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Attempts to Manage Population
Change to Achieve
Sustainable Development
Learning objectives
To know who Mr Condom is and understand how he helped
Thailand to achieve sustainable population growth.
Population change and sustainable
development
The concept of sustainable development dates from
the first Global Environmental Summit held in
Stockholm in 1972.
It was based upon the following environmental objectives:
• Maintain ecological processes
• Preserve genetic diversity
• Ensure the sustainable utilisation of species and
ecosystems
Population change and sustainable
development
Today’s definition derives from the
Brundtland Report of 1987
“Development that meets the needs of the present without
compromising the ability of future generations to meet
their own needs”
Memorise
this!
Population policies
There are a variety of social policies aimed at ensuring that
population change is sustainable.
Anti-natalist policies
Policies to reduce the fertility rate, usually
by family planning (China, Kerala, Thailand)
Pro-natalist policies
These are aimed at increasing the
population, and may be voluntary or imposed
(France, Russia, Sweden)
Migration policies
Some countries control their population by
controlling immigration (Australia),
encouraging emigration (Philippines) or
transmigration (Indonesia)
Anti-natalist case study: Thailand
In 1969, women averaged 6.5
children each
Population growth was 3% a year
Fill in
your fact
sheet…
Population was 26.4 million
16% of the population used
contraception
GNP US$110 per capita
Anti-natalist case study: Thailand
By 1999 the fertility rate
was 1.7
Population growth was 0.8%
per year
Population was 55 million
72% of the population used
contraception
GNP US$2500 per capita
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”.
Learning objectives
To know who Mr Condom is and understand how he helped
Thailand to achieve sustainable population growth.
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’.
Recap
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…)
How did Thailand manage to achieve
population change?
• 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.
Activity: Card sort
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.
Family Planning
Policy
Impacts
(Positive/Negative)
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 antinatalist 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)
Activity: Poster
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