Based On Ecological Footprint And Material Flow Analysis Changhai Sustainable Development Evaluation

Ecological Footprint(EF) and Materials Flow Analysis(MFA) are two useful tools for an area to measure whether its development is sustainable. These methods are being refined and widely utilized. Based on briefly introducing the theory of EF and MFA, the paper evaluates the development in Changhai county among 2003 and 2009 in two dimensions--area and weight.The result of EF shows the average per person ecological footprint goes downwards, in which the EF from energy consumption takes more than 60%. In the light of the types of lands, the demand for energy land and forest land becomes more and more,while the demand for crop land and grazing land less and less. Except in 2006, Changhai county has ecological surplus in other years. In the dimension of the area, the devolopment of ecological economics in Changhai county keeps sustainable, and the utilization of the resources is being improved.The result of MFA shows that the input of materials increases annually in the given systerm. At average, the inflow of gas is approximately in the proportion of 45%, the solid is 26%, and the other is water, which increases by 13% annully. The output of materials increases at the rate of 11% every year, and waste water and waste gas make up the great part. The efficiency of material exploitation becomes lower and lower in Changhai county, while the quotient between GDP and DMI and the utilization of materials are gradually improved yearly. The positive PTBs suggest that materials inflowing into Changhai county are greatly imported from other regions.In order to reduce the EF and improve the resources efficiency in Changhai county, the following measures should be taken:accelerating the upgrading of industies; exploiting new energies; desalinating drinking water drived by new energies; introducing advanced technologies and talented persons, and so on.