RELATIONSHIPS AMONG PAPERS IN THIS VOLUME
Christina Welter

An Environment-Population Dynamic is the interrelationship between a population and its environment. Our class spent the fall semester of 1998 exploring ways in which this dynamic can occur throughout the world. We attempted to build theories about how and why this relationship worked. Ultimately, each student came to his or her own conclusion about the meaning of an environmental-population dynamic.

My paper discussed, in a broad way, how Uganda is a country stuck in transition. In my paper, I review the past, current and predicted transitions in the economic, epidemiological, demographic and educational sectors to determine the status of Uganda today. While improvements have been made throughout Uganda, its future progress is questionable. Internal and external power dynamics may prevent Uganda from ever reaching a poverty-reduced state. My paper explores the interactive nature of how power dynamics can prevent transitions from occurring. I conclude with a few suggestions about how Uganda may implement policy and programs as a catalyst for change.

One way to understand the environmental-population dynamic is by describing the rate of change, or the transition, occurring in a community. For instance, by graphing the past and current population change in an area, we can predict future change. Using this information, we can then hypothesize how this change may affect sectors of the environment. Boardman reviews how population increase in Tucson, Arizona may affect the already depleted and poor water supply. Not only has the author projected that water stability in the near future will decline, but she also found that current methods of water use and restoration affect this dynamic and will likely fail to provide Tucson’s population with adequate water. This projection would provide a similar use in Uganda. It would be helpful to predict how Uganda’s eventual overuse of its land and resources for agricultural exports will eventually deplete land viability and subsequently, may increase poverty.

Demonstrating the diversity of environment-population dynamics, Schmidt (chose to trace the epidemiological transition of HIV/AIDS in Uganda. Although we both focused on similar areas, we discussed entirely different relationships. By tracing the epidemiology of a disease, we can determine what factors contribute to the spread of disease to better understand its etiology, course, outcome and ways to prevent further transmission. Schmidt determined that factors of urbanization and migration, and constant change in the political climate occurring shortly after the emergence of HIV, enhanced the virus’ spread throughout the country. Today, more than 1/5 million Ugandans suffer from HIV/AIDS. By understanding how Uganda became plagued with HIV/AIDS and how HIV is most commonly spread today, can help to determine prevention methods. His paper demonstrates the complicated nature of Uganda’s political and sociocultural system and Uganda’s inability to eliminate HIV without some social transformation. Similarly, I have argued that Uganda may be stuck in transition because of the local sociocultural political climate—one that have been in constant conflict during both pre and post colonial eras.

Finally, we can also evaluate the impact of policy and program implementation. For example, Garvin reviewed the impact of the Grameen Bank in Bangladesh on various sectors of the local economy and its people. This project focuses on women as the primary provider for their families. It seems that this income generating activity may prove as a viable option for other developing nations to incorporate into the recovery programs, but that each country’s situation must be taken into consideration. Using the Grameen Bank’s strategy, I have argued that a similar program could be instituted in Uganda as a way for women to gain independence, autonomy and equal rights as human beings, contributing to Uganda’s overall development.

Through independent projects, we have each determined that relationships between the population and the environment are complicated. This relationship cannot be reduced to a single definition or situation, and must be seen as interchangeable. Myriad elements must be included when examining and theorizing the dynamics between the environment and population.