Ecological

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This report is the result of a joint project between the Community of Andean Nations (CAN) and Global Footprint Network highlighting the Biocapacity Initiative. The Initiative engages

with nations to explore the implications of living in an ecologically-constrained future, which may include implementing new domestic policies, incorporating resource management into economic planning, shifting the platform of international negotiations, and collaborating with other nations to cope with the potentially increasing resource demands of our global society. The purpose of the Initiative is to show the interdependence between a country’s biocapacity, its economy and ultimately, the well-being of its people.

The Initiative aims to identify new mechanisms for maintaining biocapacity as a source of ongoing wealth. It is focused on helping countries meet their human needs while protecting ecological assets. Through collaboration, countries can better secure the value of their natural resources and build incentives for maintaining those assets, a benefit to both their own citizens and to the global economy that relies on these resources.

INTRODUCTION

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Francisco Caizapanta

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ECOLOGICAL FOOTPRINT AND BIOCAPACITY METHODOLOGY

The Ecological Footprint is a resource accounting tool that can reveal ecological limits by comparing human demand on the Earth’s regenerative capacity with the available supply. It shows us if we are living within our planet’s limits by summing the area of cropland, grazing land, forest, and fishing grounds required to produce the food, fiber, and timber humanity consumes, to absorb the waste emitted when it uses energy, and to provide space for infrastructure. The map on the next page shows countries with ecological reserves in blue and ecological deficits in red. Historically, the four Andean countries have had ecological reserves. Since 2003, Ecuador shows a slight deficit.

Humanity’s Ecological Footprint became larger than global available biocapacity in 1987. Since then we have continued to overdraw ecological resources to the point that we consumed 130 percent of the Earth’s available biocapacity in 2005. The Ecological Footprint and biocapacity results are calculated in the National Footprint Accounts and available for 201 countries. These Accounts utilize global databases from UN FAOSTAT, UN Comtrade, and the International Energy Agency. Global Footprint Network collaborates with countries to verify these global datasets. Research collaborations are currently underway to collaborate with governments and statistical agencies to improve the source data for the National Footprint Accounts.

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Global biocapacity

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ANDEAN COMMUNITY’S ECOLOGICAL FOOTPRINT

COUNTRIES WITH ECOLOGICAL RESERVES AND ECOLOGICAL DEFICITS

Footprintmore than 150% larger than biocapacity 100 - 150% larger than biocapacity 50 - 100% larger than biocapacity 0 - 50% larger than biocapacity

Biocapacitymore than 150% larger than Footprint100 - 150% larger than Footprint50 - 100% larger than Footprint0 - 50% larger than FootprintInsufficient data

In 2005, the most recent year for which data are available, the global Ecological Footprint was 17.5 billion global hectares, or 2.7 global hectares per person (a global hectare is a hectare with world-average productivity). This demand on the biosphere can be compared to the planet’s biocapacity, the amount of biologically productive area—cropland, grazing land, forest, fishing grounds, and land for carbon dioxide uptake—available to meet human demand. In 2005, the planet’s total biocapacity was 13.6 billion global hectares, or 2.1 global hectares per person. Demand therefore exceeded supply by a 0.6 global hectare deficit per person. This 30 percent overshoot meant that it took the Earth almost 16 months to regenerate the resources humanity used in 12 months.

Ecological Biocapacity Deficit/Remainder Footprint

Global 17.5 billion gha 13.6 billion gha 3.9 billion gha Footprint 30% larger

Global 2.7 gha 2.1 gha 0.6 gha than biocapacity

Per capitaAndean 174.0 millon gha 462.9 million gha 288.9 million gha Community Biocapacity 165%

Andean 1.8 gha 4.8 gha 3.0 gha larger than Footprint.

Community Per capita

Andean Community: Bolivia, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru.

Francisco CaizapantaA

rturo Bullard

62% forest

29% grazing land

4% cropland

4% fishing grounds

1% built infrastructure

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CAN`s countries occupy 381 million hectares, of which 199 million are forest, 14 million are cropland, 95 million are grazing land and 3 million are covered by built infrastructure. In addition, with Colombia, Ecuador, and Peru bordering the Pacific Ocean, the CAN has 13 million hectares of continental shelf which can be utilized for fishing grounds.

