Resumen

Sustainability analysis through the ecological footprint and biocapacity of the Portoviejo city-Ecuador. RCTU [online]. 2025, vol.12, n.1, pp.57-69. ISSN 1390-7697.  https://doi.org/10.26423/rctu.v12i1.861.

The Ecological Footprint (EF) and Biocapacity (BC) are key sustainability indicators, expressed in global hectares (gha). The EF measures resource consumption and waste assimilation needs, while the BC represents the available productive space. In 2020, the city of Portoviejo had 246,003 inhabitants, forming a potential dependent group of territories that assimilate their waste and produce resources. In this regard, the objective of this study was to calculate indicators that determine the sustainability of the city. Applying the composite method of Wackernagel and Rees (1996), the ecological footprint was calculated. The results obtained were 0.553 gha/person/year and a biocapacity of 0.362 gha/person/year. These values demonstrate an ecological deficit in 2020 and suggest that 47 011.17 hectares would be necessary to meet the needs. Determining these indicators specifies the consequences of consumption patterns and provides results for the subsequent use and benefit of the population and the environment.

Palabras clave : Biophysical indicators; environmental imbalance; urban pressure.