Assessment of Ecological Security of Fars Province Based on Ecological Footprint

Global and regional environmental issues have become increasingly significant because of rapid population growth and socioeconomic development. Problems such as soil erosion, ecological pollution, land degradation, loss of biodiversity, and diminished ecosystem services pose serious threats to human living conditions and sustainable development of economies and societies. Consequently, as the population increases and economic activities expand, leading to greater consumption of ecological resources, assessing environmental security becomes crucial. This study aims to develop a comprehensive, multi-faceted approach to evaluate the environmental security of Fars Province by utilizing an ecological footprint method.

Typically, this evaluation employs two fundamental concepts: ecological footprint and ecological capacity. In this context, the per capita ecological footprint and ecological capacity of Fars province were analyzed for the years 2011 to 2021. After determining the per capita ecological footprint and capacity, four indices were calculated: ecological deficit (ED), ecological footprint diversity index (EFDI), ecological pressure index (EPI), and ecological coordination coefficient (ECC).

The results of this study showed that the per capita ecological footprint of Fars province increased by more than 17% during the study period, which, along with the population growth of the province, indicates an increase in pressure on the natural resources. Additionally, pollution levels and agricultural production contributed significantly to this strain. On the other hand, the per capita ecological capacity of the province, dropping from 1.23 gha in 2011 to 1.11 gha in 2021 has increased by 10%. It was also concluded that the per capita ecological capacity of Fars province is significantly lower (less than one-fourth) than its per capita ecological footprint, underscoring the region's vulnerability in terms of its capacity to absorb and regenerate natural resources. The findings indicated that throughout the study period, Fars Province consistently experienced an ecological deficit, which has been rising over time. Furthermore, the assessment of four environmental security indicators all indicate the province's environmental insecurity and the lack of coordination between development and the environment.

According to the results obtained using the investigated indicators in this study, the environmental condition of the province is not suitable and it has worsened over time. Therefore, if the policymakers are looking for sustainable economic development, it is necessary to pay more attention to the province's environment. In other words, it is imperative to implement dynamic and periodic environmental monitoring and to evaluate management strategies to enhance environmental health.