Is Romania a Sustainable Developed Country? An Analysis of Ecological Footprint (EF) in Correlation with Human Development Index (HDI)
Is Romania a Sustainable Developed Country? An Analysis of Ecological Footprint (EF) in Correlation with Human Development Index (HDI)

Summary/Abstract: The paper aims to answer the question if Romania is a sustainable developed country, using the analysis of Ecological Footprint (EF) in correlation with Human Development Index (HDI). EF expresses the ecological goods and services that people need to meet their needs within a given space. It comprises biocapacity, defined as a biological production area, necessary for crops, meadows, built areas, fishing areas and forestry products and the amount of forest required to absorb the excess of carbon dioxide emissions beyond the ocean's absorption capacity. HDI measures national average for longevity, education and living standards. A value that exceeds 0.7 indicates "high human development". Romania has an HDI value of 0.8, an EF per person of 2.63 gha, entering the category of High Human Development Countries. The conclusion of the study is that the ecological reserve of Romania is due to the decline of the industrial sector and not to an efficient management in the field of sustainable development.

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