The general trends of rapid population growth, sustained but uneven economic improvement and environmental degradation are generally well accepted. However, how population size and growth, environmental change and development interact on each other is not well established. This report reviews what is known about these interrelationships. The report analyses recent information and policy perspectives on population, environment and development. The topics investigated in this report include: the evolution of population and the environment at major United Nations conferences; temporal trends in population, environment and development; government views and policies concerning population, environment and development; population size and growth, environment and development; migration, population change and the rural environment; health, mortality, fertility and the environment; and population, environment, and development in urban settings. The presentation of these topics is followed by conclusions thereon. Annex I deals with the availability and quality of data; and annex II deals with theories and frameworks for modelling the impact of population growth on the physical environment.
