Gross Environment Product
Ecological disasters are pervasive globally, and the UN’s environmental reports on water, air, and health are threatening. IPCC’s latest release on the Global ecological future is quite disturbing. The reports foresee that 20 years from now human survival would be very difficult. In India, 30 big cities are anticipated to face a water crisis as per the report of Niti Ayog. These reports conclude that by 2050, if necessary, steps are not taken, the human race will be desiccated from Earth. The fact that economic stability rests upon stable ecology has been overlooked. Traditional economic measures such as the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) have served as the vital indicators of development and progress. However, the exclusive focus on the economic metrics does not take into account the complex relationship between environmental quality and human activities, which further impacts the overall well-being.
Thus, it cannot be denied that there is a pressing need for economic growth in the country because of the huge population but at the same time, environmental issues cannot be overleaped. An ecological growth measure needs to be defined which would provide quantified improvements across forests, soil, water bodies and air quality. This collectively can be defined as Gross Environment Product (GEP).
The concept of GEP was introduced in 2011 by HESCO and was accepted by the Government of Uttarakhand in India in 2021. The GEP index is designed to assess the ecological development of a region caused by human interventions. It is formulated based on the four pillars of the environment that are crucial for achieving the sustainable development goals (SDGs): air, water, soil, and forest.
GEP would be an important index for policymakers, researchers and stakeholders to make informed decisions for achieving economic and ecological goals.
- Air: Tracking pollution levels and improvements in air quality through reduced emissions and increased green cover.
- Water: Measuring conservation efforts, rainfall storage, and quality improvements in rivers and lakes.
- Soil: Assessing organic content, soil erosion prevention, and regenerative agricultural practices.
- Forests: Evaluating reforestation efforts, biodiversity growth, and carbon sequestration capacity.
HESCO has evaluated the GEP for the state of Uttarakhand and has commenced the calculations for the state of Uttar Pradesh. This was marked by the presentation of the GEP framework at the Uttar Pradesh Secretariat, receiving support from the Hon’ble Chief Minister Shri Yogi Adityanath, his advisor Mr. Avinash Awasthi, and Shri RBS Rawat. HESCO is collaborating with leading academic and research institutions for this initiative, including the Kotak School of Sustainability at IIT Kanpur and the R.I.S.E. Centre at UPES, Dehradun. These collaborations aim to ensure scientific robustness and methodological clarity in the formulation and implementation of GEP.
