Ecological sustainability level of Surabaya City based on ecological footprint approach

Abstract

Surabaya is the second largest metropolitan city in Indonesia and is a growth point in East Java. Rapid economic growth and population growth due to urbanization have a negative impact on the sustainability and environmental sustainability resulting in the emergence of environmental issues such as decreasing land productivity and environmental pollution. In an effort to realize sustainable development, development must pay attention to the carrying capacity of its environment. Therefore, in this study a study was conducted using an ecological footprint approach by identifying the components of consumption and emissions resulting from human activities (ecological footprint). Furthermore, identification of the constructed productivity of each type of land such as agricultural land, forestry land, fishery land and constructed land is recorded as a component of natural resources availability (biocapacity). The difference arising from the calculation of consumption and availability of resources will indicate the level of ecological sustainability in Surabaya. The surprising results obtained from this study indicate that Surabaya’s sustainability level is already at a deficit level with a biocapacity value of 35,665 Gha and an ecological foot of 139,242 Gha. Such a far-reaching difference in value, where the ecological footprint value is almost four times that of biocapacity, should be the basis of early warning to stakeholders that development with sustainable regional concept is urgent to be initiated concretely.