Demography and the Environment

Demographers' interest in the environment has generally been enmeshed in broader issues of population growth and economic development. Empirical research by demographers on environmental issues other than natural-resource constraints is limited. In this paper, the author briefly reviews past demographic thinking about population and the environment and suggests reasons for the limited scope of demographic research in this area. Next, she describes more recent demographic research on the environment and suggests several newer areas for demographic research. Finally, she considers the future of research on environment in the field of demography.