ISSN 2053-0420 (Online) for a sustainable future Population Matters Magazine Issue 29 Summer 2016 Water shortages to affect billions What does Brexit say about attitudes to population? London set to grow by 1.2 million Population Matters Magazine - Issue 29 Population Matters Magazine - Issue 29 Contents The roots of mass migration Simon Ross, Chief Executive The roots of mass migration 3 Magazine Giving women choices in Guatemala 4 This magazine is printed using vegetable-based inks on Legacy giving: Pass it on 5 100 per cent recycled paper. If you are willing to receive the magazine by email, which reduces our costs and Public concern, though, is reinforced by the wider Roger Martin: Appreciation of his term as Chair 5 helps the environment, please contact the Finance and global picture. Membership Manager. Interview with a patron: Aubrey Manning 8 Just days before the referendum, the United Nations Additional copies are available on request; a donation reported that a record 65m people globally were either Celebrating 25 Years: Looking back and looking forward 10 is appreciated. Population Matters does not necessarily refugees, asylum seekers or internally displaced, endorse contributions nor guarantee their accuracy. an increase of 5m in just a year. These dry figures Spotlight on a team member: Graham Tyler 12 Interested parties are invited to submit, ideally by email, translate to the persistent suffering and frequent 126 miles for us all 13 material to be considered for inclusion, including articles, fatalities of those seeking to enter Europe from Africa reviews and letters. Subjects may include the causes and and the Middle East. Sir David Attenborough 14 consequences of, and cures for, unsustainable human population and consumption levels. Submissions should The proximate cause of migration may often be Water, water everywhere 15 be in Word or equivalent and be accompanied by a brief conflict. However, underlying that conflict is usually description of the writer. Publication titles should be population pressure. Consider the growth in the Subnational population projections 17 shown in italics and a single space used after full-stops. population in the last 65 years of countries from The unmet need for contraception in developing countries 18 Copy deadlines are 20 June and 20 December and a which people are mainly driven: Afghanistan – four maximum of 700 words per contribution is requested. times, Syria – five to six times, and Iraq – six to seven Obituaries 19 Submissions may be edited and the editor’s decision is times. Much of sub-Saharan Africa faces similar final. Please note that it may not be possible to include trends. Developmental optimists may have hoped Reviews 21 all submissions. that advances in industry and agriculture would Letters 23 This issue was edited by Kate Duggan; proofread by Those voting for Britain to leave match such growth with increases in production. In Peter Slater, Ivan Cicin-Sain and Bay Hesler; designed the European Union in June’s practice, there is persistent unemployment, lack and printed by Printhouse Corporation; and distributed of opportunities and grinding poverty – a recipe for by our finance and membership officer, Julie Lewis. If referendum had various motives. instability. Moreover, there are emerging issues you are interested in helping to produce the magazine, However, it is generally accepted of water availability, climate uncertainty and other About Population Matters please let us know. If you would like to give us any constraints on food production. Population Matters is a membership charity working that a primary reason was concern feedback on the magazine, please contact editor@ That population issues are rising so strongly up the towards a global population size that can provide a populationmatters.org. over the historically high level of good standard of living, a healthy environment and public agenda seems somewhat appropriate in the environmental sustainability. Our activities comprise net migration (immigration less year of the 250th anniversary of the birth of Thomas education, research and policy promotion. We are Contacting us emigration). Robert Malthus, for which we obtained some media funded by our members, donations and grants and coverage, and our own 25th anniversary as an Population Matters receive no funding from official or commercial bodies. Based on opinion polls, immigration has been for organization. Our comments on official UK population We welcome new members. Members receive our 135-137 Station Road, London, E4 6AG estimates and projections, promoted by our PR Tel: 020 8123 9116 www.populationmatters.org some time the issue of most concern to the UK publications and can take part in our activities. Active public. This is not solely a question of culture, agency and members locally, have been widely quoted members can apply to become guarantor members and in the media. In meetings, journalists and members Chair: Andrew Macnaughton religion or race. Rather, voters are concerned