POPULATION CARRYING CAPACITY AND SUSTAIN· ABLE DEVELOPMENT IN BANGLADESH

This article examines the critical issue of population carrying capacity and its relationship to sustainable development in Bangladesh, one of the most densely populated countries in the world. It explores the concept of carrying capacity, moving beyond a simple Malthusian focus on food supply to a more comprehensive understanding that includes the capacity of the environment to provide resources and absorb waste. The study analyzes the immense pressure that Bangladesh's large and growing population places on its natural resource base, particularly on land, water, and forests. The research assesses the progress made in reducing population growth rates through successful family planning programs. However, the paper argues that the challenge of achieving a sustainable balance between population, resources, and the environment remains a formidable one. The analysis concludes that sustainable development in Bangladesh is contingent upon continued efforts in population management, combined with a strategic shift towards more resource-efficient and environmentally-friendly models of economic growth.

The concept of "carrying capacity"—the maximum population that an environment can sustainably support—is of vital and existential importance for Bangladesh. This paper provides a detailed analysis of this issue in the context of sustainable development. The study begins by critiquing simplistic definitions of carrying capacity, arguing for a more dynamic model that takes into account technological progress and changing consumption patterns. The core of the article is an assessment of the intense pressures that Bangladesh's population density exerts on its key natural resources. It details the challenges of agricultural intensification, the growing scarcity of clean water, and the severe rates of deforestation and land degradation. The paper then reviews Bangladesh's demographic transition, highlighting the remarkable success of its family planning programs in reducing the fertility rate. This success, the paper argues, has been a crucial factor in creating the possibility for sustainable development. However, the findings also sound a cautionary note. The paper concludes that despite the progress in slowing population growth, the absolute size of the population and its continued momentum mean that the pressure on the environment will remain immense. A long-term sustainable future for Bangladesh, therefore, requires a two-pronged strategy: stabilizing the population and fundamentally transforming the economy towards a model that is less resource-intensive and more ecologically resilient.