Geospatial analysis of ecological footprint for urban sustainability: evidence from Nigeria

Abstract

Cities face a critical global challenge, balancing the opportunities and threats of urbanisation while ensuring sustainable development amid rapid population growth. However, despite the availability of extensive Ecological Footprint (EF) studies on national and regional sustainability due to international and national databases, there is a noticeable lack of EF studies at the city level, especially in developing countries, limiting their use in environmental and sustainability-related policies. Therefore, this study aimed to examine the EF of Kano metropolis and its implications on urban sustainability. We implemented a bottom-up EF approach in evaluating the urban sustainability of the Kano metropolis. We tracked the annual demand for natural resources, quantified the EF using locally sourced consumption data, and compared these figures with the city’s biocapacity (BC). Based on the locally collected consumption data, we calculated the city’s EF at 0.04 gha/capita and its BC at 0.01 gha/capita, resulting in an ecological deficit of -0.03 gha/capita. The results indicate a high level of unsustainability, with an EF Index of -3.0. The analysis of sectoral contributions revealed that food (48%), built-up areas (21.4%), and energy consumption (10.9%) were the main drivers of EF. These findings have direct policy implications for urban sustainability planning, offering localised, data-driven insights for urban sustainability policy and suggesting sustainable food systems, compact land-use planning, and clean energy adoption to mitigate ecological pressure.