Activities related to Population, Environment and Development 

Population, environment and development are interrelated. Development activities are influenced by the environment. There are various types of development activities. The have very deep relationship which demonstrates the interrelationship among population, environment and development. 

The general activities related to population, environment and development are agriculture, industry, health, social security, housing, education, communication, human resources, employment and culture. These activities influence and determine the population and developmental status of a country. Some of such activities are described below: 

a) Agriculture 

Nepal is called an 'agricultural country'. It is because there is fertile land, and most of the people are engaged in farming for their livelihood. More than one third of GDP ( Gross Domestic Product) depends upon this sector in Nepal. Traditional system of land ownership, unscientific farming methods and lack of land utilization policies are some in the common hindrances of agricultural sector.  There should be scientific land distribution system and optimum utilization of agricultural land. Farmers should be provided with subsidies and training related to scientific agricultural skills. Land utilization policies should meet the needs of the people with environment friendly methods and procedures. Wise use of agricultural potentiality can result in the development of the other sectors concerned with public life. 

b) Industry 

Industry plays a vital role in the development of a country. Industries produce goods for use. Consumers can utilize the industrial products to improve their quality of life. The environment is the source of raw materials required for industries. Developmental activities deteriorate the state of the environment. Industrial development contributes to population growth because it provides employment opportunities, sources and facilities. 

c) Health 

Health activities refer to the process of providing health services and making them accessible for the people. Health is regarded as one of the fundamental components of human rights. It is a primary responsibility of the government towards its citizen. Healthy manpower can contribute for the development of nation. Developmental activities are essential to manage health services for the people. Hospitals, health posts, health clubs, management of drinking water, drainage etc. are the components of development activities. They are essential for the promotion of public health. Environmental components like fresh air, safe drinking water, and sanitation are the basic requirements for better health. 

d) Social security 

Social security is the provision of equity on the basis of social justice. It incudes provision of opportunities and dignity for people of all categories suppressed, marginalized, women, elderly people, indigenous people and so on. Social security assures minimum requirement of survival. Thus, it protects undue enroachment of the natural resources and environmental degradation. Social security helps in alleviation of poverty. It contributes positively in maintaining a proper balance among the population, environment and development. 

e) Housing 

Housing properly refers to a kind of social concern that ensure shelter for the people. It is,  in other words, a process of developing residential areas for the people. While developing residential areas for the people, there should be proper planning. If the planning is for an urban area, it is called town planning. Proper town planning helps to protect the environment from pollution. Planning includes schemes for managing solid wastes and drainage., Developmental activities can improve peoples quality of life when there is a proper plan for developing residential areas. Well-facilitated and well-planned residential areas attract people and cause population growth. In this way, housing, urbanization and town planning affect the population, environment and development. 

f) Education

Education is the process of imparting and acquiring knowledge through teaching and listening. Education is an essential factor required for the development of a country. It produces competent human resource required for planning environment conservation and development works. Establishment of schools, colleges, training centers, etc. are examples of developmental works. Thus, education and development are interrelated with each other. Educated manpower can play effective role in the conservation of the environment. Scientific environment planning requires adequate knowledge of the environment. Similarly, result-oriented population management requires population studies and the knowledge of population dynamics. These are possible through the process of education. 

g) Communication

Communication is the process of exchanging information between tow or more people. It is the age of information and technology (IT). Communication is one of the prime goals of the IT sector. The world has changed into a global village due to rapid development of communication sector. We can have live talks even across distances spanning thousands of kilometers with the help of the communication technologies. The world has become a small village with the use of different means of communication like radio, television, newspaper, magazine, telephone, cellphone etc. Wise use of communication technology can play a significant role in development and environmental conservation. Proper communication is essential for designing and executing population management plans and well. 

h) Human resource 

Human resource refers to the manpower capable of doing work. It can be categorized into skilled, semi-skilled, or unskilled according to the competency level of the workers. Human resource is the basic foundation of development of  a nation. Competent human resource is required for environment conservation as well. A remarkable number of competent human resources leave Nepalese in search of better jobs and opportunities. We have to generate employment  opportunities through developmental works and proper use of natural resources within the country itself.

i) Employment 

Employment is the condition of having a paid job. The employees draw remuneration in exchange of work. It develops financial independence to the employees. Besides, it has deep-rooted relations with the population, development and environment. Employment  opportunities prevent loss of manpower in a country . The government should plan for wise utilization on environmental and natural resources with plans for employment. A place can be developed with the involvement of people in the jobs of various sectors. Development is not possible without work and employment. In Nepal, there is a trend of looking for jobs in foreign countries. On the one hand , there has been an increase in remittance inflow; on the other hand, it is creating loss of innumerable competent manpower that could be utilized for the development of country. We have large barren lands, unproductive forest areas, mines and huge amounts of water resources. It would better if we could employ our citizens in such fields for the development of our own nation. Self-employment opportunities can be developed with training and education.

j) Culture

Culture is a way of life, especially the general customs and beliefs ,of a particular group of people at a  particular time. In other words, culture is the cumulative deposit of knowledge , experience, beliefs, values, attitudes, meanings, hierarchies, religion, notions of time, roles, spatial relations, concepts of universe, and material objects and possessions acquired by a group of people in the universe, and material objects and possessions acquired by a group of people in the course of generations through individual and group striving. Therefore each and every activity of the people is guided by the contemporary culture that exist and influences them. The cultural resources are valuable heritages of a nation. Heritages like temples , monasteries, dance, languages, dress-up, etc. attract tourists and researches. We can generate income from such resources.  Cultural environment is made up of the components of a culture. It is an indispensable part of the environment . Conservations of the cultural environment increases income resources and helps in the development of a country. Thus, cultural aspect is closely related to the environment development and population.