Related Experiment Videos
[Urban sustainability assessment based on eco-efficiency and its application]
Wei Wang1, Jian-yi Lin, Sheng-hui Cui
1Key Laboratory of Urban Environment and Health, Institute of Urban Environment, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Xiamen 361021, China. wwang@iue.ac.cn
Huan Jing Ke Xue= Huanjing Kexue
|June 10, 2010
Summary
Urban eco-efficiency, a measure of ecological impact versus social welfare, declined in Xiamen from 2000-2006. Despite rising human development, increased ecological footprints led to decreased urban sustainability.
Area of Science:
- Urban ecology
- Sustainable development
- Eco-efficiency assessment
Context:
- Regional sustainable development research necessitates comprehensive urban ecological system assessments.
- Urban eco-efficiency integrates sustainable strategies into planning and management, linking ecological impact inputs to social welfare outputs.
- Evaluating urban sustainability requires robust models integrating ecological and social indicators.
Purpose:
- To propose an evaluation model for urban sustainability based on eco-efficiency.
- To integrate the Ecological Footprint model and the Human Development Index for a comprehensive assessment.
- To analyze the trend of urban eco-efficiency in Xiamen City from 2000 to 2006.
Summary:
- A case study in Xiamen City (2000-2006) utilized an eco-efficiency model integrating the Ecological Footprint and Human Development Index.
- During this period, per-capita ecological footprint rose from 4.279 to 5.462 hm², while the Human Development Index increased from 0.831 to 0.896.
- Consequently, eco-efficiency, resource efficiency, and environmental efficiency decreased by 15.5%, 15.7%, and 15.3%, respectively, indicating an overall declining urban sustainability trend.
Impact:
- The study reveals a fluctuating but overall decreasing trend in Xiamen's urban sustainability.
- Findings highlight the critical need to balance economic development with ecological preservation for long-term urban viability.
- The proposed model provides a framework for assessing and improving urban eco-efficiency in other regions.
Related Concept Videos
Environmental Applications of Microorganisms
Microorganisms play a pivotal role in maintaining ecosystem balance by recycling essential elements such as carbon, nitrogen, and phosphorus, as well as supporting processes like bioremediation, wastewater treatment, and biofuel production.Microbes in Elemental CyclesIn the carbon cycle, microorganisms decompose organic matter, releasing carbon dioxide via aerobic respiration. This carbon dioxide is subsequently used by photosynthetic organisms to synthesize organic compounds, closing the...
Design Example: Sustainability in Concrete Building
As the construction industry moves towards more eco-friendly practices, concrete's adaptability and its ability to incorporate sustainable features make it a key material in the drive towards greener building solutions.
There are multiple approaches to achieve sustainability in a commercial concrete building. For instance, construct a concrete parking area under the building, utilizing pervious concrete paver blocks in open areas to facilitate rainwater collection through an underground cistern.
There are multiple approaches to achieve sustainability in a commercial concrete building. For instance, construct a concrete parking area under the building, utilizing pervious concrete paver blocks in open areas to facilitate rainwater collection through an underground cistern.
Sustainable Development
As the human population continues to grow and use resources, we must be mindful of our planet’s natural limits. Sustainable development provides a pathway to maintain and improve human life now while also ensuring that future generations will have the resources that they need. The long-term success of sustainability efforts rests on understanding the interplay between human actions and ecological systems.
Production Efficiency
Net production efficiency (NPE) is the efficiency at which organisms assimilate energy into biomass for the next trophic level. Due to low metabolic rates and less energy spent on thermoregulatory processes, the NPE of ectotherms (cold-blooded animals) is 10 times higher than endotherms (warm-blooded animals).
Methods to Assess Microbial Communities
Microbial communities, comprising bacteria, archaea, and eukaryotic microorganisms, inhabit diverse ecosystems and play crucial roles in environmental and biological processes. Their diversity is defined by three main parameters: species richness (the number of distinct species), species abundance (the relative quantity of each species), and species evenness (how uniformly individual species are distributed in various locations). These factors together shape the structure and ecological balance...
Design Example: Analyzing Capacity Contours for Flood Risk Assessment
Flood risk assessment involves careful planning and analysis to ensure the safety of communities near water retention structures. Capacity contours are a vital tool in this process, as they illustrate the potential spread of water at specific levels in a given area. In the context of building a bund across a small valley, these contours play a critical role in evaluating the safety of nearby residential areas.In this example, the bund is intended to store stormwater in the valley. The engineers...