PRB Topic Feed: Environment

Predicting the Mortality Impacts of Climate Change in the United States and India

Fri, 20 Nov 2009 23:19:27 EST

Michael Greenstone, 3M professor of environmental economics at MIT, shared his research findings on the mortality impact of rising temperatures in the United States and India at a PRB policy seminar. (November 2009)

2009 World Population Data Sheet

Fri, 20 Nov 2009 23:19:27 EST

Global population numbers are on track to reach 7 billion in 2011, just 12 years after reaching 6 billion in 1999. Virtually all of the growth is in developing countries. And the growth of the world’s youth population (ages 15 to 24) is shifting into the poorest of those countries. The Population Reference Bureau's 2009 World Population Data Sheet and its summary report offer detailed information about country, regional, and global population patterns. (August 2009)

World Population Highlights: Key Findings From PRB's 2009 World Population Data Sheet

Fri, 20 Nov 2009 23:19:27 EST

Population change will shape the prospects of regions and countries over the next half century. Future population growth will be almost entirely in the developing world, with the fastest growth in the poorest countries and regions. This Population Bulletin is a companion to PRB's 2009 World Population Data Sheet and provides data and analysis on world population trends, youth, gender, and the environment. (August 2009)

Intregrating Population, Health, and Environment in Uganda

Fri, 20 Nov 2009 23:19:27 EST

After decades of instability and civil conflict, Uganda has enjoyed relative stability, sustained economic growth, and great improvements in health over the last 20 years. During the same period, Uganda's population has grown rapidly, and in 2009 surpassed 30 million people. This rapid population growth is contributing to the degradation of Uganda's natural resources, the backbone of the country's economy and household livelihoods. Continued reductions in poverty depend in large part on finding innovative and integrated solutions to the complex population, health, and environment problems affecting Uganda's poorest people. (June 2009)

Urban Poverty and Health in Developing Countries

Fri, 20 Nov 2009 23:19:27 EST

This Population Bulletin provides a sketch of urban health in developing countries, documenting the intraurban differences in health for a number of countries and showing how the risks facing the urban poor compare with those facing rural villagers. The Bulletin begins with an overview of the multiple dimensions of urban poverty and a summary of internationally comparable evidence on the urban health differentials associated with poverty. (BUL64.2; June 2009)

The Art of Coalition Building: A Population, Health, and Environment Consortium in Ethiopia

Fri, 20 Nov 2009 23:19:27 EST

For more than a decade, PRB has nurtured national and international coalitions that address population, maternal and child health, global health priorities, and the environment. Sharing the successes and challenges of coalitions in similar contexts can motivate and instigate new coalitions. This article captures the experiences from a newly formed but rapidly advancing coalition focused on population, health, and environment issues in Ethiopia, with the hope that their experience will be valuable to similar groups. (April 2009)

Leaders of the East Africa Population, Health, Environment Network Build Skills in Policy Communications/Advocacy

Fri, 20 Nov 2009 23:19:27 EST

Leaders of the East Africa Population, Health, and Environment Network met in Kigali, Rwanda, from Feb. 23-27, 2009 to reaffirm their commitment to examine the complex linkages between population, health, and environment and explore integrated solutions to address these complex issues. The meeting brought together 30 champions of population, health, and environment from Ethiopia, Kenya, Rwanda, Tanzania, and Uganda. (March 2009)

Integrating Population, Health, and Environment in Rwanda

Fri, 20 Nov 2009 23:19:27 EST

The last decade in Rwanda's history has been one of transition and rebirth. Ten years ago, the country was emerging from several years of strife and civil conflict; in 2009, urban and rural areas are energized with the promise of steadily improving economic, social, and health conditions. Despite this impressive transformation, Rwanda faces various challenges, many related to the complex relationships between population trends, poverty, and environmental conditions. Continued improvement in the quality of life of Rwanda's citizens depends in large part on finding innovative and integrated solutions to complex population, health, and environment problems. (February 2009)

