Population, Environment, and Development (PED) and Population, Health, and Environment (PHE) are integrated community-based approaches that recognize and address the complex relationships between people’s health and the environment. This multi-sectoral approach strives to improve voluntary family planning and reproductive health care and conservation and natural resource management within the communities living in ecologically rich areas of our globe.
Access to voluntary family planning enables couples to decide whether, when, and how many children to have, resulting in healthier women, children, and communities. Along with increased access to education, family planning can also contribute to slowing population growth and therefore may lessen pressure on natural resources. These approaches also encourage communities to engage in sustainable practices to preserve their ecosystems.