AGENDA 21, CHAPTER 5


                DEMOGRAPHIC DYNAMICS AND
                      SUSTAINABILITY


NOTE:     This is a final, advanced version of a chapter of
          Agenda 21, as adopted by the Plenary in Rio de
          Janeiro, on June 14, 1992.  This document will be
          further edited, translated into the official
          langauges, and published by the United Nations
          for the General Assembly this autumn.



5.1.  This chapter contains the following programme areas:

     (a)  Developing and disseminating knowledge concerning
the links between demographic trends and factors and
sustainable development;

     (b)  Formulating integrated national policies for
environment and development, taking into account
demographic trends and factors;

     (c)  Implementing integrated, environment and
development programmes at the local level, taking into
account demographic trends and factors.


                     PROGRAMME AREAS

 A.  Developing and disseminating knowledge concerning the
     links between demographic trends and factors and
               sustainable development

Basis for action

5.2.  Demographic trends and factors and sustainable
development have a synergistic relationship.

5.3.  The growth of world population and production
combined with unsustainable consumption patterns places
increasingly severe stress on the life-supporting
capacities of our planet.  These interactive processes
affect the use of land, water, air, energy and other
resources.  Rapidly growing cities, unless well-managed,
face major environmental problems.  The increase in both
the number and size of cities calls for greater attention
to issues of local government and municipal management.
The human dimensions are key elements to consider in this
intricate set of relationships and they should be
adequately taken into consideration in comprehensive
policies for sustainable development.  Such policies should
address the linkages of demographic trends and factors,
resource use, appropriate technology dissemination, and
development.  Population policy should also recognize the
role played by human beings in environmental and
development concerns.  There is a need to increase
awareness of this issue among decision makers at all levels
and to provide both better information on which to base
national and international policies and a framework against
which to interpret this information.

5.4.  There is a need to develop strategies to mitigate
both the adverse impact on the environment of human
activities and the adverse impact of environmental change
on human populations.  The world's population is expected
to exceed 8 billion by the year 2020.  Sixty percent of the
world's population already live in coastal areas, while
65 per cent of cities with populations above 2.5 million
are located along the world coasts; several of them are
already at or below the present sea level.

Objectives

5.5.  The following objectives should be achieved as soon
as practicable:

     (a)  To incorporate demographic trends and factors in
the global analysis of environment and development issues;

     (b)  To develop a better understanding of the
relationships among demographic dynamics, technology,
cultural behaviour, natural resources and life support
systems;

     (c)  To assess human vulnerability in ecologically
sensitive areas and centres of population to determine the
priorities for action at all levels, taking full account of
community defined needs.

Activities

     Research on the interaction between demographic trends
     and factors and sustainable development

5.6.  Relevant international, regional and national
institutions should consider undertaking the following
activities:

     (a)  Identifying the interactions between demographic
processes, natural resources and life support systems,
bearing in mind regional and subregional variations
deriving from, inter alia, different levels of development;

     (b)  Integrating demographic trends and factors into
the ongoing study of environmental change, using the
expertise of international, regional and national research
networks and of local communities, first, to study the
human dimensions of environmental change and, second, to
identify vulnerable areas;

     (c)  Identifying priority areas for action and
developing strategies and programmes to mitigate the
adverse impact of environmental change on human
populations, and vice versa.

Means of implementation

(a)  Financing and cost evaluation

5.7.  The Conference secretariat has estimated the average
total annual cost (1993-2000) of implementing the
activities of this programme to be about $10 million from
the international community on grant or concessional terms.
These are indicative and order of magnitude estimates only
and have not been reviewed by governments.  Actual costs
and financial terms, including any that are non-
concessional, will depend upon, inter alia, the specific
strategies and programmes governments decide upon for
implementation.

(b)  Strengthening research programmes that integrate
     population, environment and development

5.8.  In order to integrate demographic analysis into a
broader social science perspective on environment and
development, interdisciplinary research should be
increased.  International institutions and networks of
experts should enhance their scientific capacity, taking
full account of community experience and knowledge, and
should disseminate the experience gained in
multidisciplinary approaches and in linking theory to
action.

