ECOLOGICAL FOOTPRINT ANALYSIS OF YSP UNIVERSITY OF HORTICULTURE AND FORESTRY AT NAUNI-SOLAN, HIMACHAL PRADESH
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Date
2019-11
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UHF,NAUNI
Abstract
ABSTRACT
The present investigation entitled “Ecological footprint analysis of YSP University of Horticulture
and Forestry at Nauni, Solan Himachal Pradesh” was conducted during 2018-2019 in the Department of
Environmental Science of the University. The study aimed at understanding the effect campus dwellers have on
the biocapacity by quantifying the resource consumption using a formula-based methodology. Five components
of ecological footprint viz energy, water, solid waste, food and material (paper) consumption in the UHF campus
were purposefully selected for the assessment. A pre-tested questionnaire was used to assess the sustainability of
the campus by determining the consumption and lifestyle pattern of dwellers on comparative basis and the
sustainability scale based on ecological footprintwas validated through chi square test.The University Campus
has a 545habio capacity. The total ecological and per capita footprint of campus was 3377.582 and 1.291056 g
ha. Component wise contribution towards total EF was 0.064, 9.680, 41.940, 127.820, 3198.078g ha with
respect to solid waste, energy, material and water and food stuff respectively. The food component has
significantly contributed towards the EF of the campus in all the three sectorsviz: students, hostels, staff
residences, teaching and non-teachingstaff
In the campus 43 % of the students fall in the sustainability scale of less than 60 which pointed out their
depicting sustainable lifestyle. However, almost equal number of students (42 %) falls in the sustainability scale
of 60-120 indicating their unsustainable activities which may require an extra campus to support their resource
utilization. Whereas 56 % of non-teaching staff fall in the safe categoryof sustainability scale. Interestingly,
teaching staff of UHF campus did not fall in the safe category of sustainability scale. Majority of them (59%)
fall in the sustainability scale of 60-120 depicting their unsustainable lifestyle activities. In the campus (8%) of
teaching staff also falls in the highest sustainability scale of more than 180indicatingtheir more impact of their
lifestyle on the campus resources which may require a bio capacity equivalent to four campuses of this size. The
current rate of resource consumption by the campus dwellers is six times larger than the total bio capacity. The
study inferred that the campus dwellers might put more pressure on the available resources in the future.
Therefore, strategies to reduce ecological footprint of the campus must be developed by reducing hostel,
household and canteen food wastage, promoting recycle and re-engineering of waste material, enhancing water
productivity, encouraging public transportation and solar energy usage in campus to maintain balance with the
nature.
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