Carrying Capacity: the population that can be supported indefinitely by its

supporting systems.

In ecological terms, the carrying capacity of an ecosystem is the size of the population
that can be supported indefinitely upon the available resources and services of that
ecosystem. Living within the limits of an ecosystem depends on three factors:
 the amount of resources available in the ecosystem,
 the size of the population, and
 the amount of resources each individual is consuming.

A simple example of carrying capacity is the number of people who could survive in a
lifeboat after a shipwreck. Their survival depends on how much food and water they
have, how much each person eats and drinks each day, and how many days they are
afloat. If the lifeboat made it to an island, how long the people survived would depend
upon the food and water supply on the island and how wisely they used it. A small
desert island will support far fewer people than a large continent with abundant water
and good soil for growing crops.
In this example, food and water are the natural capital of the island. Living within the
carrying capacity means using those supplies no faster than they are replenished by
the island's environment: using the 'interest' income of the natural capital. A
community that is living off the interest of its community capital is living within the
carrying capacity. A community that is degrading or destroying the ecosystem on
which it depends is using up its community capital and is living unsustainably.
Equally important to community sustainability is living within the carrying capacity of
the community's human, social and built capital. Carrying capacity is much harder to
measure for these types of capital, but the basic concept is the same -- are the different
types of capital being used up faster than they are being replenished? For example:
 A community that allows its children to be poorly educated, undernourished,
and poorly housed is eroding its human capital.
 A community that allows the quality of its social interactions to decline through
lack of trust, respect, and tolerance is eroding its social capital.
 A community that allows its buildings, roads, parks, power facilities, water
facilities, and waste processing capability to decay is eroding its built capital.
Additionally, a community that is creating built capital without considering the
future maintenance of that capital is setting itself up for eventual decay.

So, in the context of sustainability, carrying capacity is the size of the population that
can be supported indefinitely upon the available resources and services of supporting
natural, social, human, and built capital.
Some principles of sustainable development are as follows: -
1. The ultimate aim of sustainable development is to conserve the earth. It is to make the
ecological system durable. Preservation of terrestrial and aquatic ecosystem is
necessary for the purpose.
2. Sustainability of society depends on the availability of healthy residence, balanced
diet, adequate health service, employment and quality education. If these elements are
developed and become available to the people in society, it becomes a sustainable
society. It assists in developing their positive attitude towards nature and living
beings. The society is drived towards conserving the environment.

3. It is necessary to conserve all the living beings in the world. People should learn to
conserve the natural resources in order to protect the living beings. Sustainable
development focuses on it. National and international programs for the conservation
of biodiversity should be conducted. There must be the co-ordination among the
programmes.

4. People maintain their life by utilizing the limited means and resources found on the
earth. But due to population growth, human needs like food, clothing, housing etc.
increases. The means and resources available in the world cannot be increased to meet
the requirements. Population control and management are essential for sustainable
development. It will support the environmental balance.

5. People can play the vital role in the utilization and conservation of environment. The
knowledge and skill on caring of the earth should be developed. Human resource is to
be developed by providing education, health care and training. Human resource
contributes to adopt the principles of sustainable development.

6. Sustainable development cannot be maintained personally. Joint effort of everyone is

indispensable. In order to translate the concept of sustainable development into action,
public participation should be increased. Therefore, positive attitudes of public should
be developed in every programme of sustainable development.

7. Sustainable development has emphasized the conservation of social traditions,

customs, religious places and cultural aspects of people. Diverse cultural heritage is
invaluable contribution of the society, but superstition should be avoided. To conserve
the cultural heritage is our duty. Its conservation supports sustainable development.

8. Development work must be within the carrying capacity of the earth. People cannot
get those entire things that they require from the earth immediately. The earth has
limited resources. The limited means and resources on the earth cannot be enough for
the unlimited means of people. Over-exploitation of the resources has negative effects
on the environment.
Importance of Sustainable Development
Sustainable development is necessary for the maintenance of the environment. The purpose
of development work is people’s welfare. The target of development work is never achieved
effectively if the adverse effects are ignored.
The importances of sustainable development are as follows: -
1. Sustainable development teaches people to make low use of means and resources. The
use of mineral oil, drinking water, insecticide, chemical fertilizer, forest product
should be minimized. This will lead to minimum use of means and resources for
maximum benefit without wastage. It helps to conserve and promote the environment.
2. Sustainable development brings about changes in people’s knowledge, attitude and
skill. It aware the people of the responsibility to use and preserve, natural resources
like mine, forest, land, herb, etc. It creates the feeling that natural resources are the
common property of all and nobody can use the property according to his personal
will. It helps to conserve natural and social environment.

3. Sustainable development emphasizes on the progress of health, education, agriculture,

tourism and social reform for the development of human beings. While making
progress in these aspects, environment conservation and promotion should be
conducted ahead in an integrated way.

4. People’s participation is to be given priority in development work in order to achieve

the aim of sustainable development. It creates the interest of local people in
development work and environment conservation with the feeling of ownership. In
this way, it increases the public involvement at all levels of environment protection
and promotion.

5. Limited but effective uses of means and resources are enough for the people to satisfy
their basic needs. However, more development works are carried on due to greed.
Limited and non-renewable means and resources go on decreasing in globally due to
over-use. Development works should be conducted as per carrying capacity.
Sustainable development aware the people for the involvement in the policy making
for the concept of limit of development.

6. Sustainable development aims at achieving the goal of economic and social

development without destroying the earth’s means and resources. It attempts to create
the concept of maintaining the present work for the future and conserving the natural
resources for future generation.

It is essential to apply the principles of sustainable development to different developmental

activities. Development has various sectors such as agriculture, industry, energy, forest, fish-
farming, transport, tourism and construction of infrastructures, etc. Principles of sustainable
development should be applied while conducting these works.