5.9.  Better modelling capabilities should be developed,
identifying the range of possible outcomes of current human
activities, especially the interrelated impact of
demographic trends and factors, per capita resource use and
wealth distribution, as well as the major migration flows
that may be expected with increasing climatic events and
cumulative environmental change that may destroy people's
local livelihoods.

(c)  Developing information and public awareness

5.10.  Socio-demographic information should be developed in
a suitable format for interfacing with physical, biological
and socio-economic data.  Compatible spatial and temporal
scales, cross-country and time-series information, as well
as global behavioural indicators should be developed,
learning from local communities' perceptions and attitudes.

5.11.  Awareness should be increased at all levels
concerning the need to optimize the sustainable use of
resources through efficient resource management, taking
into account the development needs of the populations of
developing countries.

5.12.  Awareness should be increased of the fundamental
linkages between improving the status of women and
demographic dynamics, particularly through women's access
to education, primary and reproductive health care
programmes, economic independence and their effective,
equitable participation in all levels of decision-making.

5.13.  Results of research concerned with sustainable
development issues should be disseminated through technical
reports, scientific journals, the media, workshops, forums
or other means so that the information can be used by
decision makers at all levels and increase public
awareness.


(d)  Developing and/or enhancing institutional capacity and
     collaboration

5.14.  Collaboration and exchange of information should be
increased between research institutions and international,
regional and national agencies and all other sectors
(including the private sector, local communities,
non-governmental organizations and scientific institutions)
from both the industrialized and developing countries, as
appropriate.

5.15.  Efforts should be intensified to enhance the
capacities of national and local governments, the private
sector and non-governmental organizations in developing
countries to meet the growing needs for improved management
of rapidly growing urban areas.

 B.  Formulating integrated national policies for
     environment and development, taking into account
     demographic trends and factors

Basis for action

5.16.  Existing plans for sustainable development have
generally recognized demographic trends and factors as
elements that have a critical influence on consumption
patterns, production, lifestyles and long-term
sustainability.  But in future, more attention will have to
be given to these issues in general policy formulation and
the design of development plans.  To do this, all countries
will have to improve their own capacities to assess the
environment and development implications of their
demographic trends and factors.  They will also need to
formulate and implement policies and action programmes
where appropriate.  Policies should be designed to address
the consequences of population growth built into population
momentum, while at the same time incorporating measures to
bring about demographic transition.  They should combine
environmental concerns and population issues within a
holistic view of development whose primary goals include
the alleviation of poverty; secure livelihoods; good
health; quality of life; improvement of the status and
income of women and their access to schooling and
professional training, as well as fulfilment of their
personal aspirations; and empowerment of individuals and
communities.  Recognizing that large increases in the size
and number of cities will occur in developing countries
under any likely population scenario, greater attention
should be given to preparing for the needs, in particular
of women and children, for improved municipal management
and local government.

Objective

5.17.  Full integration of population concerns into
national planning, policy and decision-making processes
should continue.  Population policies and programmes should
be considered, with full recognition of women's rights.

Activities

5.18.  Governments and other relevant actors could, inter
alia, undertake the following activities, with appropriate
assistance from aid agencies, and report on their status of
implementation to the International Conference on
Population and Development to be held in 1994, especially
to its committee on population and environment.

(a)  Assessing the implications of national demographic
     trends and factors

5.19.  The relationships between demographic trends and
factors and environmental change and between environmental
degradation and the components of demographic change should
be analysed.

5.20.  Research should be conducted on how environmental
factors interact with socio-economic factors as a cause of
migration.

5.21.  Vulnerable population groups (such as rural landless
workers, ethnic minorities, refugees, migrants, displaced
people, women heads of household) whose changes in
demographic structure may have specific impacts on
sustainable development should be identified.

5.22.  An assessment should be made of the implications of
the age structure of the population on resource demand and
dependency burdens, ranging from educational expenses for
the young to health care and support for the elderly, and
on household income generation.

5.23.  An assessment should also be made of national
population carrying capacity in the context of satisfaction
of human needs and sustainable development, and special
attention should be given to critical resources, such as
water and land, and environmental factors, such as
ecosystem health and biodiversity.

5.24.  The impact of national demographic trends and
factors on the traditional livelihoods of indigenous groups
and local communities, including changes in traditional
land use because of internal population pressures, should
be studied.

