Netherlands' Footprint 1961-2002

This graph shows how the Netherlands' demand on ecological resources increased from twice its own biocapacity in 1961 to almost six times domestically available biocapacity in 2002. The ecological deficit that exists when ecological demand exceeds supply can be financed by importing biocapacity, liquidating existing stocks of ecological capital, or allowing wastes to accumulate and ecosystems to degrade.
 

 
Figure 1 illustrates, for each year, how many Netherlands were required to meet the resource requirements of the Netherlands. Resource demand (Ecological Footprint) for the country as a whole is the product of population times per capita consumption. Resource supply (biocapacity) varies each year with ecosystem management, agricultural practices (such as fertilizer use and irrigation), ecosystem degradation, and weather. This figure shows the ratio between the country's demand and the country's biocapacity in each year, and how this ratio has changed over time. Expressed in terms of "number of Netherlands," the biocapacity of the Netherlands is always 1 (represented by the horizontal blue line).
 

 
Figure 2 tracks, in absolute terms, the average per person Ecological Footprint and per person biocapacity in the Netherlands over a 40-year period.
 

Figure 3 shows the components of average per person Ecological Footprint in the Netherlands.
 
 

Footprint trends in eight countries and the world show how Ecological Footprints have developed at the national level over the last 40 years. All figures are based on data from the 2005 Edition of the National Footprint and Biocapacity Accounts.   •  World •  China •  France •  India •  Korea, DPR (North) •  Korea, Rep. (South) •  Mexico •  Netherlands •  Philippines