A methodology to analyse the relations of ecological footprint corresponding with human development index: eco-sustainable human development index

Abstract

We can easily argue that nowadays the ‘human development index’ (HDI), which is widely used to evaluate the socio-economic development of countries, has largely been ignored when it comes to the extent that this development affects the world ecosystem. Naturally, the universal definition of development covers a total quality of environmental and ecological effects. In addition, when it comes to sustainability of any given country, a paradox emerges on close inspection of environmental development, not forgetting that all countries worldwide are included to evaluate the HDI. In this study, in development ranking according to the proposed ‘eco-sustainable human development index’ (E-SHDI), it is determined that Switzerland and New Zealand are placed in a very high group, but no countries feature in high group, Gabon is in the middle whereas Bangladesh, Yemen, Angola, Cameroon and Kenya feature in a low group within the context 10 countries according to HDI values (2011). According to comparative actual evaluations of distribution graphics belonging to HDI/E-SHDI of all countries, Japan, New Zealand and Switzerland fall into very high groups; Romania, Panama and Mexico are determined in high groups; Sri Lanka, Gabon and Dominican Republic are verified in middle groups and Bangladesh, Haiti and Pakistan appear in low groups.

Keywords:

• sustainability
• ecological footprint
• ecological economy
• human development index