Discuss he assertion that family planning programmes are the only viable solution for the "population problem" in specific developing countries.
This essay will attempt to distinguish what is meant by the "population problem", establish whether nor not it truly exists and how this problem can be combated best and whether or not there is a most viable option in which to undertake this. .
It is a Malthusian concept that the worlds" population will exceed its resources and that eventually it will be righted by nature itself in the form of war, famine and disease. Ricardo also feels that this is the case but specifies that resources are used in order of declining quality and therefore the standard of life decreases when the worlds population exceeds a certain level and as a result natural steps occur to right this change in events.
P.Dememy & G.McNicoll 1998.
However, "population momentum is like a train that cannot stop even with the brakes applied. This is due to young age structure in less economically developed countries- the legacy of past high fertility rates". .
Ehrlich and Ehrlich 1972.
It is though impossible to dismiss the Malthusian pessimism at a global scale.
The developed world through increased education, contraception availability and increased health care and provision have succeeded in lowering the countries fertility rates. The populations of European countries for example have never increased at the rate of that seen in the modern developing world, the main reason for this being the dramatic reduction in mortality. Numerically this can be shown that at the peak of natural increase in population in England and Wales this was only 14 per thousand, whereas in Mauritius for example the number was double that.
Clarke 1972.
The dramatic rate that the developing world has in recent been multiplying is exceptionally well displayed in a case study on China, this also provides an excellent example of how the problem can be challenged, later it will be assessed as to whether or not the policy undertaken here is the best and most appropriate for other developing countries.
