Popalation Growth and the Management of Development
Rapid Population Growth
Rapid population growth is currently taking place in many LIC countries. For example, the population of West Africa is expanding at an annual rate of 2.6 % and is expected to more than quadruple in size by the end of the century. In total this will add 1 billion people to the current population of 320 million. It comes as a direct consequence of improved child survival rates but static educational developments, specifically for women. For this reason girls struggle to access secondary eductaion, they enter marriage young, know little of family planning and have limited or no access to birth control. Rapid population growth is presents in countries at stages two and three of the Demographic Transition Model places a massive strain on family budgets to feed and school their children and places an overwhelming burden on governments to provide health, education, housing and employment opportunities for a growing youthful population.
There are two schools of the thought regarding future population growth. The optimistic view suggests that countries will follow the demographic transition, get control of population growth and follow and s-shaped population curve. The pesimistic camp suggest a status quo where countries remain at their current level of social development and population growth follows a J- shape.
Rapid population growth places a strain on the Enviornment
Most LICs have critical environmental problems that require urgent attention, including shortages of fresh water and arable land, and water, air and soil pollution. As population continues to grow these problems are likely to become much more severe.
Economic stagnation
Rapid Population places enormous stress on physical and human resources; industries, housing, schools, health clinics, and infrastructure must be built at least at the same rate as population growth in order for standards of living not to deteriorate. Many countries are unable to keep up. The consequences are high unemployment rates, migration to cities, growth of squatter settlements, overcrowded schools and failing health facilities not to mention the need for physical infrastructure like sanitation, sewage treatment, public buildings, roads, railway and ports.
Most LICs have critical environmental problems that require urgent attention, including shortages of fresh water and arable land, and water, air and soil pollution. As population continues to grow these problems are likely to become much more severe.
Economic stagnation
Rapid Population places enormous stress on physical and human resources; industries, housing, schools, health clinics, and infrastructure must be built at least at the same rate as population growth in order for standards of living not to deteriorate. Many countries are unable to keep up. The consequences are high unemployment rates, migration to cities, growth of squatter settlements, overcrowded schools and failing health facilities not to mention the need for physical infrastructure like sanitation, sewage treatment, public buildings, roads, railway and ports.
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Youthful dependence
Rapid population growth means youthful age structures. The resulting low ratio of workers to the high number of dependents (often over 50%) depresses standards of living and makes it more difficult to invest in the physical infrastructure stated above. The following graphic shows the population pyramid of Angola and the model pyramids of countries at the first two stages of the DTM.
Rapid population growth means youthful age structures. The resulting low ratio of workers to the high number of dependents (often over 50%) depresses standards of living and makes it more difficult to invest in the physical infrastructure stated above. The following graphic shows the population pyramid of Angola and the model pyramids of countries at the first two stages of the DTM.
Growing Political Unrest
With 50% of the population under the age of twenty, informal economies are dominant and unemployment is widespread because economies are unable to provide jobs for the rapidly growing number of young people. Competition for the limited numbers of jobs leads to low wages which in turn contributes to economic poverty. These conditions can lead to socio-economic tensions, high crime rates and political instability. This has been see recently across the Arab states and in Brazil over the summer of 2013.
With 50% of the population under the age of twenty, informal economies are dominant and unemployment is widespread because economies are unable to provide jobs for the rapidly growing number of young people. Competition for the limited numbers of jobs leads to low wages which in turn contributes to economic poverty. These conditions can lead to socio-economic tensions, high crime rates and political instability. This has been see recently across the Arab states and in Brazil over the summer of 2013.
Case Study: Managing Population Change: Gambia
The shape of the pyramid is squatted, which shows a high birth rate but also low life expectancy. It appears that almost half of the population dies before they are 40. In Gambia for every 1000 births 11 women die as well as 74 babies. Low life expectancy and high infant and child mortality is one factor that leads to high birth rate.
