The theme of World Population Day, which fell yesterday, was: "Family planning - it's a right; let's make it real".

Surely, it is true that family planning is a right, as every individual has the right to freely and responsibly choose the size of his or her family. And on the species level, humans have the right to decide the size of our population in line with what we believe to be best for future generations.

Currently, the global population hovers around 6.7 billion and is expected to exceed 9.2 billion by 2050.

Consensus holds the ever-increasing global population is exerting ever-greater pressure on all kinds of resources and on the increasingly fragile environment.

It is important to recognize the link between global warming and global population. While both developed and developing countries must do everything they can to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, they also need to realize the importance of family planning in combating climate change.

The good job China has done in the past three decades has demonstrated how family planning not only slows population growth but also, in many ways, promotes a nation's social progress.

China's family planning policies has delayed by four years its arrival at the 1.3 billion-population mark; in other words, it would otherwise now be 1.6 billion.

The benefit of having 300 million fewer people consuming resources is that there is more to go around for those today enjoying the country's economic growth.

In addition, the transition from large families to smaller ones has improved the quality of family life in the country. It has also significantly contributed to liberating women from housework and pushed forward gender equality.

Today, there are more than 100 million only children in the country, indicating the country will face an increasingly heavy burden of caring for a graying population.

Even so, the family planning policy must be maintained to prevent extreme overpopulation.

Well-planned social security and welfare schemes should be able to counteract the challenges of caring for the graying population - a problem more easily solved than a population explosion.

If the rest of the world - the developing world in particular - does such a good job with family planning, it will bring about a better tomorrow for humankind.

(China Daily July 12, 2008)