This publication shows how family planning and natural resource conservation improve economic development, public health and environmental sustainability. The report includes a glossary of population terms and explains how population dynamics relate to a variety of complex development issues, such as poverty reduction, food security, environmental security, climate change and migration and urbanization.

Climate change has been affecting people differently in various parts of the world, but those most vulnerable are the populations of developing countries. The breakdown of ecosystem-dependent livelihoods is the premier driver of long term migration, as people seek out “greener pastures” or just a chance of survival. As people migrate, environmental issues can be compounded in the new areas of settlements, leading to more migration. This climate related migration is best addressed if viewed as a global process rather than local crisis.

When working to conserve rich biodiverse areas human migration can pose as a huge challenge. Often conservationists are unsure of how to reduce migration’s negative impacts. Migration has impacted natural resources for centuries, and will continue to do so causing species and genetic loss, habitat fragmentation, loss of ecological connectivity and disruption of evolutionary processes. Each migration is driven by a complex and unique set of drives, referred to as push and pull factors.

This article considers issues pertaining to the linkages between rural populations, migration from and to rural areas, and the environment—focusing on developing countries in the latter part of the 20th century. The article concentrates on internal migration, although it does briefly discuss the state of knowledge on the interplay between international migration and the environment. It addresses questions such as: What are the recent—and projected—patterns of rural population growth? How much internal migration in developing nations is towards rural environments?

This study presents findings from ongoing research on the impact of rapid in-migration and population growth on the ability of coastal environments to adapt and accommodate this growth. Shifts in migration and fertility behavior across time have resulted in population pressures that often degrade marine resources and regional ecosystems. This paper presents results from survey fieldwork administered in Palawan Province, the Philippines during 1998 and 1999.