Environment and Ecology Research Vol. 11(6), pp. 1010 - 1022
DOI: 10.13189/eer.2023.110612
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Synergizing Ecology and Economy: Developing a Novel Ecology-Economy Index for Sustainability Analysis of the Bharalu River, India


Unmilan Kalita 1,*, Amlan Kumar Dey 2, Padma Sharma Goswami 3, Arup Kumar Hazarika 2, Suraj Chetri 4, Binita Basnet Baruah 2, Jyotismitra Das 5
1 Department of Economics, Barnagar College, India
2 Department of Zoology, Cotton University, India
3 Department of Economics, Cotton University, India
4 Faculty of Science, Assam Down Town University, India
5 Department of Zoology, Nowgong College (Autonomous), India

ABSTRACT

Rivers play a critical role in supporting both ecosystems and human activities, underscoring the significance of their environmental conservation. Unfortunately, the rapid rise of industrialization and urbanization has led to severe pollution and ecological degradation in many rivers worldwide. In this study, we focus on the degrading ecological condition of the Bharalu River - a crucial tributary of the Brahmaputra River in India and explore the intricate connection between economic activities and the river's ecological quality in the river's watershed. To achieve this, a novel Ecology-Economy index (EEI) is introduced, providing a comprehensive evaluation of how economic development impacts the river's ecological condition. Findings reveal a very high EEI value of 0.706 revealing a high interaction between the ecology-economy, demonstrating a troubling ecological impact resultant from economic activities, leading to significant environmental degradation. As such, in order to restore and protect the health of the Bharalu River, efforts should prioritize attaining a lower Ecology-Economy index ratio. This would signify a better balance between economic growth and ecological sustainability, ultimately mitigating the adverse effects on the river's ecological status.

KEYWORDS
Ecology, Economics, Brahmaputra River, Bharalu River, Ecological Restoration

Cite This Paper in IEEE or APA Citation Styles
(a). IEEE Format:
[1] Unmilan Kalita , Amlan Kumar Dey , Padma Sharma Goswami , Arup Kumar Hazarika , Suraj Chetri , Binita Basnet Baruah , Jyotismitra Das , "Synergizing Ecology and Economy: Developing a Novel Ecology-Economy Index for Sustainability Analysis of the Bharalu River, India," Environment and Ecology Research, Vol. 11, No. 6, pp. 1010 - 1022, 2023. DOI: 10.13189/eer.2023.110612.

(b). APA Format:
Unmilan Kalita , Amlan Kumar Dey , Padma Sharma Goswami , Arup Kumar Hazarika , Suraj Chetri , Binita Basnet Baruah , Jyotismitra Das (2023). Synergizing Ecology and Economy: Developing a Novel Ecology-Economy Index for Sustainability Analysis of the Bharalu River, India. Environment and Ecology Research, 11(6), 1010 - 1022. DOI: 10.13189/eer.2023.110612.