Ecological Degradation Within the Context of Consumption: A 30-Year Bibliometric Analysis (1992-2022)

Introduction

Environmental degradation is increasing day by day in parallel with social and economic developments (Sarkodie, 2018). Population growth, urbanization, increasing economic activities, and differentiating consumption habits increase the pressure on the environment and natural resources (Khan et al., 2021). While demand and consumption for products and services are increasing around the world, effective use of resources and protection of the environment are among the most difficult issues to meet. Whether the growth is in the economic area or in the population area, when uncontrolled resource consumption occurs in order to grow, it is inevitable to experience problems in terms of resources. On the other hand, resources are the basis of growth, and any problem that may occur with resources directly affects growth.

The natural resources of countries contribute to both the improvement of living standards and the growth of their economies (Erdoğan et al., 2018). However, there is a possibility of environmental degradation when natural resources are misused. To build a sustainable economy, it is essential to manage and use natural resources sustainably. Efficient use of land, water, air, and other essentials stimulates economic growth by increasing production in mining, agriculture, manufacturing, and other industries as well as other sectors. The use of natural resources such as food, biomass, and ecosystems also raises people's standard of living. However, the efficient use of natural resources is associated with environmental problems as well as economic advantages. Natural resources can be depleted rapidly with high consumption levels, and the environment can be damaged by excessive use of the same resources. Consequently, natural resources must be managed sustainably. Using resources effectively, reducing waste, and using renewable resources are essential components of sustainable natural resource management. By using this strategy, environmental problems will be reduced and natural resources will be transferred to future generations. In addition, a balance will be achieved between the sustainable management of natural resources, economic expansion, and environmental sustainability. For this reason, efficient use of natural resources is essential for a functioning economy, and it is also of great importance in terms of reducing environmental problems and transferring natural resources to future generations. Sustainable natural resource management should be applied to meet the needs of future generations by establishing a balance between economic growth and environmental sustainability. Otherwise, it is inevitable to cause environmental degradation while economic growth takes place.

Today, the increase in environmental degradation has come to a point that threatens the life cycle (Xie et al., 2020). Changing climates, destruction of forest areas, increasing desertification and drought, increasing environmental pollution, and decreasing species continue to affect lives on a global scale (Guerrero & Guevara, 2021; Stavi et al., 2021). One of the most important reasons behind environmental degradation is consumption behavior (White et al., 2019; Zhang et al., 2021). Due to both unsustainable consumption patterns and global crises such as global warming and changing climate conditions, the damage to the environment is increasing, as is the resource problem (Joseph et al., 2020). Increasing population and urbanization, along with the technological innovations that emerged with the Industrial Revolution, caused the differentiation of living standards and consumption habits (Zheng et al., 2021). The differentiation of consumption habits and the desire to consume more cause chemical use and waste. This situation also causes ecological deterioration that threatens all living things, especially the depletion of natural resources and climate change (Wassie 2020). Therefore, sustainable and efficient management of resources is an inevitable necessity today. For this, it is necessary to identify unsustainable consumption habits and find solutions for them.