Environmental Problems, Their Causes, and Sustainability 1

10 TheApplying Population Ecology:Human PopulationPopulationControlCASE STUDYSlowing Population Growthin Thailand: A Success StoryCan a country sharply reduce its population growth inonly 15 years? Thailand did.In 1971, Thailand adopted a policy to reduce itspopulation growth. When the program began, thecountry’s population was growing at a very rapid rateof 3.2% per year, and the average Thai family had6.4 children.Fifteen years later in 1986, the country’s populationgrowth rate had been cut in half to 1.6%. By 2004,the rate had fallen to 0.8%, and the average number ofchildren per family was 1.7.There are a number of reasons for this impressiveachievement. They include the creativity of thegovernment-supported family planning program, ahigh literacy rate among women (90%), an increasedeconomic role for women and advances in women’srights, and better health care for mothers and children.Other factors are the openness of the Thai people tonew ideas and support of family planning by the country’sreligious leaders (95% of Thais are Buddhist). Akey factor was the willingness of the government toencourage and financially support family planningand to work with the private, nonprofit Populationand Community Development Association (PCDA).Mechai Viravidaiya (Figure 10-1) led the way inreducing the country’s population growth rate. Thispublic relations genius and former government economistlaunched the PCDA in 1974 to help make familyplanning a national goal. PCDAworkers handed out condomsat festivals, movietheaters, and even traffic jams, and they developedads and witty songs about contraceptive use. Between1971 and 2004, the percentage of married women usingmodern birth control rose from 15% to 70%—higher than the 58% usage in developed countries andthe 51% usage in developing countries.Viravidaiya helped establish a German-financedrevolving loan plan to enable people participating infamily planning programs to install toilets and drinkingwater systems. Low-rate loans were offered tofarmers practicing family planning. The governmentalso offers loans to individuals from a fund that increasesas their village’s level of contraceptive userises. Education and economic rewards work.All is not completely rosy. Although Thailand hasdone well in slowing population growth and raisingper capita income, it has been less successful in reducingpollution and improving public health. Its capital,Bangkok, is plagued with notoriously high levels oftraffic congestion and air pollution (Figure 10-2).Figure 10-1 Individualsmatter: MechaiViravidaiya, a charismaticleader, played a majorrole in Thailand’s successfulefforts to reduceits population growth. In1974, he established theprivate, nonprofit Populationand Community DevelopmentAssociation (PCDA)to help implement family planningas a national goal.Figure 10-2 This policeman and schoolchildren in Bangkok,Thailand, are wearing masks to reduce their intake of air pollutedmainly by automobiles. Bangkok is one of the world’s mostcar-clogged cities, with car commutes averaging 3 hours perday. Roughly one of every nine of its residents has a respiratoryailment.