On General Sustainable Development
507
demographic change may impede economic growth and cause poverty and environmental deterioration. Therefore, abandoning the mode where a family has absolute
freedom in child birth and the governments implement reasonable interference in
demographic change is an important factor of sustainable development.
The goal of controlling the demographic change process is to, according to
changes in capital accumulation, technological progress and natural capital, arrive at
an appropriate size and growth rate of population that adapts to the environment’s and
economy’s demographic carrying capacity and maximizes per capita social benefits.
Two ways to achieve this goal are family planning and population re-distribution. The
former aims to coordinate population with natural, economic and social development
in different periods by influencing the family child-bearing behavior. The latter aims
to coordinate population with natural, economic and social development in different
places by influencing people’s geographic movement, of which a sustainable urban
and regional population size and urbanization and immigration policies are typical
examples.
5. Fight against poverty
Poverty could be the result of uneven distribution of production factors and poor
geographic environment under a certain socioeconomic mode, or it could be the
outcome of environmental deterioration resulting from population increase and
predatory exploitation of natural resources. Yet it is also a main driver of the degradation of man-environment system. In order to survive, the poor have no choice but
excessively exploit the environment and resources day in, day out, which worsens
the environment; that in turn makes the poor even poorer and their lives ever harder,
which then further degenerates the environment. Therefore, fighting against poverty
is an indispensable strategic factor of sustainable development.
References
Fisher, A. C., & Krutilla, J. V. K. (1975). Resource conservation, environmental preservation and
the rate of discount. Quarterly Journal of Economics (89).
Giaoutzi, M., & Nilkamp, P. (1993). Decision support models for regional sustainable development.
Aldershou, U.K.: Gower.
507
demographic change may impede economic growth and cause poverty and environmental deterioration. Therefore, abandoning the mode where a family has absolute
freedom in child birth and the governments implement reasonable interference in
demographic change is an important factor of sustainable development.
The goal of controlling the demographic change process is to, according to
changes in capital accumulation, technological progress and natural capital, arrive at
an appropriate size and growth rate of population that adapts to the environment’s and
economy’s demographic carrying capacity and maximizes per capita social benefits.
Two ways to achieve this goal are family planning and population re-distribution. The
former aims to coordinate population with natural, economic and social development
in different periods by influencing the family child-bearing behavior. The latter aims
to coordinate population with natural, economic and social development in different
places by influencing people’s geographic movement, of which a sustainable urban
and regional population size and urbanization and immigration policies are typical
examples.
5. Fight against poverty
Poverty could be the result of uneven distribution of production factors and poor
geographic environment under a certain socioeconomic mode, or it could be the
outcome of environmental deterioration resulting from population increase and
predatory exploitation of natural resources. Yet it is also a main driver of the degradation of man-environment system. In order to survive, the poor have no choice but
excessively exploit the environment and resources day in, day out, which worsens
the environment; that in turn makes the poor even poorer and their lives ever harder,
which then further degenerates the environment. Therefore, fighting against poverty
is an indispensable strategic factor of sustainable development.
References
Fisher, A. C., & Krutilla, J. V. K. (1975). Resource conservation, environmental preservation and
the rate of discount. Quarterly Journal of Economics (89).
Giaoutzi, M., & Nilkamp, P. (1993). Decision support models for regional sustainable development.
Aldershou, U.K.: Gower.