GS Paper 3
Syllabus: Disaster Management
Source: The Hindu
Context: The National Green Tribunal (NGT) has issued directions to the Uttarakhand Government to conduct a study of the specific carrying capacity of the hill station.
- Also, Last year a panel was formed to assess the carrying capacity of eco-sensitive zones in Shimla (Himachal Pradesh)
Key highlights:
- A nine-member committee has been formed to suggest remedial measures for preventing environmental damage to the town.
- A study on Mussoorie’s carrying capacity by the Lal Bahadur Shastri National Academy of Administration in 2001 suggested that no further construction was viable.
- An analysis of the carrying capacity of eco-sensitive areas in Himalayan regions in a holistic manner is necessary for the protection of the environment.
- Terms of reference for the committee:
- Suggest remedial measures to prevent environmental damage in the light of carrying capacity
- Hydro-geology studies
- Geo-morphological studies
- Covering other allied and incidental issues.
About Carrying Capacity:
The total number of individuals of a species that can live in an ecosystem under certain conditions.
- More recently the concept has been expanded beyond ecology by including economic, social, and infrastructure imperatives.
- Urban Carrying Capacity (UCC): It provides a theoretical foundation for determining the maximum potential population that could be supported without environmental degradation, based on the inherent limitations of a city
Global Practices on Urban Carrying Capacity:
- China’s mega-cities demonstrate that the UCC framework can be simplified to quantify and evaluate indicators across sectors and use them appropriately for sustainable urban land management practices.
Insta Links:
Mains Link:
Land subsidence is a silent disaster that is taking hold of the Himalayan region. Examine the causes behind it, its impact and measures need to prevent this silent disaster. (10M)
