Biology subjects

Pramanick, K.

Publications and source records attributed to Pramanick, K..

3 recordsLinked to original sources

bioRxiv2018

A comparative study of ‘safe and just operating space’ for the south and south-east Asian countries

The world is presently maintaining a delicate balance of continuing well-being and social development for the people through consumption of biophysical resources of nature without topping global average per capita availability. In this paper, we have framed a per capita top-down framework to survey national safe and just operating space (NSJOS) for the countries of south and southeast Asia to understand past variations and as a consequence, the present scenario. Amalgamating 27 indicators, all regarding Sustainable Development Goals (except - SDG 17), in consort with their respective environmental boundaries or desirable social development thresholds, this study explores into both biophysical (for ecological stress) and social development (for social deprivation) attributes of 19 countries of south and southeast Asia. This analysis shows, only 2 have remained either unchanged (political voice) or declining (social equity) among the 12 dimensions of social development in countries of this region. The remaining 10 dimensions of social development showing positive progress and will meet corresponding desired thresholds of United Nations Sustainable Development Goals 2015. All the 7 indicators showing tendencies of overconsumption of biophysical resources, that might be leading to exceeding per capita global average planetary boundaries in forthcoming future. However, ecological boundaries have remained protected to a decent degree so far for these countries. The challenge would be to maintain and increase the pace of social development and bringing it in equal strata of a global standard in future without depleting drivers of these, i.e. biophysical resources. National policy adaptations are crucial if these countries of south and southeast Asia desire to bring about adequacy in biophysical resources reserve whilst granting social equity in access and exploitation of these resources for the people towards the persistant social development in impending decades.

ecology↗

bioRxiv2018

A national ‘safe and just operating space’ for all in India: Past, Present and Futurea

With 1.3 billion populaces on the commencement of the 21st century, India is currently impending towards upholding a subtle equilibrium between persisting social development and well-being without depleting existing biophysical resources at the national level or surpassing global average per capita obtainability. In this paper, we have structured a top-down per capita framework to explore national safe and just operating space (NSJOS) to apprehend not only past fluctuations that bring about the present conditions but also the plausible future consequences, with India as a case study. Coalescing 27 indicators, all pertaining to Sustainable Development Goals (except - SDG 17), accompanied by their corresponding environmental boundaries or preferred social thresholds, present study probes into both biophysical (for environmental stress) and social development (for social deficit) attributes of India. This analysis shows India has already crossed three of seven dimensions of biophysical boundaries (freshwater, nitrogen and phosphorus use). Also, at the existing rate, India is going to cross the remainder of the boundaries within 2045-2050 (climate change, arable land use, ecological and material footprint). Of 20 indicators used for social development, only five have already or will meet corresponding desired thresholds of United Nations Sustainable Development Goals 2015. Using tendencies of past variations, the results indicate that if lowest per capita consumption can be attained and uphold, even with projected population growth, total consumption of four biophysical resources (climate change, nitrogen use, ecological and material footprint) can be slashed from todays level in 2050. Adaptations in national policy are indispensable if India wants to accomplish sufficiency in biophysical resources whilst bestowing social equity in access and exploitation of those resources towards the continuance of social developments in forthcoming times.

ecology↗

bioRxiv2018

Analysing progress of SDG 6 in India: Past, Present, and Future

Human endeavors to meet social and economic water needs at national scale might cause negative environmental manifestations and water stress from local to global scale. So, appropriation of Sustainable Development Goals requires a comprehensive monitoring and knowledge base of the water resource availability, utilization and access. Hence, scientific research progression has a significant role to facilitate the implementation of sustainable development goals through assessment and policy implementation from global to local scales. India holds a key position among developing economies with a complex interconnected web of a fast-growing population, coupled with biophysical stress, social deprivation and economic inequality related to water and sanitation. This study addresses some of these challenges related to monitoring and implementation of the targets of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goal 6 in India. Acknowledging the contribution of society and economy in sustainability paradigm, here we have chosen 28 indicators (clustered into eleven dimensions) under two major groups, concerning biophysical and social development aspects of water and sanitation. We have shown declining level of per capita biophysical water resource and slow to rapidly developing social indicators related to Sustainable Development Goal 6 in India. From past trends, we have calculated probable scenario of biophysical consumption of India up to 2050, which shows at least 1.3 times increase. This cumulative assessment framework contributes a tool to prioritize water resource appropriation, management response and policy implementations to national level sustainability of water and sanitation in India. We also advocate the necessity of restraining threats both at source and consumption process levels in order to ensure national water security for both human and biodiversity, keeping in mind the societal and economic development scenario.

ecology↗