Demographics was included as an important part of the national strategy for sustainable development. 

He said the greatest concern right now was the impact of environmental factors on the population -- in particular, how to counter the negative effects of the Chernobyl disaster.  The consequences of that accident affected the lives and health of almost 2 million people, or 20 per cent of the entire population.  A considerable proportion of those who suffered health problems were women of childbearing age.  The full effect and scope of the demographic consequences of the accident had not yet been determined.  Given limited budgetary resources, it would be difficult for the Government to tackle the issue alone.  While it was an issue of priority for the Government, extra international support was needed, including from United Nations agencies, to deal with the medical and psychological effects of the disaster. 

GARBA BASSIROU (Niger) said that current statistics revealed the tragic nature of the environmental and demographic situation in his country.  Indeed, United Nations development studies had ranked the country second to last on the list of human development.  Niger’s national economy was based mainly on the use of natural resources and, sadly, natural disasters and unchecked use were causing those resources to deteriorate at a rapid pace.  Food safety was also a concern, as agriculture was a major part of the economy.  It was clear that deterioration of the environment would continue unless modes of production and consumption were not changed to reflect a modern and healthy respect for the environment.

He said the Government had undertaken many initiatives aimed at establishing the basis for an innovative plan of environmental protection.  A national plan for durable and sustainable development would be the basis for that work.  Looking to the future, the Government would work to reinforce institutional and legal capacities to ensure the success of all national environmental policies, as well as mobilize the necessary human and financial resources to implement agreed recommendations.  Despite those efforts, Niger still had to contend with extremely rapid population growth, which outstripped economic growth.  There was also an unequal ratio of girls and boys attending school, high levels of fertility and infant and maternal mortality, and the persistence of traditional practices harmful to women and children.

He went on to say that Niger’s population problems were exacerbated by the continued devastating effects of the HIV/AIDS virus.  All those issues had led the Government to adopt an integrated approach that established a much closer link among combating poverty, education, population and the environment.  The Government had also implemented several policies that promoted the participation of women in environmental and population policymaking.

WANG GUOQIANG (China) said that China’s main goal for the country’s environmental protection in the coming five years was to reduce environmental pollution to a certain extent, stop the deterioration of the environment and improve the environmental quality in the cities and areas.  The major tasks were to focus on five areas:  prevention and control of industrial pollution; environmental protection in urban areas; protection of ecological environment; environmental protection in rural areas; and environmental protection in the sea. 

As of 1 November 2000, China’s total population reached 1.3 billion, he said.  While the Government’s population policy had been successful in controlling rapid population growth, overpopulation was still an important problem.  China’s population would increase in the coming decades, with an estimated net increase of more than 10 million annually.  The pressure of employment would be further increased and the ageing population would be an issue of concern.

Therefore, he added, the issue of population and family planning must be given first priority on the agenda of sustainable development.  As the most populous country in the world, China was fully aware of her role and responsibility in handling the issue of population, environment and development.  The Government would make a sustained effort to slow down the excessive population growth, safeguard the ecological balance and ensure environmental protection and poverty alleviation, so as to improve the living standards of its people.   

FRANCISCO SEIXAS DA COSTA (Portugal) said that the total resident population of his country in January 2000 was estimated at 9.9 million, based on the last census taken in 1991.  The growth rate was low, with total fertility rates stabilizing at 1.5 children per woman, along with a decline in infant mortality.  Life expectancy at birth had risen slightly for both men and women.  Needless to say, policy makers should be provided with accurate figures and studies, without which political decision-making processes ran the risk of becoming inconsequential. 

Portugal, he said, had carried out several surveys to study population changes within its borders, including the fertility and family survey in 1997, which included the study of male and female behaviour with regard to contraceptive use and the causes of infertility.  The socio-economic implications of demographic changes in populations had been the object of intense study.  The measurement of social inequalities, living conditions and poverty rates, particularly among the most vulnerable groups, were key elements of those studies.  It was clear that demographic factors, if not handled correctly, might cause excessive consumption and wasteful production patterns, in turn causing environmental degradation and, thereby, inhibiting the quality of life. 

N. VAN NIMWEGEN (Netherlands) said that the link among population, environment and development were among the key challenges to be tackled by the international community.  The world was facing continued population growth.  The imbalances between population, environment and development demonstrated that truly sustainable development was far from being achieved and environmental degradation continued.  Future generations were being threatened by those imbalances.

The unsustainable patterns of production and consumption tended to be underestimated, he said.  Also, production and consumption in one country could also affect other countries, a concept known in the Netherlands as the “ecological footprint”.  He was concerned by the observation in one of the Commission’s reports, which noted that many countries did not take into account population factors in formulating environmental policies.  In the Netherlands, population matters were important considerations in the formulation of such policies.

M. MILLER (United States) said there was a need to move away from general discussions about the impact of rapid population growth on the environment and towards a more focused agenda, aimed at a more sustainable use of land, water and air.  It was undeniable that population growth would continue to affect the environment, but other concerns, such as climate change, posed unknown threats to sustainable development.  There should also be an emphasis on the collection and reporting of regional environmental data, as well as enhanced cross- jurisdictional cooperation.

He went on to say that coarse methods of analysis and data collection also hampered efforts to address population concerns.  There was also a lack of cooperation between environmental and population experts.  The international community must seek better ways to study migration patterns and unsafe living conditions, particularly in developing countries.  Greater efforts should be made to collect and report data for small geographic areas.  A more fundamental step would be to prepare or identify data already in place for use by interested actors in the international community.  For such data to be useful, it should be referenced geographically.  Finally, he reiterated his call for the Commission to refocus its agenda away from demographic impacts on the environment and towards a more data-driven aspect of the use of space.  Such a move should focus on political and economic concerns, as well as regional considerations.

KEMAL MADENOGLU (Turkey) said that adoption of an approach that took into consideration the interaction between population, resources, environment and development had become essential for sustainable development.  Turkey was one of

the 20 most populous countries in the world, with a population of 66.8 million.  A relatively high growth rate put additional pressure on natural resources and resulted in greater production of waste.  The population was also rapidly urbanizing; it was estimated that 69 per cent of the population lived in urban areas.  Rapid urbanization usually exposed a growing population to a range of concentrated environmental problems and put pressure on resources.  Excessive migration, combined with inadequate infrastructure facilities in the urban centres, caused environmental problems.

Rapid and largely uncontrolled urban growth presented substantial challenges for the quality of life and environment in urban areas, he said.  Cities faced severe problems associated with air pollution, transport, housing, energy supply and water-related infrastructure.  Turkey’s eighth five-year development plan (2001-2005) called for development of a national environmental strategy.  It emphasized: improvement in the quality of life; increased environmental awareness and management; and sustainable economic, social and cultural development.  

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