Ecologists define “carrying
capacity” as the population of a given specie that can be supported
indefinitely in a given habitat without permanently damaging the ecosystem upon
which it depends. For human beings, carrying capacity can be interpreted as the
maximum rate of resource consumption and waste discharge that can be sustained indefinitely
in a given region without progressively impairing the functional integrity and
productivity of relevant ecosystems. The corresponding human population is a
function of the per capita rates of resource consumption and waste production.
This approach reveals how cities depend on the carrying capacity of ecosystems
far beyond their administrative boundaries and the associated built-up areas.
Rees W. 1993, Ecological footprints and appropriated carrying capacity: what
urban economics.
THE ABC FOR SUSTAINABLE CITIES
UNEP / UN HABITAT / FIDIC / GI-REC
Based on:
Rees W. 1993, Ecological
footprints and appropriated carrying capacity: what urban economics leaves out,
in Environment and Urbanisation, vol. 4, no.2
