Ecological footprint studies on sustainable development of Sichuan Province

With the ecological footprint method and based on the statistical data of Sichuan Province in 2003, the ecological footprint of Sichuan Province was calculated. The results show that the ecological footprint of Sichuan Province in 2003 was 1.361hm2per cap.,while the ecological carrying capacity was 0.392hm2 per cap. On the scales of province and country, its ecological footprint had already been far beyond the available ecological carrying capacity, so the economic and social developments were in an unsustainable development state. Finally, the reasons for the high ecological deficit in Sichuan Province were analyzed and the countermeasures of how to lower the ecological deficit and realize sustainable development were put forward.