Linking population, health and climate change adaptation: a review of the science, policy, and programing

Clive Mutunga, U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID)

As SDGs agenda moves from global arena to national policy and program implementation, there will be increasing attention to approaches that facilitate multisectoral integration across policies and programs. This paper examines integration of population-health-environment and climate change, by reviewing related thematic science, policy and programming. The paper finds an increasing recognition in both science and policy on the role of population and family planning/reproductive health (FP/RH) in efforts to increase individual, family and community ability to adapt to the effects of climate change. However, this appreciation hasn’t translated to commensurate field programs and projects. The paper calls for concerted efforts to ensure the recognition of the links between population and FP/RH is readily translated to integrated projects. The efforts include improved design, measurement and evaluation, and communication of projects’ ability to contribute to health outcomes and climate change benefits, while addressing a key sustainable development issue, rapid population growth.