Ecological Footprint and Bio capacity Deficit
The Ecological Footprint
is a metric that measures the impact of human use on the earth's ecosystems.
According to GFN (Global Footprint Network) reports, the
globe would require 1.7 Earths to meet its present reliance on renewable natural
resources.
Bio
capacity & Ecological Footprint
The footprint considers
how much natural resources (such as forest land or territorial waters) are
required to meet a country's consumption and absorb its waste. The GFN
calculates bio-capacity in addition to an ecological footprint. This refers to
the country's ability to replenish the resources that are required by its
ecosystems. It is preferable for a country's ecological footprint to be as tiny
as possible.
Many countries'
bio-capabilities are rapidly dwindling. This may be due to a combination of
high population increase and deforestation in some nations. The United States, for example, accounts for 13% of the
global footprint and has the world's second-largest deficit, after China.
While the US footprint has shrunk marginally since 2005, it is still twice the
size of India's and significantly larger than that of other wealthy countries.
Its current consumption rate is far from sustainable.
Economic
Growth
Economic
growth frequently entails the consumption of more resources and an increase
in carbon emissions. To strengthen their economies, emerging countries may need
to raise their ecological footprint. These countries' footprints may not be
large to begin with, thus little changes can have a major impact. Also, in
underdeveloped countries, sustainable technology may not be as widely
available.
The opposite may be true
in industrialized countries. The changes may not be as noticeable because their
rate of expansion is slowing and most already have enormous footprints. There
are a variety of options, but switching to cleaner energy sources, according to
GFN, is the quickest method for a country to lessen its environmental imprint.
Bio
capacity Deficit
A bio capacity deficit
occurs when a community's Ecological Footprint beyond the country's bio
capacity. Its demand for commodities and services produced by its land and
seas, and carbon dioxide absorption—exceeds the region's ecosystems' ability to
renew. We also refer to this as "an “ecological deficiency” in more popular
communications. A territory with an ecological deficit must import, liquidate
its own ecological assets (such as overfishing), and/or emit carbon in the air
to meet demand. A bio capacity reserve exists when a region's bio capacity
surpasses its Ecological Footprint. For humanity's long-term survival, having a
footprint lower than bio capacity is a must.
The average global
ecological footprint per person was 2.75 (22.6 billion total) global
hectares, and the average worldwide bio capacity was 1.63 worldwide hectares.
There is a deficit of 1.1 global hectares per person. The global hectare is the
unit of measurement for both bio capacity and ecological footprint (gha).
The ecological footprints
and bio capacity of different countries are vastly different. The footprint and
bio capacity of a country are determined by a variety of factors, including
topography, population size, and environmental policy. Denmark,
Luxembourg, and Switzerland are among the most environmentally friendly
countries.
For more than four
decades, humanity's demand on nature has outstripped our planet's ability to
replace it. To deliver the natural resources and ecological services we
currently use, we'd require 1.6 Earths' worth of regenerative capacity.
More than 80% of the
world's population now lives in countries with ecological deficits, meaning
they consume more resources than their ecosystems can recover.
Ecological
Footprints and Bio capacity of Countries
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