Government proposes in SC tech panel to evaluate carrying capacity of 13 Himalayan States

Subject: Environment

Section: Ecosystem

Context:

The Centre has proposed forming a 13-member technical committee to evaluate the “carrying capacity” of 13 Himalayan States.

What is the need of a committee?

Frequent landslides leading to deaths and destruction had led to a re-evaluation of the load-carrying capacity of hill towns and cities.
Earlier, the Centre had asked the 13 hill States to assess the carrying capacity of their hill stations and submit the report.
Committee is headed by: Director of the GB Pant National Institute of Himalayan Environment.

Carrying capacity:

The carrying capacity is the maximum population size that an ecosystem can sustain without getting degraded.
In the broader sense, carrying capacity also means that all plants and animals which an area of the Earth can support at once.

Assessing carrying capacity is important because:

It helps in identifying the upper limit of development that the region can sustain without exceeding the carrying capacity.
Knowing the carrying capacity of an ecosystem helps in identifying the optimal level of resource use that will ensure the long-term sustainability of the ecosystem.
- It helps in planning for resource management and allocation in a way that is environmentally sound and economically viable.
To prevent environmental degradation, loss of biodiversity and long-term economic loss.
To determine the maximum population a region can sustain. It helps in planning for Population growth and developing policies that ensure the sustainable use of resources for future generations.
To maintain ecosystem services such as water, air and soil quality.