Wanted: People-Resources Balance Rapid Growth in Developing Countries Raises Environmental and Human-Welfare Questions. WORLD POPULATION

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NUMBERS alone aren't all that significant in assessing potential overcrowding, said the Duke of Edinburgh recently, speaking as president of the World Wide Fund for Nature.

"What matters is the size of the population in proportion to the space and resources available. Five or 6 million butterflies in the state of New York would not cause much of a stir, but 640 million elephants in Africa - the same number as the present human population - would cause some very awkward problems."

The Duke added that even academic economists had to be aware that "there must be an ultimate limit" to the number of human inhabitants that the earth could reasonably support.

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