Carrying capacity refers to the maximum population of various species that can be handled by an ecosystem without permanent degradation. At present levels of consumption, Earth’s carrying capacity for humans is estimated at 7 billion; which means that humans have already exceeded the maximum population that the earth can hold.
Humans in various parts of the world have faced several problems due to this:
How effective land management can reduce human misery:
1. Agricultural land is diverted for industrial uses nowadays. This leads to displacement and risks for food security. Proper allocation of land can alleviate food problems of the world as well as alleviate misery of the displaced farmers.
2. Innovative methods of land acquisition such as land pooling (recently done for Andhra Pradesh’s new capital, Amravathi) can make the land owners partners in development and alleviate their suffering.
3. Cooperative farming can lead to better productivity from the same land, increase rural incomes, and alleviate the miseries of small and marginal farmers.
4. Tribals are denied their traditional forest rights due to bureaucratic apathy and forests being diverted for industries. Effective implementation of legislations guaranteeing tribal rights (such as India’s Forest Rights Act) will eliminate the misery of the tribals.
5. Proper, sustainable urban planning will lead to predictable land use cycles and enable more people to acquire land for personal use. It will also lead to decongestion in cities, saving hours in travel time. Decreased pollution will improve the quality of life of people in the cities.
6. Anthropogenic climate change is resulting in increased sea levels, leading to submergence of coastal land as well as loss of area of small island nations. Effective land management can also help people of these countries obtain land for subsistence.
How effective water management can reduce human misery:
1. Sustainable use of water can lead to prevention of skewed development resulting from droughts in one area and water surpluses in adjoining areas. (e.g: drought in Marathwada but floods in Mumbai). Inter-linking of rivers to transfer water from surplus to deficit basins can be thought of in this regard.
2. Instead of big hydroprojects, small checkdams and measures such as rainwater harvesting and stormwater management can lead to availability of water at all times, alleviating water woes.
3. Mapping of aquifers and holistic management of ground and surface water can solve water availability problems of urban areas. Recycling used water will help reduce per capita need for water.
4. Efficient crop planning and crop rotation can not only lead to efficient use of water, it can also lead to improved fertility of the soil and efficient land management.
5. Removing subsidies on diesel pump sets and fertilizers such as urea will prevent excessive use of water, lead to improved soil and water conditions and thus alleviate scarcity of water in dry seasons.
6. Solving inter-state and trans-border water disputes in a cooperative manner under international statutes will provide water for daily use to all of humanity. E.g: Indus Water Treaty, considered the world’s most successful water treaty.
7. Desalinization of water in coastal areas and arid regions can solve water problems and reduce human misery. Israel has developed a feasible method for desalinization that can be emulated in coastal cities and desert nations.
Sustainable development necessitates sustainable production and consumption. The sustainable development goals that set the development agenda for 2015-2030 stress upon these issues. Land and water are not for one individual or one nation, but for the entire humanity. Only by cooperation and understanding can human misery be alleviated.
