Integrated Ecological Carrying Capacity of Uttara Kannada District, Karnataka
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LAKE 2014: Conference on Conservation and Sustainable Management of Wetland Ecosystems in Western Ghats Date: 13th -15th November 2014 Symposium Web: http://ces.iisc.ernet.in/energy INTEGRATED ECOLOGICAL CARRYING CAPACITY OF UTTARA KANNADA DISTRICT, KARNATAKA Ramachandra T.V Subash Chandran M.D. Joshi N.V. Bharath Setturu Vinay S. G R Rao Vishnu D Mukri Bharath H. A. Ganesh Hegde Prakash Mesta Balachandran C Boominathan M Mahima Bhat Energy & Wetlands Research Group, Centre for Ecological Sciences, Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore 560 012, Email: [email protected]; [email protected] URL: http://ces.iisc.ernet.in/energy; http://ces.iisc.ernet.in/biodiversity The conservation and sustainable management system (GIS) with a capability of handling of ecosystems are the vital components in the spatial data helps in the analysis and pursuit of development goals that are visualisation of results effectively, and aids ecologically, economically and socially decision making process [1-35]. sustainable. This requires an understanding of The district is in need for ecologically sound the complex functioning of ecosystems, and development plans for sustainable recognition of the full range and diversity of productivity. For preparation of such a plan, resources, values and ecological services that the basic need is to have a fresh appraisal of they represent. In this regard, the current the carrying capacity of the district, which has research envisions the beginning of an on- never been done before. The carrying capacity going process to integrate ecological and study, which involves detailed study on every environmental considerations into aspect of ecology and human life in the region, administration in the biodiversity rich district will be the best guide and tool for both policy of Karnataka. This is a major step towards an makers to choose appropriate developmental ecological audit that eventually should result and other income generating projects which in the conservation and sustainable use of EWRG-IIScare in tune with the ecology of the district. The biodiversity. This process in due course will carrying capacity studies, if adapted to the create an integrated database on biodiversity village panchayat levels, can transform lives of for the district and also furnish analyzed data, people at grass-root level through better advice and management prescriptions to understanding of their surroundings, by beneficiaries at every level from the village adopting lifestyles having greater harmony communities to the Government. Integrated with their environment, so as to reap Ecological carrying capacity study provides maximum sustainable benefits [33]. the regional planner in evolving appropriate conservation strategies for sustainable Ecosystem carrying capacity can be defined as management particularly on a defined ‘the maximum number of a species that can be geographical area. Decision making on supported indefinitely by a particular habitat, developmental activities, entail planning that allowing for seasonal and random changes, depends upon the availability of reliable and without degradation of the environment and accurate data. Data required for natural without diminishing carrying capacity in the resource planning include spatial data such as, future. Carrying capacity thus refers to the information of physiography of the area, land maximum number of activities (biological, use, assets, etc. Geographic information developmental, agricultural, and industrial, 1 Sahyadri Conservation Series 47, ETR 87 LAKE 2014: Conference on Conservation and Sustainable Management of Wetland Ecosystems in Western Ghats Date: 13th -15th November 2014 Symposium Web: http://ces.iisc.ernet.in/energy population) that can be supported over a availability/utilisation, supply/demand, period of time in the habitat without damaging infrastructure/congestion and assimilative the existing quality of life, balance of capacity/residuals. Hence, the carrying resources, ecology and productivity of the capacity is assessed as the ability to produce ecosystem. Ecological Carrying Capacity desired outputs (i.e., goods and services) from provides physical limits as the maximum rate a limited resource base (i.e., inputs or of resource usage and discharge of waste that resources) while at the same time maintaining can be sustained for economic development in desired quality levels in this resource base [1]. the region. The aim of Environmental The four dimensions that are relevant to the Carrying capacity is to adjust/increase the estimation of carrying capacity are: ability of the natural environment [1]. Carrying capacity depends on (i) The stock of available resources to sustain rates of resource use in 1) Resources (Biological or Non production. Biological) that influences on the (ii) The capacity of the environmental media number of species in the habitat based to assimilate wastes and residuals from on the current condition. production and consumption. 