“Although most analysts assume that the world’s population will rise from today’s 7 billion to 9 billion by 2050, it is quite possible that humanity will never reach this population size, Worldwatch Institute President Robert Engelman argues in the book State of the World 2012: Moving Toward Sustainable Prosperity.

In the chapter ‘Nine Population Strategies to Stop Short of 9 Billion,’ Engelman outlines a series of steps and initiatives that would all but guarantee declines in birthrates—based purely on the intention of women around the world to have small families or no children at all—that would end population growth before mid-century at fewer than 9 billion people.”

Thanks to Population Media Center’s daily blog (subscribe to get a daily email about this important topic) for making me aware of this news release from Worldwatch Institute. Robert Engelman, president of Worldwatch, provided some of the most sensitive, knowledgeable and articulate comments about population growth when I interviewed him for the GrowthBusters film. I’ve been sharing some clips from that interview in the Videos section of this website. Here is a quick summary of the 9 strategies, but you owe it to yourself to read the entire release. This may be the most important post on our website.

• Provide universal access to safe and effective contraceptive options for both sexes.

• Guarantee education through secondary school for all, especially girls.

• Eradicate gender bias from law, economic opportunity, health, and culture.

• Offer age-appropriate sexuality education for all students. 

• End all policies that reward parents financially based on the number of children they have.

• Integrate lessons on population, environment, and development into school curricula at multiple levels.

• Put prices on environmental costs and impacts.

• Adjust to an aging population instead of boosting childbearing through government incentives and programs.

• Convince leaders to commit to stabilizing population growth through the exercise of human rights and human development.