UPSC Prelims 2010 Q62: Environment & Ecology – Environmental Governance & Legislation
Sustainable development is described as the development that meets the needs of the
present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs. In this
perspective, inherently the concept of sustainable development is intertwined with
which of the following concepts ?
- (a) Social justice and empowerment
- (b) Inclusive Growth
- (c) Globalization
- (d) Carrying capacity
Answer: (d) Carrying capacity
Explanation
Sustainable development's core intertwined concept
Sustainable development balances present needs against future generations' needs — a framing that depends on a specific ecological concept.
| Option | Verdict | Reason |
|---|---|---|
| (a) Social justice and empowerment | Incorrect | Important, but not the core conceptual link to the present-vs-future needs framing |
| (b) Inclusive Growth | Incorrect | Relates more to equitable economic growth, not specifically the ecological limits concept |
| (c) Globalization | Incorrect | Unrelated to the core ecological basis of sustainable development |
| (d) Carrying capacity | Correct | The idea of not compromising future generations' needs is intrinsically tied to 'carrying capacity' — the maximum load an ecosystem/resource base can sustain without degradation |
Sustainable development and carrying capacity:
| Point | Detail |
|---|---|
| Carrying capacity | Maximum sustainable resource use/load |
| Link to sustainability | Exceeding it compromises future generations' ability to meet needs |
| Core idea | Live within ecological limits |
Answer: (d) Carrying capacity.
Why each option is right or wrong
- (a) Incorrect. Social justice/empowerment are important development goals but not the specific ecological concept intertwined with sustainability's definition.
- (b) Incorrect. Inclusive growth concerns equitable economic benefit distribution, not the ecological-limits concept.
- (c) Incorrect. Globalization is unrelated to this specific definitional concept.
- (d) CORRECT. Carrying capacity — the ecological limit concept — is intrinsically linked to not compromising future generations' needs.
Key point
Sustainable development's definition (not compromising future generations' needs) is intrinsically intertwined with the concept of CARRYING CAPACITY — the ecological limit on sustainable resource use.
Remember
Sustainable development is intrinsically intertwined with 'carrying capacity' — the ecological limit on sustainable resource use.
Common mistakes
- Confusing broader development/equity goals (social justice, inclusive growth) with the specific ecological-limit concept.
- Not connecting the 'future generations' framing directly to carrying capacity.
- Treating globalization as relevant to this specific conceptual question.
Exam tip
Sustainable development's 'future generations' clause = carrying capacity (ecological limits), the core linked concept.
Sources
- World Commission on Environment and Development — Our Common Future (the Brundtland Report), 1987
- United Nations — Rio Declaration on Environment and Development (1992)