Our population clock

The arrival of a new born baby is always a happy occasion, even if it means one more mouth to feed. So the arrival of Indonesia's 200 millionth citizen Tuesday should be rejoiced. It was a special occasion for the nation not because we have finally reached that mark, but because we have managed to postpone reaching it for such a long time, thanks to a rigorous national family planning program launched in 1969.

Family planning has been an important part of the nation's economic development program, but its contribution was often underestimated, or not given the attention that it deserved. Credit goes to our leaders for their vision in introducing the family planning program in 1969, in spite of cultural and religious obstacles and opposition. Had it not been for their vision, Indonesia could have become the first nation in the world to validate the Malthusian hypotheses -- which crudely said that population growth would ultimately outstrip food production and that famine was nature's way of limiting the earth's population.

Nature has been kind to Indonesia, perhaps too kind. There are still vast untapped natural resources that make up our archipelagic nation. But they are not infinite, and our ability to tap into them is limited by technological know-how. Besides, we should keep some resources for future generations.

Controlling the population growth rate was therefore the most responsible action a country as large as ours could have taken. Reducing the birth rate was the obvious course of action when improvement in basic health facilities was also cutting the death rate.

Through family planning, Indonesia managed to reduce the population growth rates from 2.3 percent in the 1970/1980 period, to 1.6 percent today. And the rate is still declining. This is occurring even as the death rate is falling more rapidly, and average life expectancy is rising.

By official estimates, Indonesia's population today should have reached 217 million had it not been for population control. The 200-million mark would have been reached in 1991 or earlier.

This, in economic and social terms, means a whole world of difference. With 17 million more mouths to feed, the self- sufficiency in rice we achieved in 1984 might still be a novelty today. We would probably still be building more new primary schools as we did in the 1970s and 1980s. Access to basic health facilities would remain an illusion for an even larger number of people than today. And our nation would be struggling even more to provide jobs for the growing population.

Besides easing the "burden" on society, we have also managed to release more resources and money that otherwise would have gone to meeting the needs of those 17 million people. The extension in the compulsory education program, the expansion in basic health facilities, the current massive campaign against poverty and many other social and economic programs are possible because we have the resources that were made available largely due to the declining population growth rate.

There is therefore every reason for the nation to rejoice as our population topped 200 million Tuesday. But the occasion should also be used to renew our commitment to controlling the growth rate. Our population is still increasing at a rate of more than 8,000 a day. The United Nations estimates that Indonesia will reach a zero-growth population by the mid-21st century, when its population reaches 350 million.

The challenges facing us today are no less formidable than those faced when the nation embarked on the family planning campaign in 1969. Feeding 200 million mouths is not easy, and 350 million is even more daunting. But with better education and better health conditions, today's and future generations should be more creative and resourceful in meeting their challenges.