Another factor is the low status of women, including low education and early marriage. This is partly influenced by the role of religion in Gambia. As a muslim country it has |
The Gambia is the smallest Afican country located in West Africa, sandwiched between Guinea Bissau in the south and Senegal to the north. It has largely rural agricultural economy.
It has a crude birth rate of 40, four times the rate of countries like Belgium, which has a birth rate of 10. As a result it population structure is dominated by young people. The following graph shows the Gambia's pyramid. |
adopted very conservative views on family planning, use of contraceptives and the role of women. Men can take more than one wife and whilst this is not common practice is does contribute to higher birth rates.
In addition, the cultural and economic mindset is for couples to have many children as children are considered an economic reource t help with work on the farm and also to help them when they are elderly.
In addition, the cultural and economic mindset is for couples to have many children as children are considered an economic reource t help with work on the farm and also to help them when they are elderly.
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Gambia has a high dependency rate. Dependency rate refers to the number of people not working divided by the number of those at work. In the Gambia 45% of people are under the age of 15 and so dependent on the working population. This places pressure on government resources to provide adequate maternal and child health care, education, housing and employment opportunities for the growing number of young adults. When looking at the numbers it means that for every 100 working people almost 93 people need to be cared for.
A growing population places pressure on all the country's resources including its environmental resources. It is estimated that Gambia will have deforested all its forests within 50 years. |
Management
Slowing the rate of population growth
The government led a massive awareness campaign across the country led by the family planning authority. They use a variety of methods to promote their message, including tv and radio. Alongside the NGO Futures, Gambia are also promoting Social Marketing of contraceptives to help improve low income people have access. Every week the Future's team supplies (World Health Organistaion) subsidised contraceptives to pharmacies. IN the first 8 months of the project half a million packets of condoms and pills wer sold to a population of just 1.5 million.
Child Health Program
One in every ten children die before their 5th birthday in the Gambia and for this reason people tend to have large families. As a consequence the government has launched a child health program. With the assistance of the Canadian government, helath clinics have been improved and better resourced. Every child in the Gambia has access to free vacinations against TB, Hooping Cough, Measles, Hepititus B and Yellow Fever.
Maternal Health
Educational programs have also been launched to assist with maternal health. The program encourages spacing between births and offer councilling to women. In addition men's attitudes are changing quickly and sending ther wifes to family planning.
Managing Resources
In order to reduce deforestation rates the government with the help of the government has launched a forest management plan. The forest planners use music and dance as part of their educatonal plan and attempt to educate people who live in the bush. They focus on issues like over grazing clearing land and bush fires. People are taught to manage the land more sustanibiliy and to make nbetter use of the forest resources with the promise of being given land for themselves. Some government owned parks are being generated with strict laws against grazing and the taking of firewood.
Education
The government has launched a campaign to promote the education of women following the mantra 'if you educate a man you educate a person but if you educate a woman you educate a nation.' The purpose of educating girls is to promote women in work, family planning and fewer babies. There is also an emphasis on improving the quality of education through resources and teachers. To encourage children to go school all children receive a meal provided by the World Food Program.
Managing Disparities in Development and Quality of Life
There are a number of routes that countries can take to manage their development and improve the quality of life for their people but it is very rare for countries to achieve this on their own. Remember even the European countries achieved their own development through the colonial exploitation of other countries and these countries today still benefit from this disproportional power relation. Furthermore, countries that have rapidly developed more recently such as the Tiger economies of Asia achieved it with the help of vast Foreign Direct Investment from the likes of the USA, Japan and Europe.
Foreign Direct Investment
For countries to develop rapidly they require an injection of investment. This investment can come in the form of FDI from Trans National Corporations (TNCs). However these corporation need the right conditions like, good transport infrastructure, reliable energy and stable governments and this isn't often the case in the least developed LICs.