(b)  Building and strengthening a national information base

5.25.  National databases on demographic trends and factors
and environment should be built and/or strengthened,
disaggregating data by ecological region (ecosystem
approach), and population/environment profiles should be
established by region.

5.26.  Methodologies and instruments should be developed to
identify areas where sustainability is, or may be,
threatened by the environmental effects of demographic
trends and factors, incorporating both current and
projected demographic data linked to natural environmental
processes.

5.27.  Case-studies of local level responses by different
groups to demographic dynamics should be developed,
particularly in areas subject to environmental stress and
in deteriorating urban centres.

5.28.  Population data should be disaggregated by, inter
alia, sex and age in order to take into account the
implications of the gender division of labour for the use
and management of natural resources.

(c)  Incorporating demographic features into policies and
plans

5.29.  In formulating human settlements policies, account
should be taken of resource needs, waste production and
ecosystem health.

5.30.  The direct and induced effects of demographic
changes on environment and development programmes should,
where appropriate, be integrated, and the impact on
demographic features assessed.

5.31.  National population policy goals and programmes that
are consistent with national environment and development
plans for sustainability and in keeping with the freedom,
dignity and personally held values of individuals should be
established and implemented.

5.32.  Appropriate socio-economic policies for the young
and the elderly, both in terms of family and state support
systems, should be developed.

5.33.  Policies and programmes should be developed for
handling the various types of migrations that result from
or induce environmental disruptions, with special attention
to women and vulnerable groups.

5.34.  Demographic concerns, including concerns for
environmental migrants and displaced people, should be
incorporated in the programmes for sustainable development
of relevant international and regional institutions.

5.35.  National reviews should be conducted and the
integration of population policies in national development
and environment strategies should be monitored nationally.

Means of implementation

(a)  Financing and cost evaluation

5.36.  The Conference secretariat has estimated the average
total annual cost (1993-2000) of implementing the
activities of this programme to be about $90 million from
the international community on grant or concessional terms.
These are indicative and order of magnitude estimates only
and have not been reviewed by governments.  Actual costs
and financial terms, including any that are non-
concessional, will depend upon, inter alia, the specific
strategies and programmes governments decide upon for
implementation.

(b)  Raising awareness of demographic and sustainable
     development interactions

5.37.  Understanding of the interactions between
demographic trends and factors and sustainable development
should be increased in all sectors of society.  Stress
should be placed on local and national action.  Demographic
and sustainable development education should be coordinated
and integrated in both the formal and non-formal education
sectors.  Particular attention should be given to
population literacy programmes, notably for women.  Special
emphasis should be placed on the linkage between these
programmes, primary environmental care and the provision of
primary health care and services.

(c)  Strengthening institutions

5.38.  The capacity of national, regional and local
structures to deal with issues relating to demographic
trends and factors and sustainable development should be
enhanced.  This would involve strengthening the relevant
bodies responsible for population issues to enable them to
elaborate policies consistent with the national prospects







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for sustainable development.  Cooperation among government,
national research institutions, non-governmental
organizations and local communities in assessing problems
and evaluating policies should also be enhanced.

5.39.  The capacity of the relevant United Nations organs,
organizations and bodies, international and regional
intergovernmental bodies, non-governmental organizations
and local communities should, as appropriate, be enhanced
to help countries develop sustainable development policies
on request and, as appropriate, provide assistance to
environmental migrants and displaced people.

5.40.  Inter-agency support for national sustainable
development policies and programmes should be improved
through better coordination of population and environment
activities.

(d)  Promoting human resource development

5.41.  The international and regional scientific
institutions should assist Governments, upon request, to
include concerns regarding the population/environment
interactions at the global, ecosystem and micro-levels in
the training of demographers and population and environment
specialists.  Training should include research on linkages
and ways to design integrated strategies.

 C.  Implementing integrated environment and development
     programmes at the local level, taking into account
                demographic trends and factors

Basis for action

5.42.  Population programmes are more effective when
implemented together with appropriate cross-sectoral
policies.  To attain sustainability at the local level, a
new framework is needed that integrates demographic trends
and factors with such factors as ecosystem health,
technology and human settlements, and with socio-economic
structures and access to resources.  Population programmes
should be consistent with socio-economic and environmental
planning.  Integrated sustainable development programmes
should closely correlate action on demographic trends and
factors with resource management activities and development
goals that meet the needs of the people concerned.

