Ecological footprint resource demand indicator – UGC NET Question

An ecological footprint represents the demand that a population places on the Earth’s ecosystems. It is expressed as the area of biologically productive land and water required to supply resources and assimilate wastes. By comparing this demand with available biocapacity,we can assess sustainability. Thus the description in the question fits the concept of ecological footprint.

Option A:
The Environmental Kuznets Index is related to the Environmental Kuznets Curve,which hypothesises a relationship between income growth and environmental degradation. It is not a direct area based measure of resource demand. Therefore it does not match the definition in the stem.

Option B:
Ecological footprint converts consumption and waste generation into a common area based metric. It allows comparison across populations and time. Because it directly expresses the land and water needed for a given lifestyle,it is the correct answer here.

Option C:
The Human Development Index measures achievements in health,education and income. It does not quantify resource use or waste absorption in physical area units. Hence it is not appropriate for the description given.

Option D:
Gross Domestic Product measures the total monetary value of final goods and services produced in an economy. It provides no direct information about ecological resource demand. Therefore it cannot be the concept defined in the question.