Family planning to tackle climate change

Posted on November 4, 2009
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London – A ground breaking study has just been published (3 November) in the Bulletin of the World Health Organization (WHO) on the link between environmental damage and overpopulation. MSI’s Advocacy Manager Leo Bryant was the head author and researcher on the study.

The study on Climate Change and Family Planning examined how unplanned pregnancies have led to higher demands on land and water resources. These increases are especially damaging in developing nations where resources are already in short supply and there is little funding to help communities adapt to growing demand. As population and demand on scarce resources grows, women bear the greatest toll.

The research revealed that a large majority (93%) of the 40 developing countries sampled had identified rapid population growth as a factor that causes environmental damage. This population growth impedes their ability to adapt to other environmental damage (such as extreme weather events like droughts) caused by climate change. The study concludes that family planning can therefore be used to help communities to better cope with the stresses of worsening climatic conditions. Notably, this new angle is different from the more controversial argument that family planning can be used to reduce carbon emissions.

Pick up any newspaper and it’s apparent that climate change is a hot topic right now. However the link between the lack of family planning and environmental impact has been largely ignored as many are concerned that even discussing it could lead to accusations of ’blaming climate change on the fertility of the poor’ and talk of dehumanizing population control programmes. MSI has been involved in investigating the new angle on the issue for some time and is trying to encourage greater support for sexual and reproductive health (SRH) services and their integration into climate change adaptation strategies.

The revolutionary study has already opened the doors to the debate when some data were released a few weeks ago. The release of the data generated at least 50 articles worldwide with coverage on major news sources ranging from Reuters, Bloomberg, Fox News and The New York Times, as well as articles on websites from nowtoronto.com to phe-ethiopia.org and catholicnewsagency.com. In addition, the well respected UK Lancet medical journal ran a leading editorial that was then picked up by more newswire services, including The Associated Press, as well as the UK’s Daily Telegraph.

The release of the study in the Bulletin is very timely in the run up to COP15, the widely anticipated UN Climate Change conference happening in Copenhagen in December.

The complete study findings can be found at www.who.int/bulletin/en

http://www.mariestopes.org/News/International/Family_planning_to_tackle_climate_change.aspx