URBANIZATION, POPULATION PRESSURE, AND ENVIRONMENTAL SUSTAINABILITY: EVIDENCE FROM INDIAN CITIES

Ziaulla; Vasundara A S

doi:10.29121/ShodhSamajik.v3.i1.2026.140

Authors

Ziaulla Associate Professor, Department of Economics, Government College for Women Kolar, India Author
Vasundara A S Associate Professor, Department of Economics, Government First Grade College, Mulbagal, India Author

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.29121/ShodhSamajik.v3.i1.2026.140

Keywords:

Urbanization, Population Pressure, Environmental Sustainability, Indian Cities, Entropy Weighting, Robust Regression

Abstract

This study examines whether demographic scale and decadal population growth are systematically associated with environmental sustainability among 31 Indian million-plus cities. It harmonizes Census of India urban-agglomeration populations for 2001 and 2011 with city-level Quality of Life, Economic Ability and Sustainability scores from the Ease of Living Index 2020. An entropy-weighted Urban Pressure Index combines log population and decadal growth; a Coupled Stress Index then identifies cities where high pressure coincides with a large sustainability gap. Spearman correlations, ordinary least squares with HC3 heteroskedasticity-robust inference, and 5,000-replication non-parametric bootstrap intervals are reported. The bivariate coefficient on urban pressure is positive (0.081, HC3 p=0.047; R^2=0.106), but population growth is small and statistically indistinguishable from zero after controlling for quality of life and economic ability (−0.015, p=0.851; bootstrap 95% interval −0.204 to 0.117). The result is not evidence that population pressure improves the environment. Rather, it indicates that large cities may simultaneously possess environmental burdens and stronger administrative, fiscal and infrastructure capacities captured by the composite sustainability score. Delhi, Bengaluru, Chennai, Greater Mumbai and Hyderabad record the highest coupled stress. The paper therefore shifts attention from city size alone to the mismatch between demographic pressure and sustainability capacity.

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