Attempts to Manage Population Change to Achieve

Sustainable Development

To know who Mr Condom is and understand how he

helped Thailand to achieve sustainable population growth.

Learning objectives

The concept of sustainable development dates from the first Global Environmental Summit held in

Stockholm in 1972.

Population change and sustainable development

It was based upon the following environmental objectives:

• Maintain ecological processes

• Preserve genetic diversity

• Ensure the sustainable utilisation of species and ecosystems

Today’s definition derives from the Brundtland Report of 1987

Population change and sustainable development

“Development that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations

to meet their own needs”

Memorise this!

There are a variety of social policies aimed at ensuring that population change is sustainable.

Population policies

Policies to reduce the fertility rate, usually by family planning (China, Kerala,

Thailand)

These are aimed at increasing the population, and may be voluntary or imposed (France, Russia, Sweden)

Some countries control their population by controlling immigration (Australia),

encouraging emigration (Philippines) or transmigration (Indonesia)

Anti-natalist policies

Pro-natalist policies

Migration policies

Anti-natalist case study: Thailand

In 1969, women averaged 6.5 children each

16% of the population used contraception

Population growth was 3% a year

Population was 26.4 million

GNP US$110 per capita

Fill in your fact sheet…

Anti-natalist case study: Thailand

By 1999 the fertility rate was 1.7

Population growth was 0.8% per year

Population was 55 million

GNP US$2500 per capita

72% of the population used contraception

How was this achieved?

Much of the success is directly attributed to Mechai Viravaidya, a former government

economist and public relations genius who

launched the Population and Community

Development Association (PDA), the largest non-

government organisation in Thailand.

Otherwise known as Mr Condom!

‘Mr Condom’

Watch this video to learn who Mr Condom is and how he made Thailand a “better

place”.

To know who Mr Condom is and understand how he

helped Thailand to achieve sustainable population growth.

Learning objectives

How was success achieved?

The success of the PDA family planning programme is attributed to a number of factors.

Discuss these with your partner and list your ideas.

How was success achieved?

The success of the PDA family planning programme is attributed to a number of factors:

• Creativity of the family planning approaches.

• Openness of the Thai people to new ideas.

• Willingness of the government to work with the Population Development Agency (PDA).

• Relationships between men and women are considered to be more egalitarian than in most of the developing world.

• The prevalence of Buddhism (95% of Thais are Buddhist) has supported the family planning programme as the Buddhist scripture preaches that ‘many children make you poor’.

1. Target mothers – wanted contraceptive pills

2. Involve everyone – not enough doctors so train shop keepers, etc.

3. Use religion – bless contraceptives

4. Involve schools – sexual alphabet, etc.

5. Micro–credit schemes – only available to women using contraception

6. Free vasectomies

7. Involve the military – Radio and TV used to fight HIV

8. Condoms everywhere! (Cops And Rubbers, In Rubber We Trust, Weapons of Mass Protection…)

Recap

• Although condoms became the trademark of the campaign, the Thai government supported Mechai’s efforts by making a wide range of contraceptives available to the public.

• Thailand was amongst the first countries to use the intravenous contraceptive DMPA and still remains one of its largest users.

• The contraceptive services were extended to even remote rural areas.

How did Thailand manage to achieve population change?

1. Cut out the cards you have been given.

2. Divide a page in two and write the headings: Family Planning Policy and Impacts.

3. Now categorise the cards under the appropriate heading.

Activity: Card sort

Family Planning Policy

Impacts (Positive/Negati

ve)

Categorise the impacts into social,

economic and political.

Exam question

With reference to an example you have studied, outline the successes and failures of

an anti-natalist policy. (12 marks)

Define this term

Outline the policy introduced in Thailand by Mechai. Say when

and why it was introduced

Summarise what worked (the successes)Summarise the aspects of the policy that

were less successful (the failures)

Design a poster to summarise the main elements of Thailand's population policy.

Include the various ways that the government and PDA:

1. Made contraception widely available

2. Educated people about contraceptives

3. Encouraged people to use contraceptives

Activity: Poster