Population dynamics and environmental linkages

In Indian context, the Himalayas is bifurcated into the western and eastern Himalayan region by the presence of Nepal in between. Administratively, western Himalayan region is divided into Jammu&Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh, and Uttarakhand. This region shows a thin and dispersed human population compared to national figures due to physiographic condition and poor infrastructural development. However, tourism and hotel industry is growing in this region and has become an important development issue. It also underpins urbanization (main component being rural-urban migration), which influences competence and capacity of local government in urban centres to ensure or encourage provision of infrastructure and services (including water, sanitation, drainage, transportation,etc). Therefore, the need of planned and organized urbanization has become a great concern as new urban areas have been added and proportion of urban population is increasing (Census, 2011). In this context, present paper aims to study the emerging pattern of urbanization, urban growth and its correlates in the states of western Himalayan region with reference to India, and to discern and analyze different patterns of urbanization and emergence of new towns/cities across districts of these states. For this study we have relied on Census data, RGI, 1981-2011.

Diarrhoea and Acute Respiratory Infection (ARI) are two common causes of mortality and morbidity among children under five years in India. The paper explores the prevalence and determinants of these two diseases using NFHS-3 (2005-06) data. Prevalence of both these diseases is highest in the Eastern region of India. Step wise regression analysis at all India level reveals that time for getting water outside premises, type of house and crowding at household are major household environmental determinants of child diarrhoea. Probability of suffering from ARI is significantly more among those using unclean fuel. The likelihood of having ARI is considerably less in seasons other than winter. Chances of suffering from ARI in the East, Central and North-East India compared to the North Indian region are mainly due to household environmental variations. Regional differences are observed in determinants of two diseases in six geographic regions. Indian Five year plan must prioritize provision and improvement of basic needs like clean cooking fuel, proximity to water source and concrete housing structure to reduce childhood diseases.

This study examines whether the vicious circle theory applies in the case of Tanzania which is characterized by high population growth. According to the vicious circle theory, natural resource scarcity coupled with poverty leads to population growth via positive effects on fertility particularly in rural areas of developing countries. Population growth then leads to a further increase in natural resource scarcity, creating a “feedback loop.” This study uses micro-level data to test and control for endogeneity using a two-stage Probit model (IVPROBIT). The existing literature has largely failed to address endogeneity in the relationship between natural resource scarcity and population growth. This study is conducted using the latest cross-sectional data collected by Demographic and Health Surveys (DHS) in Tanzania. This study compares the results of single equation models (traditional approach) and IVPROBIT models. The study assumes that IVPROBIT method consistently outperforms the traditional approach. The expectation is that the results will provide support for the vicious circle argument by showing that natural resource scarcity and poverty lead to increases in fertility.

The purpose of this study is to understand how out-migration at the household level affects the decision to transition from farming to non-farming in the context of Chitwan, Nepal, between 1996 and 2006. Education, land size, environmental threat, and perceptions on environment are considered as moderating factors. Out-migration is expected to increase the likelihood of the transition in that financial and social remittances brought by migration would make a household to invest more in non-farming under certain conditions. Out-migration is measured at each month since February, 1996 until 2006. Two main measurements of migration at household level are tested: total duration and number of migrants. Preliminary multilevel analysis results indicate that migration has positive effect on the transition out of farming. The perception on water quality and the distance to the off-farm opportunities have significant effects on the transition as well.

Agricultural activities require extensive areas of productive lands. In Mexico, it is estimated that 80% of annual deforestation is due to agriculture activities, and almost 46% of wildfires are associated with agricultural cleanings (SEMARNAT, 2000). All over the world, expansion of arable land has been associated to population growth, production systems and consumption patterns (Kastner et al. 2012, Ramankutty et al., 1998). In recent decades, dietary changes have made important contributions to the expansion of productive land (Gerbens-Leenes et al., 2002; Zhen et al., 2010)
In this paper, we examine first whether the level and composition changes of household food intake changed between 1992 and 2008, expressing income distribution and demographic changes in Mexico. Using the Household Income and Expenditure Surveys (HIES) we compare household dietary patterns using latent class analysis to identify consumption profiles based on quantities of food consumed at two points in time (1992 & 2008). As a second goal, we estimate environmental impact of each food consumption profile and calculate the productive land requirements for every food item consumed by the household. Finally, we examine how consumption profiles are related to sociodemographic variables using multinomial models.

