Family planning: An emerging component of climate change

Diplomats departed Copenhagen's Climate Conference reeling from clashes over emissions and continued struggles to address one of the world's biggest threats. Current adaptation strategies assist developing countries in identifying urgent environmental response necessities. This abstract proposes a study of the role family planning can play in the climate change discussion—possibly narrowing the gap between environment and public health.

Lagged funding and agenda-setting difficulties have damned family planning's progress in recent decades; perhaps, now, the reproductive health community can use its potential environmental impact to gain footing on political agendas and budget allocations. Emerging arguments postulate family planning can serve a strong component to climate change response; however, reproductive health falls under the Ministry of Health's jurisdiction—not the Environment's. A literature review, needs assessment and critique of existing practices will theorize how to bridge these sectors.

The unmet demand for modern contraceptives results in 76 million unintended pregnancies each year. Addressing this health need could reduce an increasing population's role in environmental degradation, human displacement and food and water supply. Coupling sustainable land management skills with family planning provides long-term environmental improvements safe from the erosion of a rapidly growing population.

Few successes have been accomplished since the 1994 identification of sexual education as a path toward sustainability, making the anticipation of new programs and related benchmarks a necessary exercise. Allowing family planning resources access to climate change funding provides a multi-sector, cost-efficient environmental response. Increased cross-sector investment will shift the focus to human rights, a worthy alternative to technological solutions.