Natural capital utilization on an international tourism island based on a three-dimensional ecological footprint model: A case study of Hainan Province, China

Abstract

Abstract Natural capital is a limited and irreplaceable factor for human welfare and sustainability. Natural capital includes natural capital flow and natural capital stock. When natural capital flow cannot meet the needs of regional development, it begins to consume natural capital stock. Therefore, the assessment of the current utilization status of natural capital flows and stocks is not only the basis for regional ecological construction evaluation but also an important indicator of the effectiveness of regional sustainable development strategies. This study uses the three-dimensional ecological footprint model to systematically and comprehensively evaluate the utilization status of natural capital flows and stocks in Hainan Province from 2005 to 2016. The driving factors behind changes in the natural capital stock are revealed using a partial least squares method. Our results indicate the following. (1) The per capita ecological footprint of Hainan Province is increasing at an annual rate of 3.87%, and the per capita ecological deficit is increasing at an annual rate of 5.85%. The ecological footprints are mainly composed of cropland and forest land and the account composition is dominated by the biological and energy accounts; (2) The growth of water body natural capital flow promotes the total natural capital flow consumption of Hainan Province from 2005 to 2016 with an annual average of 0.41%. The natural capital flow consumption is mainly in the north, northeast and southwestern cities and counties, and the growth rate of natural capital flow consumption is greatest in the central mountainous region; (3) The consumption of total natural capital stock is growing at an average annual rate of 4.49%, from a value of 2.97 times the sustainable resource consumption of Hainan Province in 2005, increasing to a factor of 4.81 times in 2016. The natural capital stock consumption is mainly in the north and northeast in terms of quantity and growth rate; (4) The secondary industries, the year-end resident population, the total energy consumption and the total investment in fixed assets are the natural capital stock consumption of Hainan Province. These findings can provide a scientific reference for the formulation of Hainan’s economic development and environmental protection policies to promote the coordinated and sustainable development of social, economic and environmental aspects of Hainan Province.