“Ecological Footprint” as a Sustainability Indicator 

Presented by

Shahadat Hossain Shakil

Research Assistant

BUET Climate Change Study Cell & Department of Urban and Regional Planning

Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology, Dhaka-1000

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National Research Conference – 2012

Organized by: Bangladesh Peace and Development Mission

In Association With: National Academy for Educational Management

Content

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Introduction

Concepts and Definition of Ecological Footprint and Biocapacity

Ecological Overshoot (Global and National Context)

Ecological Footprint as a Sustainability Indicator

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Introduction

Humanity depends on nature for resource supplyBut with the increasing demand, nature’s fixed resource stocks are being depleting at a faster rate than they can regenerateBut how do we know how much we are using and

how much we have to use?The Ecological Footprint has emerged as the world’s premier

measure of humanity’s demand on nature.

Demand = ?

Supply = ?

Deficit or Reserve = ?

Source: Wackernagel (2004 )Source: Global Footprint Network (2011)

Introduction (cont...)

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Ecological Footprint

Source: Global Footprint Network (2011)

- is a Resource Accounting Tool for the Ecological Resources

- developed in 1990 by Mathis Wackernagel and William Rees

- has been started to be used as a tool of measuring sustainability in the

developed countries from the last decade.

for example: UK – Cardiff, 2005 ; Canada - Calgary, 2007 ;

Australia – Victoria, 2008; USA - Minnesota, 2010

- UNDP recently began including the Ecological Footprint in its annual

Human Development Report

Concepts and Definition

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Footprint accounts are divided into two parts:

- Ecological supply (Bioproductive Area or Biocapacity) and

- Human demand on nature (Ecological Footprint)

Ecological Footprint

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- A measure of how much biologically productive land and water an

individual, population or activity requires to produce all the resources

it consumes and to absorb the carbon dioxide emissions it generates

using prevailing technology and resource management practices (Rees

& Wackernagel, 1996).

- unit of measurement Global Hectare (gha)

Source: Global Footprint Network (2011)

Footprint Components

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Components of Footprint

Cropland Footprint

Grazing Land Footprint

Fishing Ground Footprint

Forest Land Footprint

Built-Up Land Footprint

Carbon Uptake Land Footprint

National Footprint Account Comprises of Six Components1

City Footprint Account Comprises of Two Components2

1Ewing, Reed, Galli, Kitzes, & Wackernagel (2010)

2 Simmons, Lewis, & Barrett (2000)

Source: Global Footprint Network (2011)

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Equation for Footprint Account

Formula of Ecological Footprint derived from National Footprint Account Methodology 2010 (Ewing, Reed, Galli, Kitzes, & Wackernagel, 2010):

 

EF = (P/YN). YF. EQF

Where,

P = Amount of Product Harvested or Waste Emitted

YN = National Average Yield for P or its Carbon Uptake Capacity

YF = Yield Factor

EQF = Equivalency Factor

Biocapacity

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Biocapacity is the capacity of ecosystem to produce biological

materials useful for people, and to absorb waste they generate

(including carbon dioxide from fossil fuel burning), using current

management schemes and extraction technologies.

Components of Biocapacity Account

Cropland

Grazing Land

Fishing Ground

Forest Land

Built-Up LandSource: Ewing, Reed, Galli, Kitzes, & Wackernagel (2010)

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Equation for Biocapacity Account

According to National Footprint Account Methodology 2010 (Ewing,

Reed, Galli, Kitzes, & Wackernagel, 2010), a country’s biocapacity BC

for any land use type is calculated as follows:

BC = A. YF. EQF

Where,

A= Area Available for a Given Land Use Type

YF and EQF = Yield Factor and Equivalence Factor, respectively, for the

Country, Year, and Land Use Type in Question

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Ecological Overshoot

The difference between the Biocapacity and Ecological Footprint of

a region or country is termed as Ecological Deficit or Overshoot. An

ecological deficit occurs when the footprint of a population exceeds

the biocapacity of the area available to that population.

Source: Ewing, Moore, Goldfinger, Oursler, Reed, & Wackernagel (2010)

Global context

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Currently needed 1.5 Earth, 2 Earth will be needed by the year 2040

Source: Global Footprint Network (2011)

Ten Planet Earths will be required to absorb the world's carbon if

everyone leads the same energy-rich lifestyle like developed countries

Source: Ecological Footprint Atlas (2010)

Why Ecological Footprint is a Sustainability Indicator ?

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Ecological Footprint attempts to answer one central sustainability question: “How much of the bioproductive capacity of the biosphere is used by human activities?”

