Is Ecological Degradation a Demographic Issue?: The Need for Relating Theory with Intervention Policies

Abstract

The study oj the relationS/lip between land alld hOllsehold-dynamics in rllral
agrarian communities added another dimension to the understanding of the caus~s of
environmental degradation. Questions such as ( i) under what demographic conditions does
degradation occur?,- why do people continue to have large families when land ratios are
declining and household-survival is threatened?;(ii) why do farmers overuse their land or cut
down frees when they must be aware thaI their actions reduce their fa mily'S future
prospecls?,'{iii) do the quality of resources such as land vmy from large to small households
and how is this affected by differentials in access to technology, in exposure to poverty ant!
incurring debt, and ill gender?; (iv) do different forms oj land tenure place constraints upon
land use?; and (v) does insecurity of land tenure threaten resource quality?, were asked.
However, most of these questiolls were left unanswered both by the01Y and empirical research,
which we/:e besl understood by investigations at household level. This paper briefly discussed
the need for household-level analysis to understand the interaction between people and their
ecologies by looking at the various theoretical perspectives on the relationship between
population and environment (lnd- their policy implications ill the context oj agrarian
populations IiviJlg in vulnerable ecologies. More importantly, it tried to relate the01Y with
policy needs for land management in fragile ecologies and argued that the solution to the
problem oj land degradation should be sought beyond mere control of "umanl/umbers