Population Dynamics Affect Climate Change

Population dynamics need to be incorporated in the design of Indonesia’s climate change response strategies

Jakarta, 16 September 2013 – The United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) in collaboration with Urban and Regional Development Institute (URDI), National Council on Climate Change (DNPI), National Population and Family Planning Board (BKKBN) and Semarang City Government will be holding a national workshop in Semarang this 17 to 18 October 2013 with the theme: Population Dynamics and Climate Change in Indonesia.

Government of Indonesia has started to explore incorporating strategic links between population dynamics and climate change in its national response to climate change. UNFPA has identified a strategy to address emerging population issues as part of priorities in the core programme area of Population and Development. There were several technical reports have been published by UNFPA among others are: Population Dynamics and Climate Change in Indonesia: Mobilizing for a Sustainable Future (2011) ; Policy Memo on Population Dynamics  and Human Dimension of Climate Change in Indonesia (August , 2012) and Urbanization, Demographic and Adaptation to Climate Change in Semarang, Indonesia (September, 2013).

The Policy Memo presents a preliminary understanding of evidence based on how population dynamics – which interrelated both population growth and composition - may contribute in accelerating greenhouse gas emissions (GRK) in Indonesia due to fossil fuels consumptions. Demographic perspective helped to integrate all dimensions of climate change - economic, political, social, cultural and demographic - into a common framework that has been used in the policy formulation process.

In the last quarter of 2012, UNFPA and the International Institute for Environment and Development (IIED), in collaboration with URDI and a Visiting Professor from Brown University prepared a working paper on urbanization, demographic change and climate change in Semarang metropolitan region. Policymakers, researchers, civil society, international organizations and government will be participating in the workshop to discuss the results of the study and possible policy responses.

This case-study highlights areas of Semarang where exposure to climate-related hazards coincides with social and demographic characteristics that exacerbate vulnerability. It has shown how population dynamics influence both causes and consequences of human influenced climate change. Relevant population dynamics include issues of population structure and geographic distribution, not just size and growth rate. The impacts of climate change pose a challenge not only to Indonesia’s environment, but to the achievement and sustainability of its socio-economic development goals.

By those studies, they identify a number of population-based policy options for reducing GHG emissions in Indonesia which merit further development and implementation, such as (i) enormous improvements can be made in energy efficiency in urban areas by better evidence-based spatial planning and allied interventions; (ii) revitalizing the national family planning programme can make a significant contribution to Indonesia’s GHG mitigation efforts for the next 40 years, and beyond; (iii) investing heavily in the education of today’s youth is an essential component of a successful adaptation strategy and a smooth transition to a green economy; (iv) much can be done to promote –especially among the young and rising middle class – the benefits of green choices and sustainable lifestyles to help reverse the current steep rise in the country’s carbon intensity; and (v) further data collection is needed for more comprehensive and detailed analysis of strategic links between population dynamics and climate change.

“Climate change is about people as well as climate. The study presents a preliminary evidence-based understanding of the ways in which population dynamics such as the interrelated ways in which the size, comparison, and distribution of population can contribute to climate change,” said Jose Ferraris, UNFPA Representative for Indonesia.

Furthermore, population dynamics concerns have been expressed through international forum such as United Nations Conference on Sustainable Development that was held in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil June last year. Experts agree that population issues are closely linked with climate change. However, the current policy dialogue on climate change both at international and country levels have not included consideration of population dynamics.

Population composition is equally important as it helps integrate the many human dimensions of climate change including economic, political, social, cultural, as well as demographic. “To better understand the role that population plays in climate change, one must look at the human dimensions of the issue. Such perspective informs discussions of climate change in terms of population dynamics, which includes changes in age structure, migration and urbanization patterns,” said Deputy for Population Management of BKKBN Wendy Hartanto.

Policy makers need to consider population dynamics in the design of adaptation and mitigation strategies across all relevant scales and administrative levels, and take advantage of any synergies that might exist between population-related policies on the other hand, and policies to reduce energy intensity and carbon intensity on the other. Researchers need to identify precisely and study in-depth specific causal linkages between population dynamics and should also consider carefully the social impacts of proposed climate change policies and interventions.

“Therefore, the workshop organized by UNFPA, URDI, National Council on Climate Change (DNPI), National Population and Family Planning Board (BKKBN) and Semarang City Government aims to get valuable input and insight from stakeholders on population dynamics and its relation to climate change, and to formulate the way forward to replicate the study in other parts of Indonesia in the context of urbanization,” concluded Rachmat Witoelar, Executive Chair of DNPI.

For more information, please contact:

Richard Makalew (makalew@unfpa.org)

National Programme Officer on Population and Development

United Nations Population Fund

7th Floor Menara Thamrin, Jl M.H. Thamrin, Kav 3

Jakarta, Indonesia

+62-21-3141308, ext 303

Tags: population