Understanding and Addressing the Issues
How human populations interact with their environment—through consumption and demographic patterns, development choices, wealth and land distribution, government policies, and technology—has a direct and critical impact on both human and environmental well-being.
In the Philippines, for example, the productivity of the country's agricultural land and fisheries is declining as these areas become increasingly degraded and pushed beyond their production capacity. In parts of Tanzania, HIV/AIDS has led to unsustainable harvesting of forests and forest products—as men and women die or become too ill to work, family members are forced to find new ways to provide for their families.
These examples are being repeated the world over. High rates of population growth and poverty are increasing pressure on the fisheries, forests, fresh water, and other natural resources that people depend upon for their livelihoods. And high levels of consumption, waste, and environmental mismanagement can degrade Earth’s natural systems and strain Earth’s ability to provide crucial environmental services—such as clean air and water—to the world’s population.
PRB’s Population, Health and Environment (PHE) program helps decisionmakers and program managers understand and address these population, health, and environment interactions. The PHE team collectively represents more than 30 years’ experience in policy analysis, field research, program management, training, and communications.
The PHE program integrates population, health, and environment approaches to support six core issues:
- Coastal Resources: Addressing population pressures and poor health in coastal areas
- Biodiversity: Balancing conservation needs with human demands
- Environmental Health: Working for a safe and clean environment
- Urbanization: Supporting sustainable urban growth in areas of increasing poverty
- Food Security: Examining how population and environmental interactions affect supply and distribution
- Natural Hazards: Explaining how population dynamics relate to vulnerability
Geographic Areas of Focus
- East Africa: Tanzania, Kenya, Uganda, and Ethiopia
- North and Central America: Guatemala, Costa Rica, Mexico, and the United States
- Southeast Asia: Philippines, Thailand, Viet Nam, and Cambodia
- South Asia: India and Nepal
- Developing Island States: the Caribbean and Madagascar
What We Do
Research and Analysis
PRB’s PHE program conducts research and analysis on pressing population and environment problems. Our findings are produced in non-technical language in a variety of formats in order to reach a broad base of policymakers, project implementers, and interested individuals. All of the PHE program’s publications and articles appear in the Environment topics page.
In addition, PRB’s PHE program coordinates research projects that test methodologies, assess policymakers’ information needs, and address topics relevant to development priorities. Our research and analysis contribute to the body of cutting-edge knowledge on PHE interactions and support the development of evidence-based policies in priority countries.
A research project carried out with PRB’s partners in Thailand, Mexico, and the United States, for example, used innovative methodology to examine the links between population, transportation, and urban air pollution. The study, Household Transportation Use and Urban Air Pollution, was used by Asian parliamentarians to guide discussions about how managing population growth, providing transportation choices, and promoting community initiatives can help improve urban air quality and the health of urban dwellers.
Technical Assistance
PRB’s PHE program provides technical assistance to developing country partners, international NGOs, and government agencies in a variety of capacities, including:
- Developing and disseminating training resources such as toolkits, case studies, and manuals;
- Building coalitions and improving communication of technical issues to policymakers and those who influence policy;
- Conducting gender analyses; and
- Developing PHE partnerships and integration strategies.
Working with partners in the Philippines, PRB published the policy brief Breaking New Ground in the Philippines on PHE interactions in that country and provided recommendations on actions that could improve environmental and human well-being. By providing critical information in non-technical language, the brief appealed to government officials and was used to craft language for a national declaration that recognizes the importance and benefits of linking population, health, and environment interventions.
In Tanzania, PRB provided technical assistance in carrying out gender analyses and community-level research in rural villages along the country’s northern coast. With a better understanding of issues such as women’s status and gender inequities, PRB’s field partners were able to increase the participation of men and women in the design and implementation of project activities. The project team considered the participation of both men and women crucial to effectively address community problems such as HIV/AIDS and environmental degradation.
Training
The PHE program closely collaborates with partners around the world to help PHE field practitioners develop the ability to mobilize and train others, use information for policy change, and design and manage PHE projects.
- In Madagascar, for example, PRB provided demographic training that helped natural resource managers document and incorporate population demographics into local community-based management schemes.
- For several years, PRB has also conducted regional strategic communication seminars in Central America and the Caribbean, East Africa, and Southeast Asia. These seminars have helped researchers and policymakers work together to bridge the research-to-policy gap. In a series of three workshops held in Tanzania between 2002 and 2004, more than 40 African environmental researchers were trained in strategic planning for communicating with policy audiences, working with the media, and giving more effective presentations. With these new skills, the researchers have increased decisionmakers’ use of evidence-based research to inform policies and programs.
The PHE program’s workshops are described in more detail on PRB’s International Training page.
Work With the Media
PRB’s PHE program works to improve the quality and quantity of media coverage of PHE interactions. We conduct seminars to increase journalists’ understanding of these technical issues and give them first-hand exposure to PHE projects in the field. We also support journalists from developing countries so that they can attend and cover newsworthy events such as international development conferences or expert meetings.
For example, PRB sponsored 15 influential journalists from 12 developing countries to cover the events and issues associated with the United Nations World Summit on Sustainable Development (WSSD) in South Africa in 2002. The journalists published over 100 articles on population, environment, gender, energy, and food security issues.
Sources of Funding
In recent years, the PHE Program has received funding from the Compton Foundation, the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation, the David and Lucile Packard Foundation, the Summit Foundation, the International Development Research Centre, and the U.S. Agency for International Development.