vote at our Annual General Meeting. Membership fee [email protected] about such issues as housing affordability, access to of parliament have been interested in what we have rates are available on our website; we are grateful to to say. We have refreshed our promotional materials, Chief Executive: Simon Ross education and healthcare, and transport congestion. those who contribute higher fees, donations or legacies. available free from our online shop, and issued [email protected] It is thus fundamentally a concern about Britain’s We have a wide range of promotional items available, rising population size, as successive opinion polls an increasing number of briefings and comments, including clothing, greetings cards and briefing sheets. Finance and Membership Manager: Julie Lewis available on our website, on how population pressures [email protected] commissioned by Population Matters have shown. Please visit our website www.populationmatters.org to connect with the issues facing the public and see the full range. Magazine Editor: Kate Duggan This concern has a factual basis. On the day of the policymakers. In the coming year, we are planning to [email protected] Until 2011, Population Matters was known as referendum, it was announced that the UK population take advantage of this more favourable climate with the Optimum Population Trust, which remains had risen by half a million in the 12 months to summer an increasing use of original campaigns intended to our registered name. We are a registered charity Contacting you 2015. In May this year, official projections were that influence public opinion by connecting population and the populations of the East of England and the South (no.1114109) and a company registered in England and If you do not receive our monthly emailed Update and sustainability with the issues affecting people today. Wales (no. 3019081). Registered office: 135-137 Station East will rise by one fifth in the next 25 years, while occasional e-alerts, but would like to, please contact julie. Finally I would like to end this piece by welcoming our Road, London E4 6AG. [email protected]. that of London will rise by over a quarter. Much recent growth has been driven by migration from new Chair, Andrew Macnaughton and acknowledging the poorer accession states of Eastern Europe and the huge contribution of our departing Chair and first from southern Europe with its currently high levels President, Roger Martin. (See appreciation.) of unemployment. These flows may slacken as these 2 for a sustainable future economies develop and recover. for a sustainable future 3 Population Matters Magazine - Issue 29 Population Matters Magazine - Issue 29 Giving women choices Legacy giving: in Guatemala Pass it on John Charnock-Wilson Population Matters is a member of Remember A Charity, a Millions of women worldwide lack access to appropriate, affordable consortium of more than and consistently available contraception. PopOffsets is helping to 150 charities. Remember A bring family planning services to some of these women, by providing Charity raises awareness of the grants to charities across the globe. importance of making a will, and offers advice about leaving gifts PopOffsets provided WINGS with a grant of £5,000, to charitable organizations. which has helped the charity to acquire a second Population Matters is participating in Remember A mobile unit, and to strengthen the medical support Charity in Your Will Week, 12-18 September. This team by hiring a gynaecologist and nurse practitioners. Roger has had two careers: as a diplomat in Africa, year’s theme is ‘legends pass it on’. One way to ‘pass At least nine mobile clinics are now being held across Asia, the United Nations and Middle East, resigning it on’ and help us celebrate our 25th anniversary is Guatemala each month, and WINGS has been able to ‘in fury’ as a Deputy High Commissioner; and as by considering including us in your will, after taking extend their reach from four to 12 provinces. an environmentalist. The latter career path has care of any loved ones. Your gift could help to ensure included roles as Director of Somerset Wildlife Trust, Young women under 20 are offered free advice and that Population Matters can continue to educate, national Trustee and South West Regional Chair contraception at the mobile clinics. In Guatemala, over campaign and raise awareness about environmental of the Campaign to Protect Rural England, and the half of women become pregnant before they are 18, sustainability, population and consumption founder ‘green’ representative on the South West often because they have no access to contraception. concerns for the next 25 years and beyond. Regional Assembly. He was the founder Chair of the Sustainable Somerset Forum, the South West regional For more information, or to let us know that At a recent mobile clinic in San Pedro Limón, a 12 Biodiversity Action Plan, and the South West regional you have remembered us in your will, please year old girl arrived with her husband.