ECONOMICS ENVIRONMENT AND SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT

Sustainable Development

Sustainable development refers to human development where resources are used for satisfying human
needs without causing any harm to the surrounding environment and without compromising the needs of
future generations.

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 ECONOMICS ENVIRONMENT AND SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT

Steps involved in attaining sustainable development in India

1. Measures to control population
• The government initiated measures to control birth and created awareness among the people to
protect the environment.
• They attempted to control the increased population to a level within the carrying capacity of the
environment.

2. Use of non-conventional sources of energy

• Thermal and hydro power plants are the two non-conventional sources of energy which have
negative impacts on the environment.
• Thermal power plants emit enormous quantities of carbon dioxide in the environment.
• Hydro power plants inundate forests and obstruct the natural water flow in catchment areas and
river basins.
• The use of non-renewable resources should deplete at a rate not exceeding the rate of creation
of renewable substitutes.
3. Mini hydel plants in mountainous regions
• Mini hydel plants are environment-friendly as they do not change the land-use pattern in the
mountainous regions.
• They generate sufficient power to meet local demands.
They always do with the need of large-scale transmission towers and avoid transmission loss.

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ECONOMICS ENVIRONMENT AND SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT

4. Use of LPG and gobar gas in rural areas

• Wood, cow dung and other biomass are used as fuel by households in rural areas.
• Because of the adverse effects such as deforestation and reduction in green cover, subsidised
liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) is being provided along with gobar gas plants through easy
loans and subsidy in rural areas.
5. Use of CNG as fuel in urban areas
• In urban areas, compressed natural gas (CNG) is used as fuel in public transport vehicles.
• This significantly lowers air pollution.
6. Technological knowledge
• Technological progress needs to be input efficient rather than input consuming.
• This implies the maximisation of output which moderates the stress on resources endowment
per unit of output.
7. Convert sunlight to solar energy
• India has plenty of sunlight which is a rich source of energy.
• This sunlight is an eco-friendly and non-exhaustible source of energy which can be converted to
solar energy and then converted to electricity through photovoltaic cells.

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ECONOMICS ENVIRONMENT AND SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT
8. Segregation of waste
• First, non-hazardous wastes are separated from hazardous wastes rather than dumping them
together.
• Then a small amount of hazardous waste can be treated and a large amount of non-hazardous
waste can be destroyed by traditional methods.
9. Organic farming
• Excessive use of chemical fertilisers, insecticides and pesticides has increased their production but
there was loss in soil fertility.
• This implies the loss in the production capacity for future years.
• There is a need for organic farming which maintains soil health with sustained productivity.

10. WIND POWER

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ECONOMICS ENVIRONMENT AND SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT

Mind Map

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ECONOMICS ENVIRONMENT AND SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT

Important questions with answers

Q1: Identify six factors contributing to land degradation in India.

Ans: Six factors responsible for land degradation in India:
• Shifting cultivation is an extravagant and unscientific form of land use.
• Soil erosion is caused by faulty agricultural practices, overgrazing and deforestation.
• Desertification is land degradation in arid, semiarid and dry sub-humid areas resulting
from various factors including climatic variations and human activities.
• Deforestation in order to accommodate more agricultural activity, human settlement and
construction of dams.
• Alkalinity and salinity of soil are caused by over irrigation of land and water logging.
• Overgrazing cattle in open lands makes land bare of green cover.

Q2: India has abundant natural resources. Substantiate the statement.

Ans: India has a wide range of natural resources which are the foundation for the prosperity of
the country:
• Land greatly influences natural vegetation which differs according to landforms such
as mountains, plains and plateaus.
• While the fertile lands of the plains are used for agricultural activities, the grasslands
are used for providing pastures for animals.
• While alluvial soil is fertile and supports extensive agricultural activities, sandy soil of
the desert region supports cacti and thorny bushes.
• In India, alluvial soil is deposited by Rivers Ganga and Brahmaputra. It is found in the
North Indian Plains extending to some parts of Rajasthan and Gujarat.
• It is also found in the eastern coastal plains, especially in the delta of Mahanadi,
Krishna, Godavari and Kaveri.
• India, being a tropical country, has ample sunlight, water and wind energy. These natural
resources are a gift of nature and pollution-free.
• Cotton is largely produced in the black soil of the Deccan plateau. Large deposits of
iron ore, coal and natural gas are found in India.

Q3: Explain any four strategies of sustainable development.

Ans: Four strategies of sustainable development:
• Use of eco-friendly sources of energy: Subsidised liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) is
being provided along with gobar gas plants through easy loans and subsidy in rural
areas. In urban areas, compressed natural gas (CNG) is used as fuel in public transport
vehicles. This significantly lowers air pollution, improving the quality of air.
• Technological knowledge: Technological progress needs to be input efficient rather
than input consuming. This implies to the maximisation of output which moderates the
stress on resource endowment per unit of output.
• Convert sunlight to solar energy-renewable source: India has plenty of sunlight
which is a rich source of energy. This sunlight is eco-friendly and a non-exhaustible
source of energy. Solar energy can be converted to electricity through photovoltaic cells.

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ECONOMICS ENVIRONMENT AND SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT

• Organic farming: Excessive use of chemical fertilisers, insecticides and pesticides has
increased their production, but there was loss in soil fertility. This implies loss in the
production capacity for future years. So, there is a need for organic farming which
maintains soil health with sustained productivity.

Q4: Explain any five steps involved in attaining sustainable development in India.
Ans: Steps involved in attaining sustainable development in India:
• Measures to control population: The government initiated measures to control birth and
created awareness among the people to protect the environment.
• Use of non-conventional sources of energy: Thermal and hydro power plants are the
two non-conventional sources of energy which has negative impacts on the environment.
Hence, the use of non-renewable resources should be at a rate not exceeding the rate of
creation of renewable substitutes.
• Mini hydel plants in mountainous regions: Mini hydel plants are environment-friendly
as they do not change the land-use pattern in mountainous regions. They generate
sufficient power to meet local demands. They always do with the need of large-scale
transmission towers and avoid transmission loss.
• Use of LPG and gobar gas in rural areas: Because of the adverse effects such as
deforestation and reduction in green cover, subsidised liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) is
being provided along with gobar gas plants through easy loans and subsidy in rural areas.
• Use of CNG as fuel in urban areas: In urban areas, compressed natural gas (CNG) is
used as fuel in public transport vehicles which significantly lowers air pollution.