'The World is Fat' – A PRB Policy Seminar With Professor Barry Popkin

Fri, 20 Nov 2009 23:19:27 EST

The global confluence of changing diets, increased food marketing, access to technology, and lifestyle changes has led to an upsurge in global obesity, especially in developing countries. According to Barry M. Popkin, professor of nutrition at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and director of the UNC-CH's Interdisciplinary Center for Obesity, 1.3 billion people are overweight while 800 million are underweight. The burden of obesity-related diseases is shifting rapidly toward the poor. On Dec. 10, Popkin visited PRB to discuss rising obesity worldwide and his new book, The World is Fat as part of PRB's ongoing Policy Seminar series. (December 2008)

Preventing Chronic Respiratory Diseases in Developing Countries

Fri, 20 Nov 2009 23:19:27 EST

Millions of adults worldwide struggle with chronic respiratory diseases that sap their energy and can lead to their deaths. In 2007, an estimated 210 million people suffered from chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD)— including emphysema and chronic bronchitis; 3 million died from COPD that year. The World Health Organization warns that COPDs and other chronic respiratory diseases, such as asthma, will increase 30 percent in the next 10 years if urgent actions are not taken. (November 2008)

Population, Health, and Environment Issues in the Philippines: A Profile of Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM)

Fri, 20 Nov 2009 23:19:27 EST

This regional PHE profile highlights key population, health, and environment indicators and important development challenges for the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM). The profile is designed to help educators, policymakers, and community leaders identify key threats to sustainable development and explore possible approaches to addressing them. This profile is part of a series covering select regions of the Philippines, and is intended as a companion publication to the Population Reference Bureau's 2006 data sheet, Making the Link in the Philippines: Population, Health, and the Environment. (October 2008)

Population, Health, and Environment Issues in the Philippines: A Profile of Calabarzon Region

Fri, 20 Nov 2009 23:19:27 EST

This regional PHE profile highlights key population, health, and environment indicators and important development challenges for the Calabarzon Region (Region 4-A). The profile is designed to help educators, policymakers, and community leaders identify key threats to sustainable development and explore possible approaches to addressing them. This profile is part of a series covering select regions of the Philippines, and is intended as a companion publication to the Population Reference Bureau's 2006 data sheet, Making the Link in the Philippines: Population, Health, and the Environment. (October 2008)

Outlining the Links Among Population, Economy, Culture, and the Environment

Fri, 20 Nov 2009 23:19:27 EST

Joel E. Cohen, professor and head of the Laboratory of Populations at Rockefeller and Columbia Universities, and a Population Reference Bureau trustee, kicked off a new lecture series on demographics and development sponsored by the Center for Global Development. Entitled "Beyond Population: Everybody Counts in Development," his presentation focused on the interconnectedness of population, the economy, culture, and the environment and the need to examine development holistically. (September 2008)

World Population Highlights: Key Findings From PRB's 2008 World Population Data Sheet (PDF: 854KB)

Fri, 20 Nov 2009 23:19:27 EST

This Population Bulletin is the companion report to PRB's 2008 World Population Data Sheet. The Bulletin highlights key findings from the data sheet on: world population trends, nutrition, environment, HIV/AIDS, urbanization, and migration. (BUL63.3, September 2008)

2008 World Population Data Sheet

Fri, 20 Nov 2009 23:19:27 EST

PRB's 2008 World Population Data Sheet contains the latest population estimates, projections, and other key indicators for more than 200 countries, including births, deaths, natural increase, infant mortality, life expectancy, urban population, HIV/AIDS prevalence, contraceptive use, GNI PPP per capita, and population per square kilometer. New for the 2008 Data Sheet are data on percent of population in urban areas of 750,000 or more; lifetime risk of maternal death; percent of population undernourished; number of vehicles per 1,000 population; and percent of population with access to an improved drinking water source. (August 2008)

Forest Conservation and Population Growth Among Indigenous Peoples of the Amazon

Fri, 20 Nov 2009 23:19:27 EST

Fertility has declined significantly throughout the developing world, and in Latin America total fertility rates have declined by 50 percent over the last three decades, from 5.0 births per woman in 1970 to only 2.5 today. The successes in Latin America however, mask a great deal of regional variation. In countries such as Bolivia, Guatemala, and Haiti, total fertility rates are still nearly 4.0 or higher. Furthermore, in these countries, between 22 percent and 32 percent of women who do not desire another child or want to space their births still have no access to family planning services. Among those with the most limited access to basic reproductive health services are people living in the poorest and most remote communities—on the frontiers of lowland tropical forests like the Amazon and indigenous people living far beyond forest frontiers. (August 2008)

