Book dossier

Assessing the demographic impact of development projects

by A. S. Oberai

Very little is currently known about the demographic impact of most development projects and about the ways in which such an impact can be assessed. This book, based on studies in Third World countries, focuses on conceptual, methodolgical and policy issues related to the demographic impact of development projects. It considers whether demographic effects can be assessed and why development planners should be interested in such an assessment. A.S. Oberai examines the extent to which economic and social changes generated by specific development interventions have influenced demographic behaviour in a particular context. He suggests how desired effects can be enhanced and undesired effects minimized by policy-makers and planners in developing countries in order to deal with problems of population growth and its distribution. The major shortcomings of existing methodologies are identifies and the author indicates the future direction which research might take in order to be more specifically valid and useful to policy-makers.