Government Loans and Debt Relief
Another option is government loans and these can be supplied via bilateral arrangements, e.g between two countries or through multilateral arrangements, e.g. through the EU or an international organisation like the World Bank. In the past LICs have relied heavily on loans for large development projects, such as dam construction, irrigation projects and energy capacity, but often these loans come with strings attached, like contracts for foreign companies.
A good example is the Akasomab dam in Ghana where British comapnies won the contract to build the dam, which meant few jobs for Ghanaians and the US alluminium company Valco attained cheap access to the HEP generated from the dam. At times during low water levels Valco were using more than 50 % of the energy capacity and local Ghanaians had access to the energy.
The case of loans for large development projects is called top down as they come from governments not the people and tend to benefit the governments not the people. In 2011 according to the World Bank, total debt by LICs stood at $4.9 Trillion or in figures $4900 000 000. This has left LICs paying around 8% of their Gross National Income on debt repayment and interest for projects that were top down, often uneffective and seldom improved the quality of life for local people. In recent years some debt has been cancelled by western governments in a process called debt forgiveness but in 2011 this amounted to just $4 billion; a tiny fraction of total world debt.
There have been a number of high profile campaigns, led by Non Government Organisations and celebrities like Bono, of U2 to cancel debt. This led to a significant cancelation of debt in 2000. Debt relief is important as it frees up government spending for important development needs like improved health care, sanitation and education. The following video captures the insanity of LIC debt.
Slowing the rate of population growth
The government led a massive awareness campaign across the country led by the family planning authority. They use a variety of methods to promote their message, including tv and radio. Alongside the NGO Futures, Gambia are also promoting Social Marketing of contraceptives to help improve low income people have access. Every week the Future's team supplies (World Health Organistaion) subsidised contraceptives to pharmacies. IN the first 8 months of the project half a million packets of condoms and pills wer sold to a population of just 1.5 million.
Child Health Program
One in every ten children die before their 5th birthday in the Gambia and for this reason people tend to have large families. As a consequence the government has launched a child health program. With the assistance of the Canadian government, helath clinics have been improved and better resourced. Every child in the Gambia has access to free vacinations against TB, Hooping Cough, Measles, Hepititus B and Yellow Fever.
Maternal Health
Educational programs have also been launched to assist with maternal health. The program encourages spacing between births and offer councilling to women. In addition men's attitudes are changing quickly and sending ther wifes to family planning.
Managing Resources
In order to reduce deforestation rates the government with the help of the government has launched a forest management plan. The forest planners use music and dance as part of their educatonal plan and attempt to educate people who live in the bush. They focus on issues like over grazing clearing land and bush fires. People are taught to manage the land more sustanibiliy and to make nbetter use of the forest resources with the promise of being given land for themselves. Some government owned parks are being generated with strict laws against grazing and the taking of firewood.
Education
The government has launched a campaign to promote the education of women following the mantra 'if you educate a man you educate a person but if you educate a woman you educate a nation.' The purpose of educating girls is to promote women in work, family planning and fewer babies. There is also an emphasis on improving the quality of education through resources and teachers. To encourage children to go school all children receive a meal provided by the World Food Program.
Managing Disparities in Development and Quality of Life
There are a number of routes that countries can take to manage their development and improve the quality of life for their people but it is very rare for countries to achieve this on their own. Remember even the European countries achieved their own development through the colonial exploitation of other countries and these countries today still benefit from this disproportional power relation. Furthermore, countries that have rapidly developed more recently such as the Tiger economies of Asia achieved it with the help of vast Foreign Direct Investment from the likes of the USA, Japan and Europe.
Foreign Direct Investment
For countries to develop rapidly they require an injection of investment. This investment can come in the form of FDI from Trans National Corporations (TNCs). However these corporation need the right conditions like, good transport infrastructure, reliable energy and stable governments and this isn't often the case in the least developed LICs.
