Introduction
Today, economy of a country holds great significance, especially when every country is endeavouring hard in its efforts to take the lead for its survival and emergence as a supreme power. The development of any country is associated with its overall economic development. The country need to assign priority to the things associated with the upliftment of economy in order to match the pace of the world. The market value, shares and dividends are preferable to the priceless emotions, affection and love. Many ecological and environmental factors are responsible for such an economic development.
The ecological and environmental resources available in a country yield the per capita income that provide the impetus to thrust its economy forward. All the biotic and non-biotic things of any community or country taken combined comes under the wide sectors of ecology and environment. Both the terms ‘ecology’ and ‘environment’ has a very thin line separating them and coincide their inference at many inferences. We briefly examine what constitutes ecology and the environment, which has a deeprooted impact on the economic growth.
Ecology: The interaction between the biotic and abiotic community amongst themselves and to their surroundings is called ecology, thereby giving an entirety called ecosystem. Ecology comprises various forms of life and species, their utilisation in the environmental affairs, effects on the atmosphere and every possible aspect that can be collated to express a sound interaction. For the existence and survival of species, the ecological aspect of life holds utmost significance.
Environment: Environment similar to ecology deals with the existence of various resources, its utilisation by the living species and their impact. Environment, which is more of an abstract term, is better explainable by the words like atmosphere or surroundings in physical world; or situation or circumstances, in terms of vitality. It is the space, the void which enables the life providing them a comfortable atmosphere to reside.
Being acquainted with a brief account of environment, we now elaborate on the core issue, the role of ecology and environment in economic development.
Economic Development and Ecology
Ecology and economic development are interrelated in an inversely proportional manner. As the one increases, the other suffers a decline. Few of the various factors influencing the economic development are as follows:
• Population: It is one of the most crucial issue faced by any developing country like India. The population index of a country is the standard to determine the per capita income and expenditure for it. The citizens of a country are the contributors in its revenue. The revenue is directly proportional to the number of people in a country, considering the honesty of public as a default note. But contrarily, the population also increases the expenses of the country taking into account the basic utilities of food, clothing, shelter, employment, etc. Thus, for the economic development of any country, the increased population is a set back unless the manpower is appropriately utilised.
• Manpower: The biggest resource for any nation is its manpower. However, a majority of the countries do not realise this and prefer instead the fast spreading epidemic of computerisation and online take over the rich manpower. Most of us do not utilise this resource to its optimum. For the best outcomes in terms of net productivity in any country, it needs to channelise its manpower well. For the economic development of a country such a productive manpower is definitely a boon, but the utilisation of this manpower is disrupted by the factors like illiteracy, ignorance, super ego, high status consciousness, poor infrastructure and the absence of a good competent governance to overcome the obstacles and get the task accomplished.
• Wealth Distribution: Another major obstacle in the economic development of a country is the improper distribution of wealth. The improper wealth distribution has resulted in making the rich more rich, while there is decline even in the middle class, which is approaching towards the poverty zone in reality. The high profile lifestyle reflecting a high status of the people in reality does not give a real picture of the situation the majority class is going through suppressed with the burden of loans. Most of the products projecting high status are bought on EMI and are not completely owned till the entire payment made. By that time, the product loses its strength. This fake reflection of lifestyle is in no way contributory to the economic development. The increasing loan on citizens leads to growth in actual economy. The distribution of wealth in proper manner that helps the masses reach above the poverty line contributes greatly to the economic development.
Economic Development and Environment
Environment and economic development are also interrelated in an inverse manner. An enlivening development of the economy is carried out at the cost of gross destruction to the environmental resources, as the economy is measured on the tradable resources alone. The environmental factors influencing the economic growth could be explained further as follows:
• Minerals, Ores and Other Resources: The role of resources in boosting the economy of a country is significant. These tradable forms of resources bolster rich transactions with various countries and thus add to the revenue of the nation. Moreover, these resources produce a big improvement in the financial market having a direct impact on the country’s economic growth.
• Soil and Land: Another productive resource which requires a good acumen to be converted into fruitful wealth is land. The prudent utilisation of land can result in more income for the country. The most judicious move would be to utilise the productive soil for farming and the barren land for construction purposes. This in turn would help in more export of the raw materials and contribute to the national treasure.
• Water Utilisation: Another feasible great source of economic growth is project like hydroelectric power. The utilisation of such conventional forms of energy instead of nuclear energy as the only reliable option for power generation could reduce the amount of national expenditure incurred towards monitoring and safe handling of the nuclear reactors and disposal of the radioactive wastes.
Feedback mechanism of Economic Development to the Ecology and Environment
Although economic development is an appreciable trend, widespread hazards to the ecosystem, environment and nature are evident because of sustained economic development activities. There is no doubt that natural resources get replenished but causing an irreparable loss to the natural resources just for the sake of economic growth is not a wise move. The feedback mechanisms in relation to the sustained economic development are given as follows:
• Population leading to overconsumption and overutilisation of the available resources, which results in the surge in economic development.
• Employment: Lesser opportunities for employment impelling the increase in child labour, causing severe medical emergencies.
• Corruption resulting in accumulation of wealth to a selective group of people, which is resulting in poverty.
• Environmental hazards including the nuclear explosions and the disposal of radioactive wastes is causing health hazards for many generations ahead.
These are a few examples of the repercussion of economic surge just in a greed for having a faster economic growth.
Conclusion
In conclusion, we may compare the economic development with an open sword, which calls for a tentative management in order to protect the available resources. Economic development provide opportunities that appear lucrative always, but a reasonable mind should be able to evaluate and examine the positives and negatives associated with the measure taken. A prudent approach would be to make a steady economic growth, preserving our ecological and environmental resources, which will always render us with their goodness.