MULUNGUSHI UNIVERSITY

SCHOOL OF SOCIAL SCIENCES

NAME: CHISANGA CHULU

STUDENT NUMBER:202400999

COURSE: DEMOGRAPHY

PROGRAM: BACHELOR OF ARTS IN DEMOGRAPHY AND ECONOMICS

LECTURERS NAME:MR LUKUNI

DATE:18TH OCTOBER, 2024

Demography studies assist in future trends allowing the government to prepare for changes in
population dynamics, in the absence of such data, countries risk misallocation of resources leading to
inefficient and unmet needs, thus this scenario or view does not hold only for Zambia but also for other
countries and nations worldwide. This essay critically discusses how a student of demography made a
remark that “the government of the republic of Zambia would find it very difficult to allocate resources
and provide public goods and services in the country without demography. I will also discuss how this
information is vital for governments, its importance and the challenges and opportunities to understand
the needs of their citizens, lastly a conclusion of this discussion will be given.

In accordance to the world health organization transcultural under health care, quality of life
measurements has shown the string impact of depression. Zaratiegui (2007) “depression and quality
life.” On peoples well been, and also all life aspects that they believe important depending on their
personal and cultural expectations. Quality of life was considerably poorer in depressed persons than in
individuals with some other frequent chronical disease. This underscores that its assessments can be
used in healthcare decision and resource allocation.

In the education sector, the role for improving schooling is the center part of most development
strategies. Hanushek and woessman (2007) “the role of education quality for economic growth. “it
proves that the cognitive skills of the population rather than mere school attainment are powerfully
related to individual earnings to the distribution of income and economic growth. International
comparisons incorporating expanded data on cognitive skills reveal much larger skills deficits in
developing countries than generally derived from just school enrollment and attainment. The magnitude
of change needed makes it clear that closing the economical gap with industrial countries will require
major structural changes in schooling institutions.

The importance in infrastructure in the allocation of resources are population projections, age structure
analysis in health and educational infrastructure, urbanization trends in shaping transportation and
housing development, migration patterns. In population projection public and private institutions,
organizations and firms, require information on demographic futures. Public organizations must
anticipate future population needs and thereby judge the need for efforts to alter current population
processes and trends. Private firms maximize possible profits by adjusting product lines and shifting
distribution networks using information obtained from regional demographic projects. Rogers (1985)
“regional population projections model.”

Population age is a demographic phenomenon world wide.it echo’s in the main causes of population
morbidity and mortality, since the prevalence of chronic and degenerative diseases increases in age.
Tavares et.al (2021) “age friendly care a systematic review. “in fact the increase in the demand for
health care services by the older adults is indisputable, given that chronic disease require long-term
treatments, and slow and complicated recoveries. while in education sector it helps policymakers
understand the demographic composition of the population and makes informed decisions. Bloom and
canning (2006) “demographic change and education.”

Urbanization trends significantly influences transportation development, reshaping the way cites design
and implement their transport system. As urban population grows the demand for efficient, accessible,
and sustainable transportation options increases. This phenomenal can be observed through several

keys such as increased demand for public transit, as cities expand, there is no notable shift towards
enhancing public transportation system. It leads to higher population densities which necessitate the
development of robust public transit options to alleviate congestion and reduce reliance on private
vehicles. litman (2021) “well designed public transit can reduce overall traffic by up to 30% in urban
areas.”

In the integration of technology, the rise of smart technologies has also transformed urban
transportation the integration and data analysis, real tracking time, and mobile applications has
improved the efficacy of public transport systems. Cites like Singapore and Barcelona have implemented
smart transport solutions that optimize routes and reduce waiting times, demonstrating the potential of
technology in enhancing urban mobility (Zhou et al.2019).

It has profound an impact in housing development, influencing resource allocation in various ways. As
cities grow and population increases, the challenges and opportunities in housing become more
pronounced. increased housing demand, rapid urbanization leads to an influx of people into cities
resulting in a heightened demand for housing. As population grows, especially in metropolitan areas
there is pressure to provide adequate housing that meets diverse needs. According to the united
nations, approximately 1.6 billion people live in inadequate housing conditions globally, highlighting the
urgent need for sustainable housing solutions (UN-habitat 2020).
Affordable housing shortages, the surge in urban population often outpaces the development of
affordable housing. This discrepancy results in increasing housing prices, pushing low-income families to
the periphery of urban areas or into informal settlements. Research shows that in many cities, the they
supply of affordable housing has not kept up with demand, leading to significant disparities in housing
access (Davis, 2018).

Migration patterns significantly influence regional infrastructure allocation, influence regional

infrastructure allocation, shaping how resources are distributed and prioritized in urban and rural areas.
As population move whether domestically or internationally they create new demands for
infrastructure, impacting transportation, housing, etc. the key ways in which migration is important for
regional infrastructure allocation are

Population density and urban growth, areas experiencing significant in migration often face increased
population density, creating urgent demands for infrastructure such as housing and utilities. For
instance, cities like los angelos and New York have had to adapt their infrastructure to accommodate
surges in population due to domestic and international migrations. According to the us census bureau,
urban areas that attract migrants often see infrastructure strain, necessitating sustainable investment to
maintain serves levels (US census bureau 2020).

