Ecological Footprint is a matter of concern for most of the countries at present and for India also it is posing a serious challenge with the population growing at an alarming rate. With the increasing usage of lands, water and other resources, the loss of such resources is being observed as the rate of usage is greater than the rate of regeneration. This is the basic concept of the ecological footprint imbalance. All these results in overexploitation, pollution and climate change. It is known to all that the problems are so grave that country--level discussion are on the way to reduce the sources of pollution and solutions are being searched regarding the climate change . Due to this climatic change, sea level are rising and very recent research suggests that cities like Kolkata, Dhaka, Shanghai, which are located in the coastal areas are most vulnerable to the rising sea levels due to climate change. Researches also show that the terrestrial, marine and freshwater living planet indexes are all decreasing. The impact is that the amount of land, water etc are continuously decreasing, thus creating problem for both the human generations to come as well for the marine organisms. It also hurts those who are dependent on the marine organisms for food. Thus, it seems that a vicious cycle exists and imbalance at any step or in any section creates a problem for the entire ecosystem. Also, due to the activities of human beings (eg. Deforestation, poaching), most of all the species are becoming extinct. The burning concern of Tiger is a well known fact in India and just about 400 tigers are believed to be present. The ecological footprint of India is --0.4 and for Australia it is 7.9, this shown the difference of overuse of land in India. Solutions should not be sought only after facing the problems and even if it can be provided, our energy should be concentrated at the root cause of problem and trying to reduce or eliminate at the starting point. It is correct that “Preventing pollution is more effective and less costly than cleaning up pollution”. In my view, this concept is not limited only to pollution but to each and every sphere of problem where we desire for a solution.
Now, let us look at some of the causes of environmental pollution. A proper knowledge at the beginning is a key in providing solutions. Population growth, Unsustainable resource use, Poverty, Not having sound knowledge of the environment etc. are some of the causes of pollution. About the population growth, I do not want to concentrate much as this is known to one and all. I would like to concentrate on unsustainable resource use. It can be related to the environmental effect of affluence. We can see that land is not being used according to the requirements. Overuse and misuse are the proper terms to be used here. It seems that some people who wants land for key purposes like cultivation, housing do not have even the required amount. In many cases, I know it happens in India, people who do not require so much of land possess in ten-time excess of that. Point to be noted here is that it is not sustainable. It is true that India as a country do not impose any restrictions of possessing of land or properties; however it is a matter of social responsibility and showing solidarity towards the environment problem. The next cause Poverty is “less said the better” type. As the people become poorer, they destroy the resources faster. They tend to overuse the natural resources because they don’t have anything to eat or any means of getting money except through the natural resources, they start to depend more on natural resources. Overall, the process leads to exploitation of the natural resources and the ecological footprint also imbalances. The next is little knowledge about the environment. We are caught in the process of trying to manage the nature without knowing enough about it. More research is required so that how the nature around us works can be better understood. In that case, if we have knowledge about it, whenever we try to work out a process in the environment, we can know its implications.
On the same note, I would like to present a case study of Ankoli, Maharashtra where a gentleman Mr. Arun Deshpande has proposed the idea of “Water Bank” and the result is in front of the whole nation. When people fight with one another in other districts of Maharashtra for water, Ankoli (Solapur Dist.) have enough water in their reserve. The concept of water bank is that People can use water only if they conserve water. We can only get money from our bank if we have some amount present; the same concept is replicated here. Only that there is no concept of “loan” in water bank. It is now the responsibility of the government to replicate such methods in different drought-hit areas of the country. Even if the government does not come forward, some leaders of their own areas can come forward and learn the process and try to implement it. These are the small steps which are needed/expected from the citizens to come forward and show their “Bhagidari” in environment protection.
Fig: The comparison between a drought area and Ankoli (Maharashtra).
On conclusion, in order to motivate people we can think of tax-breaks being provided to people who show responsibility towards protecting the environment. It can be given either to corporate or to any citizen who prove his contribution. This is followed in some countries. In America some amount of money is given to those who provide innovative solutions to protect the environment. All these show the gravity of the problem at hand. There is some solution available at hand, only thing we need is their proper implementation which is to be done by the government. Before it is too late, the citizens as well as the government must wake up and work for the betterment.