Population's Role in the Current Food Crisis: Focus on East Africa

Fri, 20 Nov 2009 23:19:27 EST

The prices of agricultural commodities, including staples of many African diets, have risen sharply over the last several years. Since 2005, the prices of maize and wheat have doubled, and the price of rice has now reached unprecedented levels in several East African countries. According to the World Bank, FAO, and USDA, rising prices are likely to persist through 2015. Population plays an important role in the food crisis. In addition to the numbers of people, migration patterns, rising consumption, and HIV/AIDS prevalence affect the demand and supply of food. (August 2008)

PRB Discuss Online: "Environmental Change: What Are the Links With Migration?"

Fri, 20 Nov 2009 23:19:27 EST

Close to 200 million people are living outside their country of birth. Increasing numbers are refugees fleeing their homeland for another country. Human migration can have rapid and complex impacts on rural and urban environments. At the same time, environmental changes, such as drought and rising sea levels, are expected to force millions more people to migrate. In this PRB Discuss Online, Jason Bremner, program director for Population, Health, and Environment at PRB, answered participants' questions on this topic. Read a transcript of the questions and answers. (July 2008)

Philippines Conference Energizes Integrated Population, Health, and Environment Approaches

Fri, 20 Nov 2009 23:19:27 EST

The Philippines PHE Network convened the Third National Population, Health, and Environment Conference in March in Tagaytay City, Philippines. The conference, funded by the David and Lucile Packard Foundation and other partners, brought together more than 300 practitioners, policymakers, advocates, researchers, and journalists from across the Philippines and five continents. Participants explored how to scale up the integrated PHE approach in the Philippines and internationally. (April 2008)

Population, Health, and Environment Issues in the Philippines: A Profile of the National Capital Region

Fri, 20 Nov 2009 23:19:27 EST

This regional profile of the National Capital Region, Philippines, highlights key population, health, and environment indicators and important development challenges for the region. It is part of a PRB series covering select regions of the Philippines. (April 2008)

Population, Health, and Environment Issues in the Philippines: A Profile of Central Visayas

Fri, 20 Nov 2009 23:19:27 EST

This regional profile of the Central Visayas Region, Philippines, highlights key population, health, and environment indicators and important development challenges for the region. It is part of a PRB series covering select regions of the Philippines. (April 2008)

Population, Health, and Environment Issues in the Philippines: A Profile of Cagayan Valley

Fri, 20 Nov 2009 23:19:27 EST

This regional profile of Cagayan Valley, Philippines, highlights key population, health, and environment indicators and important development challenges for the region. It is part of a PRB series covering select regions of the Philippines. (April 2008)

Regional Profiles of Population, Health, and Environment Issues in the Philippines

Fri, 20 Nov 2009 23:19:27 EST

National data can sometimes blur internal, regional differences in population, health, and the environment (PHE). This is especially true in the Philippines, the 12th most populous country in the world. With some 7,100 islands and a highly decentralized government, the Philippines varies considerably from region to region. To help raise awareness of PHE links at the regional level, the Population Reference Bureau has published a new series of regional population, health, and environment profiles for the Philippines. The first three regional profiles cover the National Capital Region (NCR), Central Visayas (Region 7), and Cagayan Valley (Region 2). (April 2008)

An East Africa PHE Network Takes Root

Fri, 20 Nov 2009 23:19:27 EST

In November 2007, an East Africa Population, Health, and Environment (PHE) network took shape at a conference convened by the Population Reference Bureau (PRB) and LEM Ethiopia, the Environment and Development Society of Ethiopia. The conference, "Population, Health, and Environment: Integrated Development for East Africa," held in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, drew field practitioners, policymakers, researchers, the media, community leaders, and advocates from 22 countries and five continents. They explored ways to address development priorities in East Africa through an integrated population-health-environment (PHE) approach. (February 2008)