Changing demographic needs, migrants bring diverse needs and preferences, which can influence the
types of infrastructure required for example areas with high influx to families may necessitate the
development of schools and health care facilities while regions attracting younger, economically active
population may focus on transportation and housing. Understanding the demography’s of incoming
migrants is essential for effective resource allocation in many countries (bettin, et al 2019).

The government of Zambia and any other countries face some challenges and opportunities in the
allocation of resources without demographic data and theses are difficulty in addressing poverty and
inequality, inefficient budget allocation, poor economic development and planning. And limited accesses
to basic services addressing poverty and inequality in Zambia and as many countries, resources are often
unevenly distributed, favoring urban rural areas. This disparity exacerbates poverty and inequality as
rural populations typically have limited access to essential services such as education etc. a study of the
world bank noted that rural areas in Zambia have significantly lower access to basic services compared
to urban centers, contributing to the poverty levels (world bank 2020).
Corruption remains a major obstacle in the effective allocation of resources. In Zambia governance
challenges have to lead to mismanagement of public funds and resources, undermining efforts to
address poverty. Transparency internationals global corruption report highlights that corruption diverts
resources away from those who need them most, perpetuating cycles of poverty and inequality
(transparency international 2018)

In inefficient budget allocation, it leads to limited capacity for budget execution the capacity of
government institutions to execute budgets effectively plays a crucial role in resource allocation in
Zambia limited human and technical capacity within government ministries often leads to inefficient
budget execution. The world bank highlights that building institutional capacity is vital for improving
public financial management and ensuring that budgets are effectively implemented. (world bank 2021)

Poor economic development and planning, leads to having lack of long term planning, in short term
planning, focusing on economic planning can lead to neglect of sustainable development needs. In
Zambia, the absence of comprehensive long term strategies has resulted in resource allocation that
prioritizes immediate gains over sustainable growth the united nations development program highlights
that effective long term planning is crucial for addressing such issues as poverty, inequality and
environmental sustainability (UPND 2021).

Limited access to basic services many countries face challenges in providing adequate health care
services, particularly in rural and underserved areas.in Zambia for example limited health care
infrastructure and shortage of medical professional’s result in inadequate access to essential health
services. According to the world health organization WHO, this lack of access contributes to high rates of
preventable diseases and maternal mortality (WHO 2020).

Access to clean water and sanitation facilities is another critical area affected by resource allocation.
Mostly in Zambia many rural communities lack access to safe drinking water and adequate sanitation,
leading to health risks such as waterborne diseases. The united nations children fund (UNICEF)
emphasizes that improving water and sanitation is essential for public health and requires significant
investment and planning (UNICEF 2021).

Social factors such as gender, ethnicity and disability can significantly impact access to basic services.
marginalized groups often face barriers that prevent them from utilizing available service. Addressing
these inequalities is crucial for ensuring equitable access to resource and services. (UNDP 2020). this
issue is prevalent in various countries where social stratification hinders effective resource allocation.
Aside the challenges there are also some opportunities and theses are data-driven decisions- making,
reduction to poverty and inequality and sustainable development Utilizing data analytics allow
organizations to identify inefficiencies in resource allocation and optimize usage. For example, in health
care, data can review patterns in patients care that highlight underutilized resources or arears needing
more support. (HIMSS 2020). This opportunity for effienecy is applicable across various sectors,
including public serves.

In the reduction of poverty and inequality, implementation targeted social programs has been shown to
effectively reduce poverty and inequality. Ferreira et al (2015) “targeted cash transfer programs.” Such
as brazil bolsa families have significant improved living standards for low economic families by providing
essential financial support. these programs illustrate how focused resource allocation can address the
immediate needs of disadvantaged populations.

Sustainable development, effective sustainable development requires integrated resource management

that considers environmental, social, and economic factors. Meadowcroft (2007) argues that
“sustainable development must involve coordination governance across multiple sectors. “according to
the UN the sustainable development goals provide comprehensive framework for countries to align
their resource allocation with sustainable development principles.

This view has shown the importance’s, challenges and opportunities that Zambia an d other countries at
large can find it difficult to allocate public goods and services without demography and that without the
study of demography and analytical data you cannot easily identify areas that a been affected In all the
specific sectors.
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Bratt (2020). The role of policy in affordable housing development.

Davis (2018). The housing crisis: a global challenge

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Health information management system society (himss)2020 data analysis in health care.

Hanushek, Eric and woessman the role of education quality for economic growth (February, 1 2007)

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Litman (2020) public transportation and sustainable communities

Meadowcroft (2007) who is in charge here? Governance for sustainable development in a complex
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