Such a measure of the supply and human demand on natural capital is indispensable for tracking progress, setting targets and driving policies for sustainability.

Ecological footprint accounts allow governments to track a city or region’s demand on natural capital and to compare this demand with the amount of natural capital actually available.

Ecological footprint figure confirms us about the degree of sustainability of our lifestyle from the environmental perspective.

It illustrates whether we are on right track by maintaining the balance or we are living on ecological credits, borrowing resources from our future generations.

Unit of measurement gha/capita is very effective to personalize sustainability

Bangladesh Context

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Lowest National Footprint in Global Context but in prominent cities

unsustainable urban development causes destruction of natural resource

Capital Dhaka is unplanned and unsustainable in terms of resource use

Dhaka city’s Ecological Footprint figure can be effectively used

for

Sustainable Planning and Development

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References

Ewing, B., Moore, D., Goldfinger, S., Oursler, A., Reed, A., & Wackernagel, M. (2010). Ecological Footprint Atlas 2010.

Oakland: Global Footprint Network.

Ewing, B., Reed, A., Galli, A., Kitzes, J., & Wackernagel, M. (2010). Calculation Methodology for the National Footprint

Accoounts, 2010 Edition. Oakland: Global Footprint Network.

Global Footprint Network. (2011). Foorprint Basics-Overview. Retrieved May 10, 2011, from Global Footprint Network :

Advancing the Science of Sustainability:

http://www.footprintnetwork.org/en/index.php/GFN/page/footprint_basics_overview/

Global Footprint Network. (2011). Footprint For Cities . Retrieved May 10, 2011, from Global Footprint Network :

Advancing the Science of Sustainability :

http://www.footprintnetwork.org/en/index.php/GFN/page/footprint_for_cities/

Global Footprint Network. (2011). Glossary. Retrieved May 10, 2011, from Global Footprint Network : Advancing the

Science of Sustainability: http://www.footprintnetwork.org/en/index.php/GFN/

McIntyre, S. A., & Peters, H. M. (2007, June 26). The Ecological Footprint of Utah. Retrieved April 4, 2011, from Utah

Vital Sign: http://www.utahpop.org/vitalsigns/research/report_2007.htm

WWF. (2010). Living Planet Report 2010. Switzerland: World Wide Fund For Nature International.

Xu, S., & Martin, I. S. (2010). Ecological Footprint for The Twin Cities: Impacts of the Consumption in the 7-County Metro

Area. Minneapolis: Metropolitan Design Centre, College of Design, University of Minnesota.

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Thanks for your patience….

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Definition of Ecological Footprint Components

Crop Land Calculated from the area used to produce food and fiber for human

consumption, feed for livestock, oil crops and rubber

Grazing Land Calculated from the area used to raise livestock for meat, dairy, hide

and wool products

Forest land Calculated from the amount of lumber, pulp, timber products and fuel

wood consumed by a country each year

Fishing Grounds Calculated from the estimated primary production required to support

the fish and seafood caught, based on catch data for 1,439 different

marine species and more than 268 freshwater species

Carbon Uptake Land Calculated as the amount of forest land required to absorb CO2

emissions from burning fossil fuels, land-use change and chemical

processes, other than the portion absorbed by oceans

Built-up-Land Calculated from the area of land covered by human infrastructure,

including transportation, housing, industrial structures, and reservoirs

for hydropower

Source: WWF. (2010). Living Planet Report 2010. Switzerland: WWF (World Wide Fund For Nature) International.

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Ecological Footprint Components

Source: WWF. (2010). Living Planet Report 2010. Switzerland: WWF (World Wide Fund For Nature) International.

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Fundamental Assumptions of EF and BCAccounting

The majority of the resources people consume and the wastes they generate can be quantified and tracked.

An important subset of these resource and waste flows can be measured in terms of the biologically productive area necessary to maintain flows. Resource and waste flows that cannot be measured are excluded from the assessment, leading to a systematic underestimate of humanity’s true Ecological Footprint.

By weighting each area in proportion to its bioproductivity, different types of areas can be converted into the common unit of global hectares, hectares with world average bioproductivity.

Because a single global hectare represents a single use, and each global hectare in any given year represents the same amount of bioproductivity, they can be added up to obtain an aggregate indicator of Ecological Footprint or Biocapacity.

Human demand, expressed as the Ecological Footprint, can be directly compared to nature’s supply, Biocapacity, when both are expressed in Global Hectares.

Area demanded can exceed area supplied if demand on an ecosystem exceeds that ecosystems regenerative capacity.

