If population growth is unsustainable, are there humane ways to limit it?

1) Empower women

Studies show that women with access to reproductive health services find it easier to break out of
poverty, while those who work are more likely to use birth control. The United Nations
Population Fund aims to tackle both issues at once, running microcredit projects to turn young
women into advocates for reproductive health.

2) Promote family planning

Simply educating men and women about contraception can have a big impact. When Iran
introduced a national family planning programme in 1989, its fertility rate fell from 5.6 births per
woman to 2.6 in a decade. A similar effort in Rwanda saw a threefold increase in contraception
usage in just five years.
Image: Flickr user Tomizak

3) Make education entertaining

The US-based Population Media Center gets creative to reach women. Its radio soap operas,
which feature culturally specific stories about reproductive issues, have been heard by as many
as 500 million people in 50 countries. In Ethiopia, 63 per cent of women seeking reproductive
health services reported tuning in.
4) Government incentives

Those at UK charity Population Matters believe there should be a senior government official
responsible for addressing population-related issues. They urge governments to promote
“responsible parenthood” and say subsidies should be limited to the first two children unless the
family is living in poverty.
5) One-child legislation

During China’s high controversial one-child policy, fertility fell from six births per woman in the
1960s to 1.5 in 2014. However, Amnesty International reports that the policy led to coerced or
forced abortions and sterilisations. It also disrupted traditional support structures for the elderly
and led to a gender imbalance.
Image: Flickr user Beryl_snw

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