Abstract:

Footprint framework offers a natural capital appraisal for nations with which human demands can be compared with natures available supply for human use. The ecological footprint compares renewable natural resources consumption with natures biologically productive capacity. A countys footprint is the total area required to produced the food and fibres that county consumes, sustain its energy consumption, and give space for its infrastructure. In the case of Gonghe County of Qinhai Province, the average citizen occupies 1.662 hm² of biologically productive space, while there is 1.056 hm² available, the national ecological deficit is 0.606 hm² per person. Desertification is a double_bind of ecological deficit for both the result of footprint expansion and the lost of biologically productive capacity. Using the range of economic and regulatory instruments available, government policies can reduced the ecological deficit by addressing the four issues. Without any doubt, the calculations presented in this study are still characterized by many limitations. One is the data source. United nations statistics may not be complete and consistent among countries or over time. The accuracy of the assessment would profit from more detailed productivity assessments, particularly for animal products and forests. Methodologically, the assessments could be made more complete by including the ecological spaces used for freshwater use, the absorption of still left out waste products and contaminants.

Key words: ecological footprint, biologically productive capacity, Gonghe County, desertification