Source: Ewing, Moore, Goldfinger, Oursler, Reed, & Wackernagel (2010)

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Limitations of EF and BC Accounting

Some critique the simplicity of the calculation while arguing that it inaccurately assumes certain elements in lieu of having to deal with potentially complex calculations (Xu & Martin, 2010).

Van den Bergh and Verbruggen argue that the ecological footprint fails to capture relative scarcity changes over time and space. Further, they question the use of potential forest sequestration indicating that the amount of forest available is extremely hypothetical and moreover, the footprint calculation does not consider social and economic influences correctly (Bergh, Verbruggen, & C.J.M., 1999).

The ecological footprint incorporates many factors of human impact on the environment but it does not account for every impact on the environment and oftentimes, ecological footprints are underestimating the actual impact. For instance when there is no data on certain aspects of consumption, such as other hazardous air pollutants, heavy metals, and persistent organic pollutants, they are not included in the calculations and there is a general understanding that most ecological footprints remain conservative so as not to exaggerate unknown impacts (Xu & Martin, 2010).

The Ecological Footprint is not sufficient as a stand-alone measure of sustainability. To measure overall progress towards sustainable development, the Footprint needs to be complemented by other measures. Issues such as social satisfaction, human health, the integrity of natural ecosystems, or the conversion and management of non-renewable resources such as minerals must be assessed using other tools (McIntyre & Peters, 2007).

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Limitations of EF and BC Accounting

The footprint and biocapacity accounts also do not directly account for freshwater use and availability, since withdrawal of a cubic meter of freshwater affects biocapacity differently depending on local conditions. Removing one cubic meter from a wet area may make little difference to the local environment, while in arid areas every cubic meter removed can directly compromise ecosystem production (Ewing, Reed, Galli, Kitzes, & Wackernagel, 2010).

Also, while the Footprint analysis measures biocapacity, it does not determine how much of the total biocapacity is available to meet non-human demand. For example, if humans consume 100% of the Earth’s biocapacity, then there is nothing remaining to support wildlife. The Footprint does not consider how much biodiversity is essential for human life on this planet. The methodology is therefore fundamentally anthropocentric (McIntyre & Peters, 2007).

Finally, it is important to remember that the Ecological Footprint is only a snapshot in time. The Footprint Accounts are based on the actual consumption and production data reported by United Nations statistical agencies for a specified year. They reflect the analyzed year’s consumption, land management and harvesting practices, without a forecast of future technologies, energy supply mixes, consumption patterns, or changes in land management practices, all of which will affect the Footprint in future years (McIntyre & Peters, 2007).

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Sequestration Factor

Processes that remove CO2 from the atmosphere

Used for conversion of CO2 values back into land areas needed

1.6175 tons-C/ha-yr (GFN,2005)

Source: Global Footprint Network, 2011

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Equivalency Factor

Used for creating a homogenous scale of land quantity by equalizing any differences in bioproductivity of different land types

Converts land areas, in hectares to global hectares

World Average Suitability Index for a Given Land Use Type

Average Suitability Index for All Land Use Types

Figure: Sample Equivalency Factor for Selected CountriesSource: Ewing, Moore, Goldfinger, Oursler, Reed, & Wackernagel (2010)

Equivalency Factor =

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Equivalency Factor

Source: Ewing, Moore, Goldfinger, Oursler, Reed, & Wackernagel (2010)

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Yield Factor

Ratio of national average to world average yields

YFL = YN / YW

Where, YN = National Average Yield

YW = World Average Yield

YFL = Yield Factor of Land Use “L”

Figure: Sample Yield Factor for Selected Countries Source: Ewing, Moore, Goldfinger, Oursler, Reed, & Wackernagel (2010)

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Yield Factor

Source: Ewing, Moore, Goldfinger, Oursler, Reed, & Wackernagel (2010)

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Global Hectare

The global hectare (gha) is a measurement of biocapacity of the

entire earth - one global hectare is a measurement of the average

biocapacity of all hectare measurements of any biologically

productive areas on the planet. If we take the sum of the world's

biocapacity, then divide it by the number hectares on the Earth's

surface, we get the biocapacity of one average earth hectare.

Source: Global Footprint Network,2011

Method Selected for Determining Carbon Uptake Land

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Component Method

(tons)

Equivalency FactorCO2 Sequestration FactorCO2 Protocols ÷ ×

EnergyFood

GoodsServices

TransportationWasteWater

Scaling Factor to

Convert into a Universal

Unit of Biologically

Productive Area -

“Global Hectare”

Required Amount of Biologically

Productive Area to Absorb the

Produced CO2

(tons/acre/year) (gha/year)

Source: Xu & Martin (2010)