The scope of Population Studies as a discipline has expanded beyond its traditional focus on the three components of population and their dynamics - fertility, mortality and migration. It encompasses broader themes, including reproductive health and rights, gender and other social and cultural dimensions of population dynamics, human development and health and climate change. Population is central to development and its integration into the development planning of every country is critical. This volume of the University of Ghana Readers by the Regional Institute for Population Studies (RIPS) provides multi-disciplinary perspectives on the multi-faceted nature of population studies today. The volume is an essential resource on contemporary issues on population studies and offers a unique opportunity for students of population studies and others who are interested in the study of human populations to enhance their understanding of the ramifications of population dynamics on development. It also has rich material on demographic research methods and provides tools for building the research capacity of academics and technocrats who are interested in population-driven interventions, advocacy and policy.
