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

Figure 12.8. 
Ecological 
footprint
Ecological footprint is 
a means for measuring 
the flows of energy and 
materials in a given eco‑
nomic system (country, 
city, household), and the 
values are converted into 
the land area necessary 
for nature to maintain 
these flows.
Figure 12.9. 
Ecological 
footprint in world’s 
countries 

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12. Sustainable Development
 299
ecological  footprint  per  capita  is  in  the  USA,  while  in  China  and 
India it is three times smaller than the world average.
The ecological footprint as an efficient indicator of the environ-
ment and development is rapidly gaining attention. It was the 
ecological  footprint  that  the  European  Environ ment  Agency  in  its 
reports of 2005 and 2007 on the environ mental situation in Europe 
used as one of the indicators. This graphical representation of human 
impact  on  the  environ ment  allows  to  compare  different  countries 
and also the dynamics of indicators within a particular country.
At present the ecological footprint is widely used in the world 
to characterise environ 
mental sustain 
ability and form public 
awareness of environ mental issues. Several countries (Switzerland, 
United  Arab  Emirates,  Japan,  Belgium,  Ecuador  and  France)  have 
included the ecological footprint in their national statistics and 
carry out these calculations regularly. In the United Kingdom, the 
ecological footprint is extensively used in the environ mental impact 
assessment, including that of the local development scenarios.