The original version of this article, by Cat Lazaroff, appeared on Resource Media.

What does family planning have to do with Earth Day? More than you might think. Family planning gives women and families the tools they need to decide whether and when to have children – and that, quite literally, can mean the world.

Here are a few of the ways in which access to family planning can help us build a healthier, more resilient world this Earth Day:

Healthier Moms and Babies

First and foremost, family planning supports later childbearing and healthier birth-spacing, which turns out to be very, very good for both moms and babies. Research has shown that if there were at least two years between a birth and a subsequent pregnancy, deaths of children younger than five would fall by 13 percent; if the gap were three years, such deaths would decrease by 25 percent. Over 300 million women in the world currently suffer from long-term or short-term illness brought about by pregnancy or childbirth, limiting their options for safeguarding themselves and their families in the face of natural disasters like drought, floods or heat waves.

Bottom line: When women are healthier, they have greater ability to participate in activities that help their families and communities adapt to a changing environment and other stresses. That makes family planning an important foundation for healthy, thriving communities.

Continue reading on Resource Media.

Image Credit: Resource Media.