Two Child policy: Social Sustainability

Two Child policy: Social Sustainability

A common misconception of people is that sustainability is just another word for protecting natural environment. In a way, this statement is not a false one? Saving the environment is a huge part of sustainable development and vast majority of our sustainable thinking have to revolve around that topic. However, one must come to realize that sustainability is more than merely planting trees and collecting garabages. Sustainable growth of a city has to take consideration of the social aspect of sustainability; a resilient society; a fit social structure; a healthy population growth and so on.

One of the biggest news happening in China in 2015-2016 is the abandonment of its sole-child policy. Now it is legal and even encouraged for young couple to have two children. This topic is a political debate as well as a sustainable one. One can write a 100-page report on the history of China's infamous single child policy and its lasting effect on Chinese population structure. Some argue that the drop in population growth over the years is a result of urbanization and education of rural population. And the policy itself did very little in shaping Chinese demographic over its duration. Others claim that the policy accelerated the aging of Chinese population structure and left a huge vacancy in young to middle-age demographic to fill in the gap in working population. Whatever the real case is, there is no doubt that single or twin children policy is a reaction or solution to a social sustainability issue, and should be treated as such.

The next blog will look into the single child policy and dig into some stories around the real life implementation of it. Stay tuned.

Reference:

http://thediplomat.com/2016/03/chinas-two-child-policy-what-next/

Image Credit:

http://thediplomat.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/03/thediplomat_2016-03-04_13-49-32-386x272.jpg