Māris kļaviņŠ, azamat azizov, JĀnis zaļoksnis environment, pollution, development: the case of uzbekistan

Figure 12.10. 
Ecological 
footprint in the world 
regions

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302 
ENVIRONMENT, POLLUTION, DEVELOPMENT:  THE CASE OF UZBEKISTAN
(2.3 ha
g
/per capita) itself. This means that the territory necessary for 
ensuring the needs of the EU population should be twice than that 
available.
 12.5.3.  How to reduce the ecological footprint
An individual’s ecological footprint can be calculated using the 
electronic calculator created by the World Wide Fund for Nature. 
By calculating one’s own ecological footprint and understanding 
the most instrumental factors of one’s impact, it is possible to trace 
one’s  habits  and  try  changing  those  that  most  affect  the  environ-
ment. The three essential spheres for a decrease in the ecological 
footprint are food, transport and dwelling. Therefore, by choosing 
the local biological and seasonal food, by going on foot or using 
public transport or bicycle instead of a private car wherever possible, 
by taking care of the heat insulation of one’s home as well as by 
using  only  energy  efficient  electric  appliances,  every  person  can 
decrease his or her ecological footprint in a comparatively simple 
way. However, all responsibility cannot be laid at the citizens’ door 
only. Governments should also take action:
 
Š
by taking stock of nature’s capital and regulating its use. A 
good example is the establishing of fishing quotas to ensure 
the regenerating capacity of fish populations;
 
Š
by including the full life cycle of goods and services 
associated with nature degradation and environmental 
pollution in the costs. One way to achieve this could be 
a tax reform, imposing a higher tax on the use of natural 
resources, at the same time alleviating the citizens’ income 
tax. In this way, consumption would be shifted towards 
more environment-friendly groups of goods while preserving 
equilibrium in the state budget. Another option could be the 
eradication of subsidies that facilitate the overuse of natural 
resources and pollution;
 
Š
by promoting the development of environmental technologies 
that  facilitate  a  more  efficient  use  of  natural  resources  – 
alleviating taxes for the enterprises that introduce 
environment-friendly technologies;
 
Š
by working out state procurement mechanisms that would 
require state institutions to choose more environment-
friendly goods, thus setting an example to the private sector 
and creating a new type of market relations;
 
Š
by heightening public awareness of environmental issues, 
improving environmental education and providing citizens 
with the information that would enhance public under-
standing of environmental processes.

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12. Sustainable Development
 303
Since environ mental problems are of global nature, they cannot 
be solved at the level of individual countries. This is why it is 
necessary to improve international environ mental legislation and 
work out such international trade agreements that would facilitate 
full payment of ecological and social costs. All the above measures 
would ensure long-term economic stability, preservation of natural 
capital, higher employment level and welfare.