Bioproductivity in CAN

Trends in the CAN Ecological Footprint per person (in global hectares) and type of land

Trends in the CAN Ecological Footprint and biocapacity per person (in global hectares)

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Global Footprint Network, National Footprint Accounts, 2008 Edition.

Ecological Footprint per person (blue) and biocapacity per person (green)

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Andean Community: Breakdown of Bioproductive Area

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Ecological Footprint and biocapacity

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Ecological Footprint per person (blue) and biocapacity per person (green)

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Global Footprint Network, National Footprint Accounts, 2008 Edition.

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BOLIVIA

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From 1961 to 2005, the biocapacity available per person in the CAN decreased by 65 percent, or 13.7 global hectares per person to 4.8 global hectares per person. This was due primarily to the fact that population grew from 36 million to 96 million during that time. The Ecological Footprint per person has been shrinking slightly, going from 2.1 global hectares per person to 1.8 global hectares per person from 1961 to 2005.

Ecuador’s Ecological Footprint per person has increased by 49 percent and its biocapacity per person has decreased by 71 percent from 1961 to 2005. By consuming more fishing grounds and emitting more carbon than its ecosystems can absorb, Ecuador has run an ecological deficit since 2003.Ecuador will be the first of the Member Countries to embark upon a research collaboration with Global Footprint Network, through Ecuador’s national government planning organization, SENPLADES, to verify and improve the data in their National Footprint Account.

Bolivia’s grazing land Footprint is the largest contributor to its Ecological

Footprint. From 1961 to 2005, Bolivia has also seen a 66 percent drop in biocapacity available per person.

Colombia’s Ecological Footprint per person has remained relatively constant

from 1961 to 2005. However, Colombia’s biocapacity

available per person has decreased by 63 percent from 1961 to 2005.

Peru’s Ecological Footprint per person has decreased

by 38 percent and its biocapacity per person has

decreased by 62 percent from 1961 to 2005.

ECUADOR

BOLIVIA

PERU

COLOMBIA

CAN

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Ecological Footprint per person (blue) and biocapacity per person (green)

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Global Footprint Network, National Footprint Accounts, 2008 Edition.

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Ecological Footprint per person (blue) and biocapacity per person (green)

Ecological Footprint per person (blue) and biocapacity per person (green)

Ecological Footprint and biocapacity

Global Footprint Network, National Footprint Accounts, 2008 Edition.

Global Footprint Network, National Footprint Accounts, 2008 Edition. 1961

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GlossaryEcological Footprint: A measure of how much biologically productive land and water an individual, population or activity requires to produce all the resources it consumes and to absorb the waste it generates using prevailing technology and resource management practices. This demand on the biosphere can be compared to the available biocapacity. The Ecological Footprint is usually measured in global hectares. Because trade is global, an individual or country’s Footprint includes land or sea from all over the world. Ecological Footprint is often referred to in short form as Footprint (not footprint). Biological capacity or biocapacity: The capacity of ecosystems to produce useful biological materials and to absorbwaste materials generated by humans, using current management schemes and extraction technologies. Thebiocapacity of an area is calculated by multiplying the actual physical area by the yield factor and the appropriateequivalence factor. Biocapacity is usually expressed in units of global hectares. The Ecological Footprint is a measure of human demand for biocapacity.Global hectare (gha) : A productivity weighted area used to report both the biocapacity of the Earth, and the demandon biocapacity (the Ecological Footprint). The global hectare is normalized to the area-weighted average productivityof biologically productive land and water in a given year. Global hectares allow Ecological Footprint results to be globally comparable.

References Ewing B., S. Goldfinger, M. Wackernagel, M. Stechbart, S.M. Rizk, A. Reed and J. Kitzes. The Ecological Footprint Atlas. 2008. Oakland: Global Footprint Network. Ewing B., A. Reed, S.M. Rizk, A. Galli, M. Wackernagel, and J. Kitzes. Calculation Methodology for the National Footprint Accounts, 2008 Edition. Oakland: Global Footprint Network. Global Footprint Network. National Footprint Accounts, 2008 Edition. Available at www.footprintnetwork.org Kitzes, J., A. Galli, S.M. Rizk, A. Reed and M. Wackernagel. Guidebook to the National Footprint Accounts: 2008 Edition. Oakland: Global Footprint Network.

Rodrigo Salas

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