Probleme der Bevölkerung und Bevölkerungsstruktur und der Nahrungsmittelversorgung in Bangladesh

Abstract

This study is concerned with the quantitative and qualitative aspects of Bangladesh’s population problem: its extent, its causes, the changes in population density and the age distribution, the integration of the growing population in the economic and social system. Closely related are unemployment and the migration from rural to urban areas, as well as deficiencies in the educational system. It is demonstrated that in lack of development efforts during the last decades the economic and social system remained passively against the growing population. This resulted in a continuous deterioration of living conditions as health, nutrition and housing. Food supply for the growing population and especially the governmental short-term plan to increase foodgrain production with the aim to attain self-sufficiency is discussed in the last part of the paper. Of course, self-sufficiency depends both on supply and demand factors. In this view it is shown that a policy which is only production-oriented is inadequate, and that regarding the many interdependences between economic, social and institutional factors a broad, long-term planning policy is wanted.