GIS as a Tool to Assess and Enhance the Resource Carrying Capacity of a Region: the Case of Water Resources in the Palghar Region, Maharashtra

The ever-increasing population and growing economy threaten our natural resources and prove to be a barrier to achieving sustainability. This threat to natural resources is particularly prominent in the case of water resources. To address the resulting issues, there is a need for planning procedures that critically examine the sensitivity towards water management issues. One such crucial method is calculating the carrying capacity of a resource; that is, the limit to which it can efficiently sustain human life. This paper presents a study conducted in 2020 on the Palghar region, Maharashtra, in order to develop in-depth knowledge of carrying capacity analysis using a geographic information system (GIS) as a tool. The spatial planning approach based on carrying capacity was formulated by the National Institute of Urban Affairs (NIUA) and was suggested in the Urban and Regional Development Plans Formulation and Implementation (URDPFI) Guidelines developed by the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs (MoHUA), Government of India. The concept and principles of the carrying capacity are employed as tools for the operationalization of sustainable development. This study is based on an analysis of the water resources in the Palghar region, in terms of their availability and accessibility. This analysis not only highlights the significance of GISs in spatial planning to assess the carrying capacities of natural resources, but also shows that the indicators above—namely, availability and accessibility—play equal and important roles in determining the effectiveness of the water management process.