Centre for Population, Urban and Environment Studies

Pakistan’s population size, composition and its spatial distribution is destined to exert a powerful influence on the country’s environment and socioeconomic development. For instance, changes in population size and age structure influence marketing strategies and consumption patterns of human and natural resources. Carefully gathered demographic data is invaluable for the government in planning public sector services. Policymakers use population data for its impact on demarcation of constituencies, allocation of resources, and on voting trends tied to factors such as age, gender, residence and ethnicity, among others.

Population Sciences is a multidisciplinary area concerned with changes in population size, distribution and structure due to births, deaths and migration. In recent decades, the scope of population sciences has greatly expanded to include such topics as reproductive health and family planning; household and family composition; labour market and labour force composition; economic development; social stratification; environment and urbanisation, etc.

Pakistan is going through a demographic transition and is confronted with a host of issues. The ageing population is increasing due to declining trends in fertility and mortality. The age structure is rapidly changing also because of urbanisation and other forms of migration as a consequence of industrialisation and replacement of traditional means of subsistence with modernisation and diffusion of technological skills and knowledge across the globe. Moreover, demographic changes can be major forces of economic, cultural and environmental change. Population ageing, for example, will have an enormous impact on social security expenditure and the demand for health care. Understanding the issues leads to recognition of the interactions between population and government policies – an important part of planning for environmentally sustainable development.

As governments deal with a range of population-related issues, while making policies and initiating development program, there is an urgent need for research on the issues raised by demographic experience, and for providing a scientific basis for policy formulation. The aim of UOG’s Centre for Population, Urban and Environment Studies (CPUES) is to conduct research in multiple areas of population. The Centre will provide a platform for the University’s faculty to pursue research and teaching devoted to the understanding of population phenomenon. This Centre will also help formulate workable strategies and suggest recommendations, based on empirical findings, to policy making institutions to address various issues confronting Pakistani society.

Associate Director Dr Fauzia Maqsood PhD (Sociology), University of the Punjab, Lahore MA (Sociology), University of the Punjab, Lahore fauziamaqsood@uog.edu.pk