A Modern Approach to Sustainable Resource Management: Ecological Footprint

Introduction

All creatures including humans are part of nature and they meet their basic needs from nature. To assemble basic needs from nature is a natural reflex. However, the production and consumption patterns and habits differ among individuals, among communities and even among countries and the problem of protection of resources becomes more important. Limited resources are under even more pressure every day with the increasing world population. Natural and man-made resources are threatened due to crowding of cities, especially to the detriment of the development of rural areas, the negative effects of technology on the environment, non-rational factors such as economic development initiatives and environmental pollution.

First remarkable reactions to humanity’s destructive impacts on nature have emerged in the 19th century. George Perkins Marsh, an American diplomat, who is considered to be America's first environmentalist (http://www.nps.gov/mabi/historyculture/gpmarsh2.htm) and the pioneer to the sustainability concept, has pointed out the role of developments in America and Western Europe in deforestation. Timberlands have been destroyed for the sake of farming activities. Trees have been used as firewood. Deforestation has affected the climate and as a result there have been cases of scarcity and erosion (Toprak, 2012).

Environmental pollution due to excessive consumption and the gradual decrease of the amount of resources, is a serious threat in to meet current and future needs of the growing population. People are moving away from nature, meeting the basic requirements while at the same time not caring about how they meet their requirements. Living creatures, including especially the human being, have strong “effect” all over the world. This effect is a natural result of the relationship in the role between plants and animals. However, people, have exceeded the limits of the relation between natural environment and them. Here the result of the sum of the effects on the ecological environment as a result of production and consumption of the people, is called “ecological footprint”.

In recent years, many models have been developed for calculating quantitative sustainability of resources. “Ecological footprint” is one of these models developed to measure the levels of individuals and society and its impact on the sustainability of the natural ecosystem. Ecological footprint approach has the purpose of measuring the current amount of pristine natural resources and productivity. It is a new calculation method and technique that provides solutions for the prevention of resource consumption unlimited.