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New emergy indices for sustainable development
Hong-fang Lu1, Sheng-fang Lan, Lei Li
1South China Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou 510650, China.
Journal of Environmental Sciences (China)
|September 17, 2003
Summary
A new emergy index for sustainable development (EISD) was developed to evaluate system sustainability. This index demonstrated improved assessment of agro-ecological and urban development, considering environmental and socio-economic factors.
Area of Science:
- Ecological economics
- Environmental science
- Sustainable development studies
Background:
- Traditional emergy indices require simplification for broader application.
- Evaluating system sustainability necessitates a holistic approach considering environmental and socio-economic impacts.
Purpose of the Study:
- To deduce a new emergy index for sustainable development (EISD).
- To validate the EISD's effectiveness in assessing agro-ecological and urban development sustainability.
Main Methods:
- Development of a simplified and merged emergy index (EISD).
- Application of EISD to compare three dike-pond agro-ecological engineering modes.
- Utilizing EISD to evaluate the sustainable development of Zhongshan City from 1996-2000.
Main Results:
- Mode III (agro-ecological engineering) showed the highest EISD, 6.83 times that of Mode I.
- Zhongshan City's EISD declined from 1996-1998 and improved from 1998-2000.
- EISD effectively integrates environmental impact and socio-economic effects for comprehensive assessment.
Conclusions:
- The new EISD provides a more rounded assessment of sustainable development ability.
- EISD is a valuable tool for evaluating the sustainability of complex systems.
- The index's application highlights the importance of environmental protection and construction in urban development.