Assessing the ecological footprint of Lahijan transport

The increasing population growth and its consequences such as urban development and reliance on the transport system have increased energy consumption and the environmental effects so it is crucial to use to appropriate tools and methods for the study of the destructive consequences of urban development in order to achieve sustainable development. One of these methods is the evaluation of the ecological footprint which calculates the amount of negative effects of each individual on the environment. Lahijan as the biggest city of the east of Gilan and the third most populous city in Gilan is faced with increasing urban population and consequently urban development and increased use of transportation as a result. The aim of this study is to evaluate the ecological footprint of Lahijan transport and it answers to the question of whether the ecological space of Lahijan can provide sustainable urban transport? The method is based on analytical and descriptive method and using the ecological footprint indicator. The results show that the ecological footprint of transport of any person residing in Lahijan is 0/8922 hectares. Considering the total population of the city, equal to 150325/32 hectares of land is required for the transport sector that Compare to the amount of available land, the city has a deficit of land equal to 122831/32 hectares and this represents the amount of pressure on the ecological space to supply energy needed for transportation, which leads to the ecological instability of Lahijan transportation sector.