Objective

5.43.  Population programmes should be implemented along
with natural resource management and development programmes
at the local level that will ensure sustainable use of
natural resources, improve the quality of life of the
people and enhance environmental quality.

Activities







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5.44.  Governments and local communities, including
community-based women's organizations and national
non-governmental organizations, consistent with national
plans, objectives, strategies and priorities, could, inter
alia, undertake the activities set out below with the
assistance and cooperation of international organizations,
as appropriate.  Governments could share their experience
in the implementation of Agenda 21 at the International
Conference on Population and Development, to be held in
1994, especially its committee on population and
environment.

(a)  Developing a framework for action

5.45.  An effective consultative process should be
established and implemented with concerned groups of
society where the formulation and decision-making of all
components of the programmes are based on a nationwide
consultative process drawing on community meetings,
regional workshops and national seminars, as appropriate.
This process should ensure that views of women and men on
needs, perspective and constraints are equally well
reflected in the design of programmes, and that solutions
are rooted in specific experience.  The poor and
underprivileged should be priority groups in this process.

5.46.  Nationally determined policies for integrated and
multifaceted programmes, with special attention to women,
to the poorest people living in critical areas and to other
vulnerable groups should be implemented, ensuring the
involvement of groups with a special potential to act as
agents for change and sustainable development.  Special
emphasis should be placed on those programmes that achieve
multiple objectives, encouraging sustainable economic
development, and mitigating adverse impacts of demographic
trends and factors, and avoiding long-term environmental
damage.  Food security, access to secure tenure, basic
shelter, and essential infrastructure, education, family
welfare, women's reproductive health, family credit
schemes, reforestation programmes, primary environmental
care, women's employment should, as appropriate, be
included among other factors.

5.47.  An analytical framework should be developed to
identify complementary elements of sustainable development
policies as well as the national mechanisms to monitor and
evaluate their effects on population dynamics.

5.48.  Special attention should be given to the critical
role of women in population/environment programmes and in
achieving sustainable development.  Projects should take
advantage of opportunities to link social, economic and
environmental gains for women and their families.
Empowerment of women is essential and should be assured
through education, training and policies to accord and







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improve women's right and access to assets, human and civil
rights, labour-saving measures, job opportunities and
participation in decision-making.  Population/environment
programmes must enable women to mobilize themselves to
alleviate their burden and improve their capacity to
participate in and benefit from socio-economic development.
Specific measures should be undertaken to close the gap
between female and male illiteracy rates.

(b)  Supporting programmes that promote changes in
     demographic trends and factors towards sustainability

5.49.  Reproductive health programmes and services, should,
as appropriate, be developed and enhanced to reduce
maternal and infant mortality from all causes and enable
women and men to fulfil their personal aspirations in terms
of family size, in a way in keeping with their freedom and
dignity and personally held values.

5.50.  Governments should take active steps to implement,
as a matter of urgency, in accordance with country-specific
conditions and legal systems, measures to ensure that women
and men have the same right to decide freely and
responsibly on the number and spacing of their children, to
have access to the information, education and means, as
appropriate, to enable them to exercise this right in
keeping with their freedom, dignity and personally held
values taking into account ethical and cultural
considerations.

5.51.  Governments should take active steps to implement
programmes to establish and strengthen preventive and
curative health facilities that include women-centred,
women-managed, safe and effective reproductive health care
and affordable, accessible services, as appropriate, for
the responsible planning of family size, in keeping with
freedom, dignity and personally held values and taking into
account ethical and cultural considerations.  Programmes
should focus on providing comprehensive health care,
including pre-natal care, education and information on
health and responsible parenthood and should provide the
opportunity for all women to breast-feed fully, at least
during the first four months post-partum.  Programmes
should fully support women's productive and reproductive
roles and well being, with special attention to the need
for providing equal and improved health care for all
children and the need to reduce the risk of maternal and
child mortality and sickness.

5.52.  Consistent with national priorities, culturally
based information and education programmes that transmit
reproductive health messages to men and women that are
easily understood should be developed.