2) Interaction (Physical, Chemical, (iii) The capacity of infrastructure resources Biological) between the resources and (e.g., distribution and delivery systems) the processes involved in to handle the flow of goods and services conversion/production of resource to a and resources used in production. desired output with residuals and (iv) The effect of both resource use and wastes in the environment production outputs on quality of life. 3) Habitat (Region), Human Choices, Planning for development within the limits of Living Standards, Time, technology carrying capacity recognises that humankind is 4) Economic Conditions, Growth dependent on the productive capacity of Strategies and Policies; ecosystems, and therefore, a minimal level of 5) Social-Cultural and Political Aspects EWRG-IIScecosystem integrity is essential for human survival. Planning for sustainable development Carrying capacity research began, through calls for trade-offs between the desired inventorying, mapping and monitoring of the production-consumption levels through the vegetation. Eventually this process was exploitation of supportive capacity within its strengthened to cover the rest of the regenerative capacity and environmental organisms, including the biodiversity of quality within the assimilative capacity of cultivated plants. Such a dynamic regional ecosystem. The utilisation of carrying documentation process enabled the district to capacity, thus, requires a series of adjustments keep proper stock of its biological and to reconcile competing operations in the ecosystem diversities and to supervise their developmental process through participation judicious use for sustainable progress. Data of various stakeholders. required for natural resource planning included Ecological carrying capacity provides physical spatial data such as, information of limits as the maximum rate of resource usage physiography of the area, land use, assets, etc. and discharge of waste that can be sustained The scope of a carrying capacity study has for economic development in the region. Due been extended to the analysis of supportive to the increased scale of human activities, capacity in the region with respect to resource exploitation, demand of resources led to 2 Sahyadri Conservation Series 47, ETR 87 LAKE 2014: Conference on Conservation and Sustainable Management of Wetland Ecosystems in Western Ghats Date: 13th -15th November 2014 Symposium Web: http://ces.iisc.ernet.in/energy production of larger amount of goods and Biodiversity Board, vide letter services with byproducts and wastes damaging KBB/Misc/Western Ghats study/15/09- the environment and the ecosystem at local, 10/1314 dated. 29-06-2009, as per the advice regional and global scales, effecting of Western Ghats Task Force, Government of sustainable development in the region. Karnataka invited us to undertake a study on Through carrying capacity investigations, it is ‘INTEGRATED ECOLOGICAL possible to identify locations for conservation CARRYING CAPACITY OF UTTARA (ecologically sensitive) as well as development KANNADA’ (Ref: Letter No.FEE 49 ENV in the region as carrying capacity allows us to 2009, dated 22-05-2009 of the Secretary to the divide the region into various classes based on Government, Forest, Ecology & Environment, the different resource availability. Bangalore). Realising the importance and necessity, the Government of Karnataka through Karnataka 1.0 STUDY AREA - UTTARA KANNADA DISTRICT, KARNATAKA STATE, INDIA Uttara Kannada (Figure 1) district is bounded and Sharavathi River. The two east flowing between 13.769o to 15.732o north and 74.124o rivers are Dharma and Varada. The rivers give to 75.169o east. It encompasses an area of raise to magnificent waterfalls in the district. 10,291 sq km, which is 5.37% of the total area The Jog fall in Sharavathi, Lushington falls, of the State. The district extends to about 328 where the river Aghanashini drops 116 meters, km north south and 160 km east west. Most of Magod falls, where the Bedti river plunges the district is hilly and thickly wooded. The 180 meters in two leaps, Shivganga falls, area of the district is 10,222.3 sq km. For where the river Souda drops 74 meters, and administrative purpose, the district has 11 Lalguli and Mailmane falls on the river Kali. taluks. Supa taluk is the largest with an area of The Kali river origins in Joida taluk flows 1890.3 sq km and Bhatkal taluk theEWRG-IISc smallest in through Karwar taluk, the Gangavali (Bedthi) district with 348.9 sq km. The district is origins in Dharwad