[Dec 2007, Volume 4 Quarterly Issue] Pdf File size - The IIPM Think ...
[Dec 2007, Volume 4 Quarterly Issue] Pdf File size - The IIPM Think ...
[Dec 2007, Volume 4 Quarterly Issue] Pdf File size - The IIPM Think ...
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PROGRESS WITHIN LIMITS<br />
Table-2: Changes In Select Indicators Of India’s Bio Capacity And Its Use<br />
Per capita Availability Of:<br />
Year Population<br />
(million)<br />
Land<br />
(ha)<br />
Farm<br />
Land<br />
(ha)<br />
Forest<br />
Area<br />
(ha)<br />
Population<br />
Density<br />
(per<br />
q.km)<br />
Energy<br />
generated<br />
(Billion<br />
KWH)<br />
Crude<br />
Oil<br />
Imports<br />
(Millon<br />
Tonnes)<br />
Imports Of<br />
Petroleum<br />
(Million<br />
tonnes)<br />
Production<br />
Of Coal<br />
(Million<br />
tonnes)<br />
Export (US$<br />
Million)<br />
(including<br />
re-exports)<br />
Import<br />
(US$<br />
Million)<br />
1951 361.1 110 0.91 0.64 0.113 6.6 3.1 32.3 1490 1852<br />
1961 439.2 134 0.75 0.50 0.124 20.1 6 2.5 55.2 1381 2281<br />
1971 548.2 167 0.60 0.41 0.115 61.2 11.7 1.1 76.3 2153 2443<br />
1981 683.3 208 0.48 0.36 0.099 129.2 16.2 7.3 119 8704 15174<br />
1991 846.3 257 0.39 0.30 0.081 289.4 20.7 8.7 225.5 17865 19411<br />
2001 1028.7 313 0.30 0.25 0.074 554.5 78.7 7.0 332.6 43827 51413<br />
Source: Ministry of Environment and Forests,Government of India (Various Reports).<br />
cal footprints enable people to take personal<br />
or collective actions in support of a<br />
world where humanity lives within the<br />
means of one planet (WWF, 2006; Global<br />
footprint network). <strong>The</strong> available estimates<br />
show that India’s ecological footprint<br />
per person (0.8 global hectares) is<br />
lower than the world average (2.2 global<br />
hectares) but it is much higher than the<br />
nations' biocapacity and this has placed<br />
India in the list of “ecological deficit”<br />
countries. <strong>The</strong> Living Planet Report -<br />
2006 ranked India as the third largest<br />
footprint country followed by United<br />
States and China. “India’s total ecological<br />
footprint is likely to increase due to the<br />
twin pressures from population and consumption<br />
patterns unless suitable actions<br />
are taken. In 2002, the humanity’s per person<br />
footprint was 2.2 global hectares (gha)<br />
whereas the bio capacity per person was<br />
1.8 gha. India’s footprint was 0.8 gha<br />
which is lower than world average but<br />
lower than the nation’s biocapacity (04<br />
gha). Between 1975 and 2003, India’s foot<br />
print per person has increased faster (16<br />
percent) than that of the world (14 percent)<br />
but much lower than many other economies.<br />
<strong>The</strong> ecological footprint estimates<br />
indicate that India’s bio-capacity is not<br />
sufficient to meet the needs of the nations'<br />
growing population. In other words, future<br />
development in India is also dependant<br />
on the use of natural resources of<br />
other countries. Globalization makes it<br />
possible to use these resources legally and<br />
openly. <strong>The</strong> nation has committed to conservation<br />
of natural resources and biodiversity<br />
and implemented several policy<br />
and legal measures. It is also party to<br />
many Multilateral Environmental Agreements<br />
(MEAs) such as Convention on<br />
Biological Diversity (CBD), CITES, Montreal<br />
Table-2: Changes In Select Indicators Of India’s Bio Capacity And Its Use<br />
Protocol. In practice,<br />
Country Ecological<br />
Footprint<br />
(Demand)<br />
Biocapacity<br />
(Supply)<br />
(gha. Per<br />
Ecol. Footprint –<br />
Biocapacity =Ecological<br />
Reserve Or<br />
Footprint<br />
Change Per<br />
Person (%)<br />
Biocapacity<br />
Change Per<br />
Person (%)<br />
these measures have regulated<br />
or prohibited consumptive<br />
use (extraction) of natural resources<br />
in India. However,<br />
(gha. Per Person) Ecological Deficit (-) 1975-2003 1975-2003<br />
Person) 2003 2003 gha. Per Person)2003<br />
this gives economic opportunities<br />
for many biodiversity<br />
India 0.8 0.4 -0.4 16 -23<br />
China 1.6 0.8 -0.9 82 -3<br />
rich countries where such resources<br />
Brazil<br />
South Africa<br />
USA<br />
Indonesia<br />
World<br />
Source: WWF (2006)<br />
2.1<br />
2.3<br />
9.6<br />
1.1<br />
2.2<br />
9.9<br />
2.0<br />
4.7<br />
1.0<br />
1.8<br />
7.8<br />
-0.3<br />
-4.8<br />
-0.1<br />
-0.45<br />
30<br />
-13<br />
38<br />
36<br />
14<br />
-27<br />
-23<br />
-20<br />
-20<br />
-25<br />
are abundant. For<br />
example, felling of timber is<br />
prohibited, wood in log forms<br />
cannot be exported from India<br />
with a view to safeguard<br />
our remaining forests. But,<br />
166 THE <strong>IIPM</strong> THINK TANK