Population and sustainable development

This paper assesses the feasibility of sustainable development for various low-income countries in the context of prospective population growth. In that context, development that is sustainable is development that does not endanger the natural systems that support life on earth. Since a short time has elapsed since the Mexico City Conference, not all the developmental goals highlighted at that meeting could be reviewed. Emphasis in this paper is placed on an assessment of recent trends in food production and availability, employment and poverty issues, with an emphasis on India, China, and a few other Asian countries on which the author has had access to information. In the view of the author, the key to sustained development in the face of likely continued population growth up to the end of the 21st century lies in technological change and effective use of the human and physical resources in developing countries. Adequate planning and judicious adaptation of the institutional framework can help to avoid the suffering and misery of millions of people currently alive and also those who will be born during further decades.