The Gross Environment Product Index was created by the Himalayan Environmental Studies and Conservation Organisation which was founded by Anil Prakash Joshi. He wanted to develop a formula which would be as widely accepted and recognised as the GDP. New Delhi: Uttarakhand, a famous tourism spot in India known for its alluring beauty has become the first state in our country to launch a Gross Environment Product Index.
The ecosystem development in Uttarakhand will now be assessed through the Gross Environmental Product-GEP index. Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami launched the GEP index in the state in July 2024 and he stated that the assessment will establish better harmony between ecology and economy. Thus, Uttarakhand has become the first Indian state to move beyond traditional ecosystem services to include the growth in the ecosystem.
In this article, we will take a look at the Gross Environment Product Index. What is the Gross Environment Product Index? The Gross Environment Product Index was created by the Himalayan Environmental Studies and Conservation Organisation which was founded by Anil Prakash Joshi. He wanted to develop a formula which would be as widely accepted and recognised as the formula of the Gross Domestic Product (GDP).
How does the Gross Environment Product Index work? The Gross Environment Product Index (GEP) has four pillars: Air, water, soil, and trees. The formula is GEP index=(Water-GEP index+Air-GEP index+Forest-GEP index+Soil-GEP index), but how does it work? Let us describe it with an example. Suppose, while assessing a forest, it is not just about counting the trees.
Apart from that, the new trees which have been planted are categorized and more valuable species like broad-leafed trees get greater weightage. Also, the average survival of trees is factored in and the number of trees that fell is deducted. After that, the calculation of the GEP takes place.
It means that the current methods of calculating forest cover need to be refined. Like the forests, when it comes to water, a calculation will have to be made of man-made water conservation and storage methods. Overall, the GEP measures the contribution of human activities to ecological development.
What are the potential benefits of the Gross Environment Product Index? The Gross Environment Product Index may help us to assess the anthropological pressure’s impact on the ecosystem and natural resources. Also, the GEP gives us an integrated method to assess the ecological growth of the state by capturing various facets of environmental well-being resulting from the actions of human beings. It may give us a meaningful way to assess the ecosystem’s contribution to the economy and human well-being as it translates diverse ecological services into a single monetary value.
However, experts have raised concerns about the GEP including the scientific basis of its formula, broader application, the transparency of the methodology and how it would account for differences that exist between regions..
