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This mandate was the first stepping stone to restrict unplanned development and regulate tourist influx that can be sustained by the cities. Nainital, a major tourist destination in Uttarakhand, faces immense pressure on its urban infrastructure and service delivery, especially in the context of water and sanitation, due to the rising tourist influx. However, India lacks a national-level framework for assessing and managing the carrying capacity of the urban environment. This study, conducted by National Institute of Urban Affairs (NIUA), develops a comprehensive framework for assessing carrying capacity by using key indicators, correction factor-based calculations, and temporal analysis. A mixed-method approach, including a systematic literature review, key informant interviews (KIIs), and focus group discussions (FGDs), was employed. According to the URDPFI Guidelines, while the city could theoretically accommodate 8,34,184 persons per day based on physical carrying capacity, the number reduced to 149,230 based on real carrying capacity, while the effective carrying capacity is limited to approximately 8,422 due to resource and service delivery constraints. The research offers policymakers a framework for sustainable water and sanitation management, aiding urban planning in ecologically sensitive areas.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.1007\/s43621-026-02959-7","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2026,5,12]],"date-time":"2026-05-12T02:16:21Z","timestamp":1778552181000},"update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1007\/springer_crossmark_policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":0,"title":["A framework for assessing urban carrying capacity and its impact on water and sanitation service delivery in a hill city"],"prefix":"10.1007","volume":"7","author":[{"given":"Vanshika","family":"Bajaj","sequence":"first","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Tanya","family":"Ahmed","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Anant","family":"Mitra","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Shantanu","family":"Padhi","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]}],"member":"297","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2026,5,12]]},"reference":[{"key":"2959_CR1","unstructured":"Kouame A. 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Accessed 15 Apr 2025."}],"container-title":["Discover Sustainability"],"original-title":[],"language":"en","link":[{"URL":"https:\/\/link.springer.com\/article\/10.1007\/s43621-026-02959-7","content-type":"text\/html","content-version":"vor","intended-application":"text-mining"},{"URL":"https:\/\/link.springer.com\/content\/pdf\/10.1007\/s43621-026-02959-7.pdf","content-type":"application\/pdf","content-version":"vor","intended-application":"text-mining"},{"URL":"https:\/\/link.springer.com\/content\/pdf\/10.1007\/s43621-026-02959-7.pdf","content-type":"application\/pdf","content-version":"vor","intended-application":"similarity-checking"}],"deposited":{"date-parts":[[2026,9,7]],"date-time":"2026-09-07T11:53:46Z","timestamp":1788782026000},"score":1,"resource":{"primary":{"URL":"https:\/\/link.springer.com\/10.1007\/s43621-026-02959-7"}},"subtitle":[],"short-title":[],"issued":{"date-parts":[[2026,5,12]]},"references-count":65,"journal-issue":{"issue":"1","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2026,12]]}},"alternative-id":["2959"],"URL":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1007\/s43621-026-02959-7","relation":{"has-preprint":[{"id-type":"doi","id":"10.21203\/rs.3.rs-7650629\/v1","asserted-by":"object"}]},"ISSN":["2662-9984"],"issn-type":[{"value":"2662-9984","type":"electronic"}],"subject":[],"published":{"date-parts":[[2026,5,12]]},"assertion":[{"value":"18 September 2025","order":1,"name":"received","label":"Received","group":{"name":"ArticleHistory","label":"Article History"}},{"value":"2 March 2026","order":2,"name":"accepted","label":"Accepted","group":{"name":"ArticleHistory","label":"Article History"}},{"value":"12 May 2026","order":3,"name":"first_online","label":"First Online","group":{"name":"ArticleHistory","label":"Article History"}},{"value":"This study involved human participation through qualitative data collection methods, specifically Key Informant Interviews (KIIs) and Focus Group Discussions (FGDs). No clinical experimentation, biomedical intervention, or collection of biological samples was undertaken. The research adhered to established ethical principles applicable to studies involving human participants, including voluntary participation, prior informed consent, confidentiality, and the safeguarding of participant anonymity.Administrative approval to conduct the study was obtained from the Government of Uttarakhand (Approval No. 3108\/26\/SBM\/16\u201317). The approval formally instructed the concerned municipal authority to facilitate the research process, including providing access to relevant records and documents, coordinating with officials, and supporting the organization of Key Informant Interviews and Focus Group Discussions. A scanned copy of the administrative approval is provided in the Supplementary.","order":1,"name":"Ethics","label":"Ethics approval","group":{"name":"EthicsHeading","label":"Declarations"}},{"value":"Informed verbal consent was obtained from all participants prior to data collection. Participants were informed about the purpose and objectives of the study, the voluntary nature of their participation, and their right to withdraw at any stage without any consequences. Confidentiality and anonymity of respondents were strictly maintained throughout the research process. The designation and date of engagement for public service functionaries involved in the study are provided. All authors have approved the manuscript and consent to its publication in the journal.","order":2,"name":"Ethics","label":"Consent to participate and consent for publication","group":{"name":"EthicsHeading","label":"Declarations"}},{"value":"The authors declare no competing interests.","order":3,"name":"Ethics","label":"Competing interests","group":{"name":"EthicsHeading","label":"Declarations"}}],"article-number":"1481"}}