Government Loans and Debt Relief
Another option is government loans and these can be supplied via bilateral arrangements, e.g between two countries or through multilateral arrangements, e.g. through the EU or an international organisation like the World Bank. In the past LICs have relied heavily on loans for large development projects, such as dam construction, irrigation projects and energy capacity, but often these loans come with strings attached, like contracts for foreign companies.
A good example is the Akasomab dam in Ghana where British comapnies won the contract to build the dam, which meant few jobs for Ghanaians and the US alluminium company Valco attained cheap access to the HEP generated from the dam. At times during low water levels Valco were using more than 50 % of the energy capacity and local Ghanaians had access to the energy.
The case of loans for large development projects is called top down as they come from governments not the people and tend to benefit the governments not the people. In 2011 according to the World Bank, total debt by LICs stood at $4.9 Trillion or in figures $4900 000 000. This has left LICs paying around 8% of their Gross National Income on debt repayment and interest for projects that were top down, often uneffective and seldom improved the quality of life for local people. In recent years some debt has been cancelled by western governments in a process called debt forgiveness but in 2011 this amounted to just $4 billion; a tiny fraction of total world debt.
There have been a number of high profile campaigns, led by Non Government Organisations and celebrities like Bono, of U2 to cancel debt. This led to a significant cancelation of debt in 2000. Debt relief is important as it frees up government spending for important development needs like improved health care, sanitation and education. The following video captures the insanity of LIC debt.
Development Aid
Approximately $568 billion was spent on aid programs in Sub-Saharan Africa from 1960 to 2003 and over that many countries have developed economically and improved the quality of life for their people but in some cases due to a number of reason development aid has not achieved the benefits it hoped for . In that same time some Sub-Saharan African countries have gone backwards. There are different types of development aid. The following two video descsribe how aid can be effective.
Approximately $568 billion was spent on aid programs in Sub-Saharan Africa from 1960 to 2003 and over that many countries have developed economically and improved the quality of life for their people but in some cases due to a number of reason development aid has not achieved the benefits it hoped for . In that same time some Sub-Saharan African countries have gone backwards. There are different types of development aid. The following two video descsribe how aid can be effective.
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Tied Aid
As already stated some loans come with strings attached. In the same way we can describe aid projects. Tied aid often followsa top-down approach and supports contracting companies from the donor country rather than stimulating industry and employment in the recipient country. these contracts are expensive and alot of the money goes into the salries and hotel of expatriate workers. An example can be seen below.
As already stated some loans come with strings attached. In the same way we can describe aid projects. Tied aid often followsa top-down approach and supports contracting companies from the donor country rather than stimulating industry and employment in the recipient country. these contracts are expensive and alot of the money goes into the salries and hotel of expatriate workers. An example can be seen below.
Appropriate Aid
Appropriate aid is aid that targets improvements in quality of life. Targeted aid towards health, education and public services over the long term (3-5 years cycles) is most effective. The aid also needs to be at an appropriate level of technology suitable for the physical environment and skills of the people. Appropriate aid needs to be sustainable and this is best achieved through edcuating people towards self-sufficiency and through cooperative projects that cascade to other communities and regions.
Intemediate Technology
Sometimes referred to as appropriate technology, intemediate technology combines sophisticated ideas with cheap and readily available materials that are available and affordable for use in LICs. Well known examples include: bike and child merry-go-round water pumps, small scale solar panels and wind turbines and roller water containers. Aprpopriate technology is affordable and uses technology that can be managed by comunities. An interesting example of intemediate techology in Africa can be seen Peace Corps video below in Zambia. One other exemple is th in the mobile phone technology is improving the quality of lives for low people people in Kenya.
Appropriate aid is aid that targets improvements in quality of life. Targeted aid towards health, education and public services over the long term (3-5 years cycles) is most effective. The aid also needs to be at an appropriate level of technology suitable for the physical environment and skills of the people. Appropriate aid needs to be sustainable and this is best achieved through edcuating people towards self-sufficiency and through cooperative projects that cascade to other communities and regions.
