A massive global effort.

The former president of the World Bank sees rapid growth as one of the greatest barriers to economic growth and social well-being of people in developing countries. Growth rates are so high that three billion people will be added to global population over the next thirty years. It is clear that the reduction in population growth rates must be accelerated. Only by acting now can we deal with the problem without coercive policies and programs. The author argues that high population growth aggravates poverty in developing countries, adversely affects the role and status of women and the health and opportunities of their children, and increases the danger that the present courses of economic development in developed and developing countries are unsustainable and threaten to destroy our physical environment. He reviews population growth, past and projected, and considers the relationship between population growth and sustainable development; the relationship of population growth to economic development and the alleviation of poverty; the impact of population growth rates on the status of women and children; implications of the adverse effects of high fertility rates for population policy; a program to reduce rates of population growth; financial requirements of the proposed program; organizing to carry out the program; and a leadership role for Japan in family planning programs.