From: David Sangurima <sangu@igc.org>
Newsgroups: soc.culture.latin-america
Date: 19 Jul 92 12:07 PDT
Subject: POPULATION: LATIN AMERICA IN ''DEMO
Nf-ID: #N:cdp:1473800073:000:4675
Nf-From: cdp.UUCP!sangu    Jul 19 12:07:00 1992


From: David Sangurima <sangu>
Subject: POPULATION: LATIN AMERICA IN ''DEMO

/* Written 10:41 am  Jul 17, 1992 by hrcoord in cdp:reg.latinameri */
/* ---------- "POPULATION: LATIN AMERICA IN ''DEMO" ---------- */
From: Human Rights Coordinator <hrcoord>
Subject: POPULATION: LATIN AMERICA IN ''DEMO

/* Written 12:06 am  Jul 17, 1992 by newsdesk in cdp:ips.englibrary */
Copyright Inter Press Service 1992, all rights reserved.  Permission to re-
print within 7 days of original date only with permission from 'newsdesk'.

Title: POPULATION: LATIN AMERICA IN ''DEMOGRAPHIC TRANSITION''


by enrique martini

an inter press service feature

santiago, jul 11 (ips) -- latin america and the caribbean are
currently undegoing a ''demographic transition'', having reduced
fertility and mortality rates over the past 40 years, according
to reynaldo bajraj, director of the latin american demographic
centre (celade).

speaking in the chilean capital on 'world population day',
bajraj said the region had ''entered the transition phase
earlier than africa and some parts of asia.''

the argentinian expert heads celade, a united nations body
whose main task is to contribute to social and economic
development in the field of population studies and provide
countries in the region with technical assistance, training,
information services, technology transfer and specific studies.

on friday, the un's social and economic council (ecosoc)
announced that the world's population is increasing at a rate of
1.7 percent annually, which means another 93 million human beings
are added to the global population every 12 months.

ecosoc said 94 percent of world population growth between now
and the year 2025 will take place in the south, where numbers are
expected to reach 7,100 million.

according to bajraj, latin america has already passed its
phase of maximum demographic growth, although birth rates still
remain high.

whereas in 1950 women in latin america had an average of 6
children, in 1990 they gave birth to an average of 3.2. in 1950
average life expectancy in the region was 58 years, while in 1990
this had increased to 68.

''there has been a notable achievement,'' said bajraj,
especially with regard to the lowering of infant mortlaity rates,
which over the past 40 years have dropped from 12.6 to 4.8
percent. the overall demographic growth rate of 2.7 in 1950
slowed to 2.0 in 1990, he said.

bajraj stressed the close relationship between population
growth and the environment and said although people are now
beginning to understand this concept, they must guard against
the idea of ''the struggle to dominate nature''.

''man has more control over nature now, but paradoxically we
could end up in a worse position than before,'' said the expert,
citing the example of chemical pesticides ''which can damage the
environment'' with serious consequences for human beings.

according to the expert, man's relationship with nature is
''far too destructive'', and new attitudes are required.
(more/ips)
----


population: latin america (2)

''we are now forced'' to improve this relationship,
particularly with regard to conservation and the rational use of
resources, he said.

he stressed that the more advanced nations who have greater
access to the products of nature are the very ones who contribute
most to its destruction.''as consumption capacity increases,
destruction also increases.''

bajraj said ''humanity faces the challenge of improving its
qualitative and quantative relationship with nature.''

referring to family planning and demographic growth, bajraj
pointed to the differences among the various social groups in
latin america and the caribbean.

he said the highest birth rates ocurred among groups who live
in conditions of poverty or extreme poverty, and who have little
or no access to information, health services or resources.

stressing the important link between education and family
size, bajraj said ''it's vital to provide education and resources
to encourage people to have fewer children in order to slow
population growth''.

he said poor people must be also be encouraged to maintain a
''careful and harmonious relationship with nature'' through the
provision of appropiate technologies, but mainly through economic
measures that effectively tackle poverty.

according to bajraj, urban concentrations in latin america and
the caribbean are among the highest in the developing world.

nearly three quarters of the region's populations are
concentrated in overcrowded cities, where there are severe
housing shortages, lack of basic services and transport and
serious sanitation and pollution problems.
(ends/ips/trd/em/cg/92)
----



Newsgroups: soc.culture.latin-america