FOOTPRINT OF URBAN LIVING: AN ECOLOGICAL AND ENVIRONMENTAL PERSPECTIVE OF COIMBATORE CITY

Humanity faces an escalating environmental crisis, marked by rapid resource depletion and widespread ecosystem degradation, pushing the planet towards profound unsustainability. Urban centres, as major consumption hubs and waste generators, critically impact natural capital. This study employs the Ecological footprint (EF) framework, a globally recognized sustainability metric, to comprehensively assess the environmental demand of the Coimbatore city residential area in India. Utilizing a blend of component-based and direct methodologies, and gathering primary household consumption data via extensive questionnaires, alongside local biocapacity measurements, the research quantifies the area's ecological impact. Preliminary findings indicate that the Coimbatore city residential area operates in a significant ecological overshoot, with an estimated per capita EF of 2.0 - 2.5 global hectares. This notably surpasses India's national average (0.8-0.91 gha/person) and the earth’s available biocapacity (1.6 gha/person), highlighting unsustainable consumption patterns. The analysis identifies energy consumption as the predominant driver of this high footprint, followed by food and transportation, a trend consistent with other rapidly urbanizing Indian cities. Conversely, the local biocapacity is exceedingly limited, underscoring the area's profound reliance on external natural resources. Despite inherent limitations in highly granular data availability, this research provides a robust foundation for understanding urban ecological burdens. It offers critical insights into the long-term sustainability implications for Coimbatore and proposes strategic recommendations. These include promoting energy efficiency, fostering sustainable food consumption, enhancing green transportation options, and strengthening integrated waste management practices. By advocating for these targeted interventions, this study aims to guide urban policymakers toward cultivating a more ecologically sustainable and resilient urban future in Coimbatore.