IPAT identity for impact – UGC NET Question

The IPAT identity expresses environmental Impact (I) as the product of Population (P), Affluence (A) and Technology (T). It suggests that impact grows with more people,higher consumption per person and technologies with higher environmental intensity. Therefore the correct mathematical form is P × A × T.

Option A:
A sum such as P + A + T would not capture the multiplicative interactions emphasised in the IPAT framework, where increases in any factor can scale total impact. Hence it does not match the established relationship.

Option B:
The product P × A × T highlights how even modest growth in each factor can combine to produce large changes in environmental impact. This multiplicative understanding aligns precisely with the way the identity is presented in the literature and described in the question.

Option C:
A subtraction expression like P – A – T would be conceptually meaningless in this context, as it could imply negative impacts for certain values and ignores the reinforcing nature of the drivers.

Option D:
A division form P ÷ A ÷ T similarly fails to represent growth in impact with increasing consumption and technological intensity. It is not how the identity is formulated,so it is not appropriate for the blank.