Center for Global Sustainability Forum - Alok Bhargava

CGS Forum - Prof. Alok Bhargava

The Center for Global Sustainability is pleased to welcome Prof. Alok Bhargava to the CGS Forums of the Spring 2019 semester. For more information: http://www.cgs.umd.edu/events/2019-alok-bhargava

"Climate Change, Demographic Pressures and Global Sustainability".

Abstract: This article emphasizes the need for broader approaches for formulating policies for mitigating the effects of climate change especially in the contexts of agricultural decisions, population health, and migration. Constraints imposed by rapid population growth in developing countries for achievement of Sustainable Development Goals are discussed and evidence is presented on “unwanted” fertility from India. Second, comparisons are made for India during 2002-2016 for average well depths in 495 districts and terrestrial water storage anomalies assessed via GRACE satellites for 274 1x1 degree grids using estimated parameters from dynamic random effects models; effects of population growth for groundwater depletion are underscored. Lastly, migration patterns especially of the highly educated from 39 countries to OECD countries during 2000-2010 are analyzed using dynamic random effects models and total fertility rates were significantly associated with higher migration rates for the highly educated. Implications of the empirical evidence for enhancing global sustainability are discussed.