Intemediate Technology
Sometimes referred to as appropriate technology, intemediate technology combines sophisticated ideas with cheap and readily available materials that are available and affordable for use in LICs. Well known examples include: bike and child merry-go-round water pumps, small scale solar panels and wind turbines and roller water containers. Aprpopriate technology is affordable and uses technology that can be managed by comunities. An interesting example of intemediate techology in Africa can be seen Peace Corps video below in Zambia. One other exemple is th in the mobile phone technology is improving the quality of lives for low people people in Kenya.
Fair Trade
Wikipedia defines fair trade as an organized social movement that aims to help producers in developing countries to make better trading conditions and promote sustainability. It advocates the payment of a higher price to exporters as well as higher social and environmental standards. It focuses in particular on exports from developing countries to developed countries. In short, it provides farmers with a fairer share in the profits of products they produce. Below shows an image of the typical breakdown of profits for a non-fair trade banana. Fair trade aims to increase that share of 1cents received by the farmer and improve the quality of working conditions. This normally means more sustainable practice and improvements in social and environmental conditions.
Wikipedia defines fair trade as an organized social movement that aims to help producers in developing countries to make better trading conditions and promote sustainability. It advocates the payment of a higher price to exporters as well as higher social and environmental standards. It focuses in particular on exports from developing countries to developed countries. In short, it provides farmers with a fairer share in the profits of products they produce. Below shows an image of the typical breakdown of profits for a non-fair trade banana. Fair trade aims to increase that share of 1cents received by the farmer and improve the quality of working conditions. This normally means more sustainable practice and improvements in social and environmental conditions.
A good example of a fair trade organisation in Kuapa Kokoo in Ghana. Kaupa Kokoo is farmimg cooperative with over 1200 individual farming group members. The produce the fairtrade chocolate bar Divine and from the sales they share the profits. In addition to increasing family incomes, Kuapa KoKoo increase social and environmental sustainability and the empowerment of women.
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Freer Trade
Trade exists between producers and consumers both within countries and between countries. Trade within a country is called the domestic economy and trade between countries is called international trade. International trade involves imports and exports. Imports are goods and services that come into a country produced abroad and exports are goods and services that go out of a country.
Generally international trade is not free. Governments want to protect domestic industry and therefore jobs against foreign competition. To do this they use protectionism. Protectionism can also help domestic industries export goods cheaper, making them more competitive abroad. An example of this type of protectionism is government subsidies. Government subsidies are payments given to industry for goods that they produce, effectively it increases their income and allows them to sell goods and services cheaper. Subsidies are widely used in the European Uinion to support farming. Protectionism can be also be used to increase costs of imported goods, making foreign industry less competitive. This is achieved through taxation on imports. These taxes are called tariffs or import duties. Tariffs make imports more expensive and less competitive against domestic industry. Other forms of protectionism are based on quality controls . The EU uses quality controls to restrict many different types of food entering the union. This prevents many LICs from trading with the EU.
Trade exists between producers and consumers both within countries and between countries. Trade within a country is called the domestic economy and trade between countries is called international trade. International trade involves imports and exports. Imports are goods and services that come into a country produced abroad and exports are goods and services that go out of a country.
Generally international trade is not free. Governments want to protect domestic industry and therefore jobs against foreign competition. To do this they use protectionism. Protectionism can also help domestic industries export goods cheaper, making them more competitive abroad. An example of this type of protectionism is government subsidies. Government subsidies are payments given to industry for goods that they produce, effectively it increases their income and allows them to sell goods and services cheaper. Subsidies are widely used in the European Uinion to support farming. Protectionism can be also be used to increase costs of imported goods, making foreign industry less competitive. This is achieved through taxation on imports. These taxes are called tariffs or import duties. Tariffs make imports more expensive and less competitive against domestic industry. Other forms of protectionism are based on quality controls . The EU uses quality controls to restrict many different types of food entering the union. This prevents many LICs from trading with the EU.