The environmental studies are numerous in Vietnam, but they are mainly technical studies. Therefore we decided to address the issue from the perspective of the households and their views on the environment in which they are living and the solutions to the identified problems. For this purpose we conducted a statistical representative household survey in the two Vietnamese metropolises in 2007 on the theme "Poverty, Migration and Urban Environment: Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City" from which the present results come. Both the household’s environment and the surrounding environment (location of the house, floods, air pollution, noise, drainage, security) are studied here. The conditions experienced by the inhabitants of the two major cities are broadly similar: they are faced with the problems of the big city. However, some specificities of each one are very interesting to notice. Environmental problems concern more the inhabitants of Hanoi; the reason is to be found in the education of the population which is on average higher, but also in the climate which is harder. In any case, the population of both cities gives us here an inventory of the specific environmental problems faced and his views on how to address them.

Man is a user of the environment for his developmental activities & always disrupts this natural system and creates a background for environmental degradation. The entire aspect of planning the environment has a social dimension just because man is at the core of the problem. Human interference – due to excessive population growth – is fast extending in Darjeeling Himalaya, leading to degradation of mountain environment.
This paper attempt to identify the nature of population growth in this mountain region & its impact on environment & their future prospect. It reveals from the study that the mountain environment of Darjeeling Himalaya is visibly deteriorating at a rapid pace. The trend is now increasingly that of its beautiful blend of mountain vistas, sylvan landscapes and a unique living heritage of beautiful buildings, facades & settings giving way to a sprawling slum of ugly and faceless box like structures, blighted neighborhoods, noisy surroundings, polluted air & water, vehicular congestion, compounded by decay, impoverishment, & day to day hardship.
Thus the demographic planning for the region must include both population limitation and migration control, through a combination of socio-economic incentives and legal controls.

The demographic dynamic in countries with low fertility rates and falling mortality rates has contributed to the aging of the population structure, for the modification of the household composition and ownership of vehicles. In 2010 Brazil and South Korea occupied similar positions in world production of vehicles but the rates of inhabitants per vehicle corresponded to 6.1 and 2.7 respectively. Between 2000 and 2010, the increase in number of households was two times larger than the increase in the number of people in Brazil and 5 times greater in South Korea, which had large percentage of households consisting of one single person. The number of households increased by 21% in Brazil and 28% in South Korea but the vehicular fleet increased 60% and 39% respectively. One consequence is the increased concentration of the pollutant ozone in the atmosphere due to vehicular emission. Between 2000 and 2007, the record of high ozone concentration increased from 52 to 79 in Korea and 35 to 66 in one of the largest cities in Brazil.

Fruit & vegetable wastes are important materials for production of compost and bio-fuel .They are known as clean wastes.
The main aim of this study is analysis physical and chemical market wastes and determine its policy implications.
The research methodology is based on field studies and uses a systematic questionnaire which is developed by American society for testing and materials (ASTM).
Sampling technique was random sampling and we selected 8 malls of 36 which were distributed in various areas of Tehran city.
Results average percentage of garbage composition and chemical ingredients of the samples, shown that fruit and vegetable with 84.35%, glass 0.19%, wood 3.85%, paper, cardboard and carton 3.59%, plastic and pot 3.03%, metals 0.19, bone and proteins 1.50%, stale bread 0.40%, textiles 0.50% and the other miscellaneous materials 3.35%. Also, mean of density of wastes is estimated by 283.30 kg/m3. Results of chemical analysis reveled that moisture with 80.94%, salinity (EC) 9.33, acidity (pH) 5.52, saturation percentage (SP) 88.75, decay percentage at 400° (OM) 65.88%, ash at 800 °C (Ash) 29.19%, total nitrogen (N) 1.38%, total phosphor (P) 0.24%, total potassium (K) 1.43%, total sodium (Na) 0.47%, total carbon (OC) 36.32% and C/N ratio 31.30.

Ensuring environmental sustainability is one of the goals of MDGs. Household environment as an essential pre-requisite of environmental sustainability affects maternal health in a big way. Yet, little has been done in the prevailing environmental conditions that predispose women to morbidity and mortality in predominantly rural India. This study focuses on the impact of societal practices and conditions, household decision-making, access to and utilization of health services that influence maternal health status in rural India.
Analysis of data reveals that likelihood of better maternal health was significantly higher among households that used flush toilet than pit latrine, pipe water than stream water, electricity/gas for cooking than firewood. Toilet facilities, water and cooking environment were poor among many women, exposing them to infectious diseases. Societal status of women played a significant role in maternal health. Ever married women had better health status than those that were single; women who had their first babies earlier than 18 years of age had poorer health status compared to those who had them later and little role of maternal education in household decision-making. Household sanitation and hygiene behaviour were significantly intertwined with maternal health status.