Synopses & Reviews
This book evaluates the evidence on the impacts of population growth on well-being in developing countries and concludes that slowing population growth from high current levels, especially in poor, agrarian societies facing pressure on land and resources, is advantageous to economic development, health, food availablitiy, housing, poverty, the environment, and possibly education. It also concludes that while other economic and social policies may affect one or a few of these components of well-being more directly, few, if any, are likely to have the breadth of impact of family planning programmes.
Table of Contents
Contents: Editors' Introduction.- Toward a Cure for the Myopia and Tunnel Vision of the Population Debate: A Dose of Historical Perspective.- Fertility and Maternal and Child Health.- The Consequences of Rapid Population Growth on Human Resource Development: The Case of Education.- Population Growth, Environmental Change and Technical Innovation: Implications for Sustainable Growth in Agricultural Production.- Population, Housing, and the Economy.- Population Growth and Poverty.- An Inquiry into Population, Resources and Environment.- Evaluating the Impact of Family Planning Programmes.- Population Programmes and Human Rights.