(c)  Creating appropriate institutional conditions








Jul 13 15:18 1992  (cdp) en.unced.documents Page 43


5.53.  Constituencies and institutional conditions to
facilitate the implementation of demographic activities
should, as appropriate, be fostered.  This requires support
and commitment from political, indigenous, religious and
traditional authorities, the private sector and the
national scientific community.  In developing these
appropriate institutional conditions, countries should
closely involve established national machinery for women.

5.54.  Population assistance should be coordinated with
bilateral and multilateral donors to ensure that population
needs and requirements of all developing countries are
addressed, fully respecting the overall coordinating
responsibility and the choice and strategies of the
recipient countries.

5.55.  Coordination should be improved at local and
international levels.  Working practices should be enhanced
in order to make optimum use of resources, draw on
collective experience and improve the implementation of
programmes.  UNFPA and other relevant agencies should
strengthen the coordination of international cooperation
activities with recipient and donor countries in order to
ensure that adequate funding is available to respond to
growing needs.

5.56.  Proposals should be developed for local, national
and international population/environment programmes in line
with specific needs for achieving sustainability.  Where
appropriate, institutional changes must be implemented so
that old-age security does not entirely depend on input
from family members.

Means of implementation

(a)  Financing and cost evaluation

5.57.  The Conference secretariat has estimated the average
total annual cost (1993-2000) of implementing the
activities of this programme to be about $7 billion
including about $3.5 billion from the international
community on grant or concessional terms.  These are
indicative and order of magnitude estimates only and have
not been reviewed by governments.  Actual costs and
financial terms, including any that are non-concessional,
will depend upon, inter alia, the specific strategies and
programmes governments decide upon for implementation.

(b)  Research

5.58.  Research should be undertaken with a view to
developing specific action programmes; it will be necessary
to establish priorities between proposed areas of research.

5.59.  Socio-demographic research should be conducted on
how populations respond to a changing environment.







Jul 13 15:18 1992  (cdp) en.unced.documents Page 44



5.60.  Understanding of socio-cultural and political
factors that can positively influence acceptance of
appropriate population policy instruments should be
improved.

5.61.  Surveys of changes in needs for appropriate services
relating to responsible planning of family size, reflecting
variations among different socio-economic groups and
variations in different geographical regions should be
undertaken.

(c)  Human resource development and capacity-building

5.62.  The areas of human resource development and
capacity-building, with particular attention to the
education and training of women, are areas of critical
importance and are a very high priority in the
implementation of population programmes.

5.63.  Workshops to help programme and projects managers to
link population programmes to other development and
environmental goals should be conducted.

5.64.  Educational materials, including guides/workbooks
for planners and decision makers and other actors of
population/environment/development programmes, should be
developed.

5.65.  Cooperation should be developed between Governments,
scientific institutions and non-governmental organizations
within the region, and similar institutions outside the
region.  Cooperation with local organizations should be
fostered in ordered to raise awareness, engage in
demonstration projects and report on the experience gained.

5.66.  The recommendations contained in this chapter should
in no way prejudice discussions at the International
Conference on Population and Development in 1994, which
will be the appropriate forum for dealing with population
and development issues, taking into account the
recommendations of the International Conference on
Population, held in Mexico City in 1984, 1/ and the
Forward-looking Strategies for the Advancement of Women, 2/
adopted by the World Conference to Review and Appraise the
Achievements of the United Decade for Women:  Equality,
Development and Peace, held in Nairobi in 1985.


                          Notes

     1/   Report of the International Conference on
Population, Mexico City, 6-14 August 1984 (United Nations
publication, Sales No. E.84.XIII.8), chap. I.

     2/   Report of the World Conference to Review and







Jul 13 15:18 1992  (cdp) en.unced.documents Page 45


Appraise the Achievements of the United Nations Decade for
Women:  Equality, Development and Peace, Nairobi, 15-26
July 1985 (United Nations publication, Sales
No. E.84.IV.10), chap. I, sect. A.


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Note 416      A21/6 Human Health
unced                            8:43 am  Jul 10, 1992

From: UNCED 
Subject: A21/6 Human Health

A-21: HUMAN HEALTH





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