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 minimum requirements for cooking fuel in most developing countries appear to be on the order at 250 kiloqrammes of coal equivalent per capita per year. This is a fraction of the household energy consumption in industrial countries.

47. The linked basic needs of housing, water supply, sanitation, and health care are also environmentally important, Deficiencies in these areas are often visible manifestations of environmental stress. In the Third World, the failure to meet these key needs is one or the major causes or many communicable diseases in such as malaria, gastro-intestinal infestations, cholera, and typhoid. Population growth and the drift into cities threaten to make there problems worse. Planners must find ways or relying more on supporting community initiatives and self-help efforts and on effectively using low-cost technologies. See Chapter 9.

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4. Ensuring a sustainable Level or Population
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48. The sustainability of development is intimately linked to the dynamic: or population growth. The issue however, is not simply one of global population size. A child born in a country where levels or material and energy use are high place a greater burden on the Earth's resources than a child born in a poorer country. A similar argument applies within countries. Nonetheless, sustainable development can be pursued more easily when population sizeis stabilized at a level consistent with the productive capacity of the ecosystem.

49. In industrial countries, the overall rate of population growth is under 1 per cent, and several countries have reached or are approaching zero population growth. The total population or the industrialized world could increase from its current l 2 billion to about 1.4 billion in the year 2025.

50. The greater part or global population increase will take place in developing countries, where the 1955 population of 3.7 billion may increase to 6.8 billion by 2025. The Third World does not have the option of migration to 'new' lands, and the time available for adjustment is much less than Industrial countries had. Hence the challenge now is to quickly lower /…