Research Themes


Population and Environment

Ever since Malthus’ treatises, questions about the dynamic nature of the relationship between population and environment have been at the core of demography. Throughout its history, CSDE population scientists have contributed significantly to improving knowledge about the dynamic relationship between demography, human health, human ecology, and environmental conditions. There is widespread recognition of the profound consequences of climate change upon human well-being, either through slow-onset events such as rising sea levels or the greater frequency of catastrophic weather events. CSDE’s population scientists are well-positioned to investigate human resilience and adaptation to these environmental changes. Projects that investigate the form and direction of these human responses in different parts of the world and that document the feedbacks and linkages involved are ongoing at CSDE. Understanding how people perceive environmental risk and adjust their behavior in response is vital for countering environmental deterioration. A number of CSDE researchers examine how the components of demography - population growth, mortality, migration, and family building - are basic drivers of these perceptions and behaviors. The two subthemes below describe the research of a substantial and growing number of longstanding and new CSDE affiliates.