Laboratory

Population Dynamics and Sustainable Well-Being

At a Glance Projects Publications Team

Research Area

Population and Environment

Across our societies, transition toward sustainable energy systems is underway. This transition is driven by the recognition that global greenhouse gas emissions have to be curbed to limit the risks posed by climate change. Within this context, population dynamics are intimately connected with environmental change because climate change has already affected the health and well-being of populations and because demographic change has an impact on energy use and greenhouse gas emissions. Novel sources of climatic and demographic data that have emerged with the digital revolution have opened up opportunities to advance research on population and climate change dynamics.

First, we consider how population dynamics and individuals’ sociodemographic characteristics, together with economic and geographic factors, affect energy demand and greenhouse gas emissions. We develop statistical methods for estimating profiles of energy demand by age for individuals, using household-level survey data.

Second, we assess the direct impacts of climate change (e.g., via extreme temperatures or natural disasters) on demographic outcomes, including indicators of health and well-being. We consider overall impact and geographic and sociodemographic disparities. As we develop our methods, we plan to consider also some of the indirect impacts of climate changes on populations (e.g., in connection with the spread of vector-borne diseases).

Third, we synthesize knowledge of the dynamic relationship between climate and population dynamics to assess the extent to which global environmental change affects population trends and the extent to which climate-related factors should be taken into consideration in the context of population projections. 

Projects of this Research Area