Environmental Pressure Assessment through Household Carbon, Water and Lifestyle Material Footprints in Udaipur City
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Date
2019
Authors
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Publisher
MPUT, UDAIPUR
Abstract
The present investigation was aimed to assess environmental pressure through
calculating carbon, water and lifestyle material footprint. Calculating household’s
carbon, water and lifestyle material footprint has shown exactly how choices in homes
and purchases, impact on environmental resources. The present empirical research has
given an estimate of how much carbon emission occurs to sustain lives, amount of
water households take to keep their daily lives afloat and similarly how much material
is required maintaining their chosen lifestyle.
The study was undertaken in three phases. In first phase, screening of sample
from the population based on limitations of the study was done. As per the
prerequisite of the present study, total sample of 240 households from expanding
stage of family life cycle was taken, divided equally into 3 categories viz. lower
middle and upper socioeconomic status, this way a sample of 60 households from
each of the four different directions from the center of the city, divided into 20 from
each socioeconomic status through screening pro-forma. Final sample was
interviewed to calculate carbon, water and lifestyle material footprint in second phase
of the study. Data collected from interviewing 240 households was inserted in onlinecalculators.
Results so obtained were put to statistical analysis to find out the
relationship between carbon, water and lifestyle material footprint. Association with
socioeconomic status was also studied. In third and last phase all the data and figures
were used to develop guidelines for green work practices.
Major findings of the study illustrate that Carbon footprint calculation had
mean emission of secondary carbon footprint higher than the primary carbon
footprint. Households’ carbon footprint was low for 92.08 per cent sample
households. Findings of water footprint calculations clearly showed that virtual water
footprint was larger than direct water use in indoor and outdoor household activities
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and indoor activities consumed more water than outdoor household activities.
Average score of overall household water footprint was 8527.87 gallons/ day. Per
capita material footprint of the overall sample shows 56.25 per cent respondents in the
range of 12 000- 25 000 kg which means comparatively low footprint. Total material
footprints of 76.67 per cent households were over 60,000 kg which is the highest
material footprint category. Overall footprints of four areas of the city evidently
shows that, average score of carbon emission by south direction of the city was
highest. Water footprint of south direction was also highest and lifestyle material
footprints of east direction of the city were found to be highest among all four
directions of the city. The load on environment is quite high in Udaipur city that is
listed as C class city and demands immediate attention. To conclude the results of
interrelationship, carbon footprints, water footprints and lifestyle material footprints
found to be significantly correlated with each other. Tested association was found to
be present between SES of households and carbon emission of south and north
direction of the city. Water footprint of all the four direction found to be less
associated with SES of households. In south, east and north direction of the city
strong association was found in SES and material footprints of households. Developed
guidelines were validated by two class of experts which was ‘resource management
and consume science’ and ‘environmental sciences’ and both the class of experts
accepted that the guidelines were valid and will be able to act in accordance with its
objectives of reducing environmental pressure through household.
Description
Environmental Pressure Assessment through Household Carbon, Water and Lifestyle Material Footprints in Udaipur City
Keywords
Citation
Pareek R. And Kaushik V.