(Spotlight4743)Population and the Earth 05 September, 2011
Voice 1
Welcome to Spotlight. I'm Liz Waid. Voice 2
And I'm Adam Navis. Spotlight uses a special English method of broadcasting. It is easier for people to understand, no matter where in the world they live.
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What happens when too many people use too many of the earth's resources? The answer is simple. The resources run out - there are no more left. This is what many people believe is happening to the earth right now. Many experts believe there are too many people, using too many resources. People need a way to balance the way they live with the resources they have. Family planning is one part of this balance.
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Today's Spotlight is on Beahitse, a small village in Madagascar. There, family planning has resulted in improved lives and a healthier environment.
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The growing human population is a global concern. A larger population uses a larger amount of resources like water, land, and food. When these resources run out, people suffer. Lack of resources leads to poverty, hunger, disease and war.
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One influence on global population is family size. Some experts believe this is the key to solving the earth's population problem. Many families around the world do not decide when to have children, or how many children they want to have. They may not have the resources to avoid having babies. Or, they just may not know how to avoid having children. Many experts believe it is important to give people the ability to choose the number of children they will have. They also believe families should be able to choose the length of time between the children they do have.
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The World Wildlife Fund, the WWF, is an organization that aims to protect nature. They encourage people to use the natural resources they already have wisely. And they share sustainable and renewable ways to use natural resources. In one of the WWF's joint projects in Beahiste, they worked with this community to improve their health and environment. Voice 2
The Spiny Forest is in the African country of Madagascar. The area is extremely dry. It is a forest, but it is also like a desert. It receives only twelve [12] to twenty-four inches of rain each year. The forest contains many rare plants and animals found only there.
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Four ethnic groups of people also live in this area. For many years they have used all parts of the forest to survive. They make their tools and medicines from the plants. They hunt the animals for food.
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This amazing, living environment is in danger. Every year, more and more people move closer and closer to this area. Life in the Spiny Forest is changing. Animals are disappearing because of over-hunting. People are also cutting down more and more trees. However, the Spiny Forest cannot support the needs of all these people. It is a slow-growing forest. The plants and animals cannot recover as quickly as people use the resources. So what can be done?
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Three organizations joined together to answer that question: the aid group USAID, the WWF, and a local health organization called ASOS. Their project dealt with all three problems at the same time - population, health, and environment. It was called a PHE project.
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The three groups worked in the small village of Beahitse. Here, family sizes are usually large. On average, each woman has seven children. Some women want large families. But this is not true of everyone. Some women, with their husbands, did not have the information or resources to plan their families.
Voice 1
For women around the world, it can be difficult to talk about family planning and contraceptive devices. These devices prevent pregnancy, and include rubber condoms, injections or small pills taken by mouth. Often, the community believes family planning is a private matter, and people should not discuss it. So, even though women may want or need contraceptive devices, they are not able to get them. The women of Beahitse could not get the devices because the nearest health center is almost forty kilometers away.
Voice 2
The PHE project workers did not force people in Beahitse to stop having children. But they did TEACH people. They told people in the community about different family planning methods. They told women how to avoid having children if they did not want them. They provided contraceptive devices and information about family planning. And, the PHE workers trained local people to continue their work.
Voice 1
PHE workers also concentrated on the environment. They showed the people how to use the natural resources they have in a wiser way. They provided new technology for the people to use. For example, a new cooking stove now helps women save time and energy for themselves. But it also helps the environment. Women no longer spend so many hours in the forest collecting wood. And they no longer need to cut down as many trees. With new methods like these, people can use the resources here over and over for a long time.
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The results of the PHE project in Beahitse have been very encouraging! Women have begun talking about their wishes to have smaller families. They have started to share their knowledge with other women in their village. The women are able to get family planning supplies, like contraceptive devices.
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PHE workers also train the men in new farming methods. The men know how leaving space around new seedlings is necessary for plants to grow well. PHE workers compare these planting methods to planning families. Men see how smaller, better spaced families are healthier and easier to provide for.
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The PHE project in Beahitse is a success for the environment and for families. People are seeing the link between the environment and the people who live in it. They are sharing information about family planning. And they know that planning a family and managing the environment are important parts of the future of the area.
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Fewer people use fewer of the earth's resources. When fewer people also use their resources more wisely, they can stop the effects of overpopulation. The village of Beahitse in the Spiny Forest is only one example of how population, health and the environment are linked. But similar situations exist all across the world. And many more will appear in the future. Taking care of our resources and working together to find answers will require every person. We all share the same earth.
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The writer and producer of this program was Liz Waid. The voices were from the United States. Computer users can hear more Spotlight programs or leave opinions on our website at http://www.Radio.English.net. This program is called "Population and the Earth." We hope you can join us again for the next Spotlight program. Goodbye!
