In the early 1990s, Rwanda was among Africa's most densely populated nations, and had the highest birth rate of any nation in the world. Women, on average, had more than 7 children. That's the equivalent of 140 million lives in a population the size of ours. Significant gains from population control cannot be expected until those born after the enactment of solutions are of child-bearing age, i e, at least 20 years away. Much as with the ozone hole, this is a problem that begs for a solution today, even while the benefits from it lie far in the future.
Procrastination is fuel to the fire.
An additional impediment to sound policy results from a disconnect between individuals on the one hand, and the society one inhabits, on the other. This is inevitable, to varying degrees, in all social policy, and clearly so in population programmes. Individual households must perceive the growing numbers as a problem, and must be willing to make choices that reflect that concern. Additionally, their choices must carry an attendant cost which reflects the true burden on the rest of the population. So the stasis in finding solutions persists.