Previous Year Question
With reference to ‘Carrying Capacity of Environment’, which of the following statements is/are correct?
The rate of resource extraction should remain above the rate of resource generation.
Generation of waste should remain within the absorption capacity of environment.
Select the correct answer from the code given below:
Only 2
Neither 1 nor 2
Both 1 and 2
Only 1
Correct Answer: A
Detailed Solution
Environmental Carrying Capacity refers to the limit within which the environment can maintain its functions, such as supplying natural resources, absorbing waste, and sustaining life, without long-term damage. The environment performs four major functions—Resource Supply, Waste Assimilation, Life Sustenance through biodiversity, and the provision of Aesthetic Services. Maintaining environmental carrying capacity requires resource utilization to remain consistent with the regenerative capacity of resources and waste generation to remain within the environment's absorptive capacity.
Statement 1 is incorrect. For the sustainable utilization of Renewable Natural Resources, the Resource Extraction Rate should not exceed the Regeneration Rate. For example, if the number of trees harvested annually from a forest does not exceed the number that can be replenished through natural regeneration or planned reforestation, long-term conservation of forest resources may be possible. In contrast, when the extraction rate exceeds regeneration, resource stocks begin to decline, potentially causing environmental imbalance. Non-Renewable Resources, such as coal and petroleum, do not regenerate within human timescales; therefore, emphasis is placed on their limited utilization, efficient use, and the development of renewable alternatives.
Statement 2 is correct. Environmental Assimilative or Absorptive Capacity refers to the natural ability of the environment to assimilate, decompose, or withstand the effects of waste and pollutants. When Industrial Waste, Domestic Sewage, and other pollutants are generated in quantities exceeding environmental absorptive capacity, the quality of air, water, and soil may deteriorate. For example, when organic waste entering a river exceeds its natural Self-Purification Capacity, Dissolved Oxygen levels may decline, adversely affecting aquatic organisms. Therefore, waste generation must remain within the absorptive capacity of the environment.
Sustainable Development is associated with environmental carrying capacity and the conservation of natural resources for future generations. According to environmental economist Herman Daly, the extraction rate of renewable resources should not exceed their regeneration rate, while the depletion rate of non-renewable resources should not exceed the rate at which renewable substitutes are developed. Resource Overexploitation and pollution exceeding environmental absorptive capacity can lead to an Environmental Crisis. According to the Brundtland Commission's 1987 report, Our Common Future, sustainable development meets the needs of the present generation without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs.