Uttarakhand has become the first state in the country to assign monetary value to four of its natural resources termed as gross environment product (GEP).
The GEP Index assesses the environmental quality based on the four main components:
Water: Evaluates the quality and availability of water resources in the state.
Air: Measures air quality and the impact of pollution on the environment and public health.
Forest: Assesses forest cover, biodiversity, and the health of forest ecosystems.
Soil: Examines soil health, including fertility and the impact of erosion and degradation.
The GEP index reflects comparative data from 2020 to 2022 and shows a 0.9% increase.