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Population, Poverty, and Sustainable Development : A Review of the EvidenceThere is a very large but scattered literature debating the economic implications of high fertility. This paper reviews the literature on three themes: (a) Does high fertility affect low-income countries' prospects for economic growth and poverty reduction? (b) Does population growth exacerbate pressure on natural resources? and (c) Are family planning programs effective at lowering fertility, and should they be publicly funded? The literature shows broad consensus that while policy and institutional settings are key in shaping the prospects of economic growth and poverty reduction, the rate of population growth also matters. Recent studies find that low dependency ratios (as fertility declines) create an opportunity for increasing productivity, savings and investment in future growth. They find that lower fertility is associated with better child health and schooling, and better health and greater labor-force participation for women. They also indicate that rapid population growth can constrain economic growth, especially in low-income countries with poor policy environments. Population growth also exacerbates pressure on environmental common property resources. Studies highlight the deep challenges to aligning divergent interests for managing these resources. However, part of the pressure on these resources can be mitigated by reducing the rate of population growth. Although family planning programs are only one policy lever to help reduce fertility, studies find them effective. Such programs might help especially in the Sub-Saharan African region, where high fertility and institutional constraints on economic growth combine to slow rises in living standards.
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Population, Poverty, and Climate ChangeThe literature is reviewed on the relationships between population, poverty, and climate change. While developed countries are largely responsible for global warming, the brunt of the fallout will be borne by the developing world, in lower agricultural output, poorer health, and more frequent natural disasters. Carbon emissions in the developed world have leveled off, but are projected to rise rapidly in the developing world due to their economic growth and population growth -- the latter most notably in the poorest countries. Lowering fertility has many benefits for the poorest countries. Studies indicate that, in high fertility settings, fertility decline facilitates economic growth and poverty reduction. It also reduces the pressure on livelihoods, and frees up resources to cope with climate change. And it helps avert some of the projected global warming, which will benefit these countries far more than those that lie at higher latitudes and/or have more resources to cope with climate change. Natural experiments indicate that family planning programs are effective in helping reduce fertility, and that they are highly pro-poor in their impact. While the rest of the world wrestles with the complexities of reducing emissions, the poorest countries will gain much from simple programs to lower fertility.
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Mali - The Demographic ChallengeMali has demographic characteristics
 similar to most sub-Saharan African countries, except for
 those of Southern Africa. The population of Mali is very
 young: in 1998, 46.3 percent of the population was under 15
 years of age. Whereas mortality, especially infant and child
 mortality, has decreased rapidly, fertility has remained
 high over the past decades, equaling 6.6 children per woman
 on average. As a result, the rate of demographic growth has
 increased significantly over the last decades. Today, the
 natural population growth rate is estimated at 3.3 percent
 per year (it will take 21 years for the population to
 double). International migration somewhat slows down this
 growth, and the net population growth rate is estimated at 3
 percent per year, which leads to a doubling of the
 population in 23 years. This study is presented in three
 chapters. The first chapter shows the present situation of
 the population of Mali and its prospects for the future.
 This chapter evaluates available demographic data, analyzes
 the size, geographic distribution as well as the structure
 and rate of growth of the population, including
 international migrations. It also presents population
 projections for the years 2005 to 2035, based on slow or
 rapid fertility decline scenarios. Chapter two is dedicated
 to the future implications of these demographic trends. It
 first addresses the development of human capital
 (demographic investment), especially in education and
 health. It then examines the macro-economic consequences of
 demographic growth for Mali. Finally, it briefly analyzes
 other consequences of the high population growth, in terms
 of increasing population density, agriculture, nutrition,
 urbanization, environmental degradation, and maternal and
 child health. The last chapter assesses the population
 policies in Mali and what is needed to set into motion a
 decline in fertility and presents practical recommendations.