Analysing Ecology as a Tool for Sustainable Planning and Development of Gurgaon, India

Abstract

All human activities and settlement development draw upon the environment's resources for their sustenance and, in the process, generate a continuing impact on the environment at a comprehensive level. When the impact exceeds the manageable limits and becomes irreversible, the environment can no longer sustain the intense human activity, which leads not only to the degradation of the natural environment but also consequentially affects the functioning of the urban system in social, economic, and physical terms. Planning of self-sustaining environments is possible with the establishment of principles of development in harmony with nature. Tools from the field of applied ecology need to be utilised to establish urban environments. The planning of the urban environment is possible with the application of the ecological method, which involves the determination of selected natural features of the area, their interpretation, and evaluation within a value system. The natural factors of the area to determine suitability for urbanisation with the aim of preservation and efficient utilisation of natural resources have been analysed. The persistency of the carrying capacity of the land based on the constraints has been studied. The paper also attempts to establish the ecologically sustainable planning of the town of Gurgaon in the national capital region of India. Gurgaon is one of the nearest satellite towns of New Delhi, the capital of India. It was envisaged as an area with tremendous potential which could alleviate the pressure on the capital.