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Population Communication 2023

 

Population Communication has an endowment that will update the reports commissioned on family planning and population in Bangladesh, Egypt, Ethiopia, Ghana, the states of Bihar and Uttar Pradesh in India, Kenya, Madagascar, Mali, Nigeria, Pakistan, Philippines, Senegal, Tanzania, Uganda, Yemen, and Zimbabwe.  We commissioned a report for Niger and are negotiating a contract for a Nigerian update. Eventually we will have reports from all countries with populations greater than 20 million and total fertility rates greater than 3.

The India Vital Statistics app is being revised with counters for population, births/deaths, arable land lost, forest area, CO2 emissions, species extinction, air pollution and desertification. We will be adding water and marine indicators as well as national and global energy consumption using current and projected domestic and imported fossil fuels. We will add hydro, nuclear, biomass, solar and wind indicators. The demographic resource and environmental statistics will be updated annually. We will have population projections and environment vital statistic applications for all the countries where we focus our activities. The Indian Vital Statistics app is available for free at the Apple App store.

The world population was 2.2 billion when I was born in 1938 and is now 8 billion. The current UN median projection is 10.8 billion by the turn of the century. The population growth and development that has made this reality possible is driven by finite fossil fuels. All gas, oil and coal will someday be zero. All fossil fuels that have yet to be consumed will have their greenhouse gasses either captured, sequestered or emitted. In assessing the demographic realities of CO2 emissions, the wealthiest one billion population with a per capita income of $12,000 or more have an average of two children and emit 13 times the CO2 of the poorest one billion with less than $1,000 per capita income who have 4 or more children.

In 1966 John D. Rockefeller III arranged a presentation of a Statement on Population on Human Rights Day at the United Nations. The Statement was signed by 22 heads of government and presented to UN Secretary General U Thant. In 1985 I arranged for Rajiv Gandhi to present a Statement on Population Stabilization to Secretary General Javier Perez de Cuellar during the 40th celebrations for the United Nations. In 1985 President Suharto presented the Statement with the signatures of 75 heads of government to Boutros Boutros-Ghali during the 50th anniversary celebrations of the United Nations.

The Statement on Population Stabilization reads:

“Degradation of the world’s environment, income inequality, and the potential for conflict exist today because of rapid population growth, among other factors. If this unprecedented population growth continues, future generations of children will not have adequate food, housing, health services, education, earth resources, and employment opportunities.

We believe that the time has come now to recognize the worldwide necessity to achieve population stabilization and for each country to adopt the necessary policies and programs to do so, consistent with its own culture and aspirations. To enhance the integrity of the individual and the quality of life for all, we believe that all nations should participate in setting goals and programs for population stabilization. Measures for this purpose should be voluntary and should maintain individual human rights and beliefs.

We urge national leaders to take an active personal role in promoting effective policies and programs. Emphasis should be given to improving the status of women, respecting human rights and beliefs, and achieving the active participation of women in formulating policies and programs. Attention should be given to realistic goals and timetables and developing appropriate economic and social policies.

Recognizing that early population stabilization is in the interest of all nations, we earnestly hope that leaders around the world will share our views and join with us in this great undertaking for the well-being and happiness of people everywhere.”

We have completed population projections with TFRs of 1, 2 and 3, the existing TFR as reported by the Population Reference Bureau, and the desired family size as reported in the latest Demographic Health Survey for the following countries: Angola, Bangladesh, Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Chad, Côte D’Ivoire, Democratic Republic of Congo, Egypt, Ethiopia, Ghana, India, Kenya, Liberia, Madagascar, Malawi, Mozambique, Nepal, Niger, Nigeria, Pakistan, Philippines, Sudan, Tanzania and Uganda.