Free trade refers to idea of reducing protectionism. The World Trade Organisation is the international organisation responsible for organising trade talks and reducing protectionism. If protectionism can be removed, industries would be forced to specialise in the sectors where they have the most competiitive advantage. Therefore trade would increase and new markets for LICs would open up. However today, many LICs have been advised to reduce protectionism in their own countries whilst HICs still continue to protect their own industry through tariffs and subsidies. It is a very difficult political challenge to create free trade in the short term because governments are always concerned with protecting people's jobs in the short term.
The following video explains the situation quite well.
The following video explains the situation quite well.
Aid Agencies
There are many different aid donors, including individual countries (bilateral) and groups of countries like the EU (multilateral). There are also many charitable organisations involved with development work. These are called Non Government Organisations (NGOs). In addition the United Nations has a number of large development agencies linked to its global mission. Its main development agency is called the United Nations Development Program (UNDP).
Case Study, A UN Development Project : UNDP
UNDP partners with people in 177 countries and territories, UNDP offer global perspective and local insight to help empower lives and build resilient nations. It has four main focus areas, including Environment & Sustainable Development, Poverty Reduction & MDG Achievement, Crisis Prevention & Recovery and Democratic Governance. The following map and statistics show the distribution of UNDP funded projects. IN 2013 UNDP financial budget was over $2 billion.
There are many different aid donors, including individual countries (bilateral) and groups of countries like the EU (multilateral). There are also many charitable organisations involved with development work. These are called Non Government Organisations (NGOs). In addition the United Nations has a number of large development agencies linked to its global mission. Its main development agency is called the United Nations Development Program (UNDP).
Case Study, A UN Development Project : UNDP
UNDP partners with people in 177 countries and territories, UNDP offer global perspective and local insight to help empower lives and build resilient nations. It has four main focus areas, including Environment & Sustainable Development, Poverty Reduction & MDG Achievement, Crisis Prevention & Recovery and Democratic Governance. The following map and statistics show the distribution of UNDP funded projects. IN 2013 UNDP financial budget was over $2 billion.
Women's Empowerment: UNDP Haiti
With the support of the Korea-UNDP MDG Trust Fund, more than 900 women from Port-au-Prince’s most vulnerable neighborhoods benefited from a combination of employment and entrepreneurship programmes. These women were provided with training, technical assistance, and access to micro-credit to start or support a small business.
With the support of the Korea-UNDP MDG Trust Fund, more than 900 women from Port-au-Prince’s most vulnerable neighborhoods benefited from a combination of employment and entrepreneurship programmes. These women were provided with training, technical assistance, and access to micro-credit to start or support a small business.
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Starting from the grass roots (local people), the project created a network of partners, including community councils, government institutions and civil society e.g. chirch groups to develop eight job creation projects such as crafts, tailoring, chicken rearing and construction, so that lessons learned from these initiatives could be used to feed into national public initiatives that support women’s economic integration.
Thanks to this initiative, more than 450 new jobs have been created; 350 micro-enterprises and more than 400 businesses have been reinforced through training, mentoring and access to credit (small loans) |
Efforts are already under way to scale up the program to other parts of the country. The success of the Korea-UNDP MDG Trust Fund is being used as a model by the Haitian Government to identify regional markets, share knowledge, and create job centers to reach even more vulnerable populations nationally.
Summary
Case Study, An NGO Development Project:
Summary
- Started at grass roots with local community groups
- Focused on job creation through training, techncal assistance and micro-credit
- More than 750 women have completed vocational and professional training programs.
- More than 450 new jobs have been created and more 350 micro-enterprises have been established.
- More than 400 businesses have been reinforced through training, mentoring and access to credit.
Case Study, An NGO Development Project:
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