Q. With reference to ‘Carrying Capacity of Environment’, which of the following statements is/are correct?
1. The rate of resource extraction should remain above the rate of resource generation.
2. Generation of waste should remain within the absorption capacity of environment.
Select the correct answer from the code given below :
a) Only 2
b) Neither 1 nor 2
c) Both 1 and 2
d) Only 1
Correct Answer: a) Only 2
Question from UPPSC Prelims 2025
Explanation:
Carrying capacity of the environment refers to the level of resource use and waste generation that can be sustained without degrading the ecosystem. Two core conditions are: (a) resource extraction must not exceed the rate of natural regeneration, and (b) waste emissions must not exceed the environment’s assimilative (absorption) capacity.
Evaluation of statements:
1. Incorrect. It says extraction should remain above generation, which directly contradicts sustainability principles. For renewable resources, extraction must be at or below regeneration. For non-renewables (with virtually no regeneration), any positive extraction must be offset by substitution—so certainly not “above” generation.
2. Correct. Waste generation must stay within the environment’s absorption capacity to avoid accumulation and damage.
Hence, only statement 2 is correct. Therefore, Option 1.
