Population and Resources Vocabulary

Vocabulary practice flashcards generated from lecture material on population dynamics, demographic transition, IPAT equation, and population policies.

IPAT Equation

An equation developed by Paul Ehrlich and John Holdren ($1971$) that decomposes total environmental impact into three multiplicative factors: Population ($P$), Affluence ($A$), and Technology ($T$), expressed as $I = P \times A \times T$.

Population ($P$)

In the IPAT equation, the total headcount or number of people contributing to aggregate environmental impact.

Affluence ($A$)

In the IPAT equation, the level of consumption or income per person within a given population.

Technology ($T$)

In the IPAT equation, the environmental impact created per unit of consumption, calculated as $T = I \text{ / } (P \times A)$.

Stage 1 Demographic Transition

The pre-industrial stage characterized by high Crude Birth Rate (CBR) and high Crude Death Rate (CDR), resulting in a stable or slowly growing population.

Stage 2 Demographic Transition

The early expanding stage where death rates decline rapidly due to improved nutrition, hygiene, and public health, while birth rates remain high, causing rapid population growth.

Stage 3 Demographic Transition

The late expanding stage where birth rates fall due to urbanisation, reduced reliance on child labor, and rising incomes, leading to slowing population growth.

Stage 4 Demographic Transition

The post-industrial stage where low birth rates match low death rates ($\text{CBR} = \text{CDR}$), causing population size to stabilize.

Demographic Trap

A condition in which a country becomes stuck in Stage 2 of the demographic transition, where rapid population growth creates environmental degradation and poverty that reinforce high birth rates.

Population Momentum

Continued population growth that persists for decades after fertility drops to or below replacement level, driven by a youthful age structure inherited from past high fertility.

Rule of 70

A formula used to calculate the doubling time of a population in years by dividing $70$ by the percentage annual growth rate.

Pro-natalist Policies

Government policies designed to boost birth rates and increase population size through incentives such as baby bonuses, tax deductions, or legal restrictions on family planning.

"Later, Longer, Fewer" Policy

A non-coercive population policy strategy focused on raising marriage age, increasing the time between births, and reducing overall fertility rates.

Kerala Approach

A non-coercive demographic model demonstrating that low total fertility rates ($1.9$) and low infant mortality rates ($11$ per $1,000$) can be achieved at low per-capita income through female education and public healthcare.

Cohen's Carrying Capacity Levers

Three levers proposed by J. Cohen ($1996$) to manage global carrying capacity: "make the pie bigger" (technological innovation), "put fewer forks on the table" (family planning), and "teach better table manners" (reducing per capita demand and improving social justice).

Demographic Transition Model

A framework mapping the historical shift of a population's birth and death rates from high to low levels across stages of economic development.

Population Pyramid Shapes

Graphical profiles showing age and gender distributions in a population, classified into classic expansive, high momentum, or constrictive structures.