10 October 2016 - 12 October 2016
Shanghai, China

The nexus between population and environment in Asia

Wolfgang Lutz and Raya Muttarak will present latest IIASA research at the Shanghai Population Forum on Future Directions in Asian Population Research.

Heavy traffic jam in Shanghai © Hungchungchih | Dreamstime

Heavy traffic jam in Shanghai © Hungchungchih | Dreamstime

The Institute for Asian Demographic Research (ADRI) is a collaboration between IIASA’s World Population (POP) Program and the University of Shanghai, China, established in 2015. It is inspired by the fundamental demographic, environmental and socioeconomic changes over the past decades that have been experienced by China and other Asian countries and the absence of a research institute that comprehensively addresses these changes in a comparative manner.

In its function as the headquarter of the Asian MetaCentre for Population and Sustainable Development Analysis it will organize the first Population Forum on “Future Direction of Asian Population Research” between 10-12 October in Shanghai, China. The main purpose of the event is to gain a better understanding of the current state, progress and gaps in academic research on Asian populations, and discuss its future directions. The forum is organized around 4-5 major themes of demographic research, including formal demographic modeling, Asian demographic transitions, human capital and development, migration and urbanization, and environmental sustainability. 

POP Program Director Wolfgang Lutz, who is also chair of the ADRI International Scientific Advisory Board, will chair a session during the conference. Raya Muttarak, research scholar at the World Population Program at IIASA, will give a presentation entitled "Contribution of demography to the study of population and global environmental change: What more can be done in Asia". Muttarak has authored a number of publications on demographic differential vulnerability in the context of impacts of natural disasters/climate change, and the ability to respond and cope with consequences of extreme weather events. In her research at IIASA, Muttarak focuses on the intersection of social inequality, differential vulnerability and environmental change. She is also guest editor of the recently published special issue of the Vienna Yearbook of Population Research entitled "Demographic differential vulnerability to climate-related disasters". This special issue is one outcome of IIASA's "Forecasting Adaptive Capacity to Climate Change" project, that examines societies' capacity to develop the most effective long-term defense against the dangers of climate change by strengthening human capacity - primarily through education.

For more information please visit the event website.

Presentation Abstract

Contribution of demography to the study of population and global environmental change: What more can be done in Asia

While there has been an increase in the study of environment and climate change in demography in the past decade, this field has not yet gained much popularity among scholars of population studies. In fact, demography has many powerful methodological tools that can be applied to the analysis of the nexus between population and environment. Contribution from demography to this field is vital because human population is at the core of the climate issue both as the driver of climate change and as a unit being affected by it. This talk illustrates the application of demographic concept and methods to the study of differential vulnerability to natural disasters, climate-related migration and environmental behavior. The talk identifies available data sources and presents potential research topics that can be done in collaboration with demographers from Asia.


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Last edited: 22 September 2016

CONTACT DETAILS

Wolfgang Lutz

Interim Deputy Director General for Science Directorate - DDG for Science Department

Principal Research Scholar and Senior Program Advisor Population and Just Societies Program

Principal Research Scholar and Senior Program Advisor Social Cohesion, Health, and Wellbeing Research Group - Population and Just Societies Program

Raya Muttarak

Principal Research Scholar Migration and Sustainable Development Research Group - Population and Just Societies Program

Project

Forecasting Adaptive Capacity to Climate Change

Asian Demographic Research Institute

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