Model Question and Answers for APSC | The effective management of land and water resources will drastically reduce human miseries. Explain

Ans: Carrying capacity refers to the maximum population of various species that an ecosystem can handle without permanent degradation. At current consumption rates, the Earth's carrying capacity for humans is estimated to be 7 billion, implying that humans have already surpassed the maximum population that the Earth can support.

Effective management of land resources will drastically reduce human miseries:

• Agricultural land is currently being diverted for industrial uses. This causes displacement and puts food security at Proper land allocation can help to solve the world's food problems while also alleviating the misery of displaced farmers.
• Innovative land acquisition methods, such as land pooling (recently used for Andhra Pradesh's new capital, Amravathi), can make landowners partners in development and alleviate their suffering.
• Cooperative farming can result in higher productivity from the same land, higher rural incomes, and relief for small and marginal farmers.
• Tribals are being denied their traditional forest rights as a result of bureaucratic indifference and forest conversion for industrial The effective implementation of legislation guaranteeing tribal rights (such as India's Forest Rights Act) will end tribal misery.
• Proper, long-term urban planning will result in predictable land use cycles, allowing more people to acquire land for personal use. It will also result in city decongestion, saving hours of travel time. Reduced pollution will improve people's quality of life in cities.
• Anthropogenic climate change is raising sea levels, causing coastal land to be submerged and small island nations to lose land. Effective land management can also assist people in these countries in obtaining subsistence land.

Effective management of water resources will drastically reduce human miseries:

• Sustainable water use can help to prevent skewed development caused by droughts in one area and water surpluses in neighbouring areas. (For example, drought in Marathwada but floods in Mumbai.) In this regard, river interconnection to transfer water from surplus to deficit basins can be considered.
• Rather than large hydro projects, small check dams and measures such as rainwater harvesting and stormwater management can result in constant water availability, alleviating water woes.
• Eliminating subsidies for diesel pump sets and fertilisers such as urea will reduce excessive water use, improve soil and water conditions, and alleviate water scarcity during dry seasons.
• Resolving inter-state and trans-border water disputes cooperatively under international law will provide water for daily use for all of For example, the Indus Water Treaty is regarded as the world's most successful water treaty.
• Desalination of water in coastal and arid areas can solve water problems and reduce human misery. Israel has developed a feasible desalinization method that can be replicated in coastal cities and desert nations.

Sustainable development necessitates sustainable production and consumption. The sustainable development goals, which set the development agenda for 2015-2030, emphasise these issues. Land and water belong to everyone, not just one person or nation. Human misery can only be alleviated through cooperation and understanding.