Ecological Footprint

Dr. William Rees: Ecological Footprint

Every individual, process, and activity has an impact on theearth via (1) resource use, (2) generation of waste and (3) use of serviceprovided by nature. These inputs can be converted into biologically productivearea, on a per hectare basis.

Ecological footprint approximates the amount ofproductive land and water resources needed to sustain a population in producingall the goods we consume and to get rid of the wastes and pollution generated.It accounts the use of energy, food, water, building materials and all otherconsumables. Calculations are presented as a measure of land area in globalhectares (gha) per capita. It is used as an indicator of environmentalsustainability

“How much land in various categories is required to supportthe region’s population indefinitely at a given material standard?” This variesdepending on a region’s standard of living and is a per capita index which isan indication of the land area required (or consumed) to support a givenpopulation (Dr. William Rees & Wackernagel, Ecological Footprint onAppropriated Carrying  Capacity EF/ACC,1992).

Every major category of consumption of waste dischargerequires the productive or absorptive capacity of a finite area of land orwater (ecosystem). In accounting for this land, the total area becomes theecological footprint or the carrying capacity ‘appropriated’ by that economy.The concept of the ecological footprint describes how much carrying capacity isappropriated by any region, based on its standard of living, through theimporting of resources from around the globe. Ecological Footprint providessociety with a tool which indicates resource consumption and can be used inranking development options based on their ecological impact.

Calculating your ecological footprint gives an estimate ofhow much “nature” is consumed from your everyday life choices and if theplanet, given its limited resources, can actually sustain this lifestyle.

Human population and average consumption are increasingwhile the total area of productive land and stocks of natural capital are fixedor in decline

Human induced ecological stress is a function not onlypopulation but also of per capita consumption

Consumption is growing more rapidly than population

Ecological Footprint is intended as a quantitative measureof sustainability. EF may be used by civic groups to measure how sustainabilityis exceeded

It is summation of a land use/consumption matrix