Over the past two decades, population researchers have engaged in a far-reaching and productive program of research on demographic responses to changes in the natural environment. This essay “looks back” to the origins of these developments, identifying pivotal agenda-setting moments in the 1990s and tracing the impact on contemporary research. The essay also “looks forward” to identify critical gaps and challenges that remain to be addressed and to set an agenda for future research on population responses to environmental change. It recommends that the multidimensionality of environmental contexts and change be fully embraced, long run as well as short term effects be investigated, variability in the effects of environmental change in relation to social institutions, policy implementation, and environmental context be examined, movement between contexts as well as change in situ as sources of environmental change be considered, and interconnections among demographic processes in response to environmental change be explored. Taking these steps will position demographers to contribute significantly to a larger and deeper understanding of environmental change and its consequences, locally, regionally, and globally.

在过去的二十年中，人口研究人员从事了一项影响深远且富有成效的研究计划，研究人口对自然环境变化的反应。本文“回顾”这些发展的起源，确定 20 世纪 90 年代的关键议程设定时刻，并追踪其对当代研究的影响。本文还“展望”确定仍有待解决的关键差距和挑战，并为人口对环境变化反应的未来研究制定议程。它建议充分考虑环境背景和变化的多维性，研究长期和短期影响，审查环境变化影响与社会制度、政策实施和环境背景相关的可变性，研究背景之间的变化还应考虑作为环境变化来源的原地变化，并探讨人口变化过程与环境变化之间的相互关系。采取这些步骤将使人口统计学家能够为更广泛、更深入地了解当地、区域和全球的环境变化及其后果做出重大贡献。