A Study On Ecological Footprint Of Lhasa

Lhasa City is the political, economic and cultural centre of Tibet. With the deepening of reform and gradual implementation of the western development strategy, the contradictions between development of social economy and protection of ecological environment have become increasingly conspicuous. Therefore, it has important practical and instructional meaning to quantitatively assess the situation of sustainable development in Lhasa City.On the basis of introduction to involved concepts of ecological footprint theory, combined the actual circumstance of Lhasa City, the author calculated and dynamically analyzed the ecological footprints from 2000 to 2008 according to the data of the statistical yearbooks Lhasa. Based on the study above, the sustainable development situation in Lhasa City was analyzed and the corresponding solutions were put forward. The results are as follows:1. The ecological footprint per capita was in an increasing trend, from 0.972 hm2 in 2000 to 1.156 hm2 in 2008, while the main components were arable land and pasture land, annual average proportions of which were 56.39%,40.68% respectively. The ecological capacity per capita changed a little, maintaining in 1.2 hm2, but took on the downward trend as a whole, while the main components were arable land and pasture land, and the annual average proportions were 39.42%,31.51% respectively. The ecological deficit per capita increased continually to the maximum,-0.121 hm2 in 2008, and the ratio of ecological footprint to ecological capacity was 0.9:1, while the arable land took the largest contribution proportion. This intense contradiction indicated the severe ecological situation in Lhasa City.2. The development ability of Lhasa City is in the trend of rising during the period, the ecological capacity were able to satisfy the needs of local economic development and people's living standard, while economic growth now was based on the depletion of natural resources. Moreover, the ecological surplus would be transformed into ecological deficit. That is, it would still be in sustainably developing period. Consequently, the relevant measures must be taken to decrease the ecological footprint and to enhance the capacity of sustainable development.3. According to the status and trend of development of Lhasa City, following countermeasures should be taken: Reduce ecological deficit and ease the pressure on ecological environment from the economic and social development while improving the living standard of local residents. Carry out the exploitation of land resources and the establishment and improvement of cultivated land protection system to keep the dynamic balance of cultivated land. Improve the basic conditions for agricultural production and its comprehensive production capacity to reduce the pressure on land from production. Control the population and strive to improve the quality of it. Optimize industrial structure, enhance technology innovation, and develop tertiary industry with low pollution and energy consumption. Make best use of existing resources stock and establish a resource-saving production and consumption system. For reducing the dependence of economic development on energy, hydropower, solar and biology energy and other carbon-free resources should be exploited, meanwhile, fossil energy consumption should be reduced. Achieve the regional sustainable development of economy, society and ecology.