Determining the Ecological Sustainability of Pardisan Nature Park Based on Ecological Footprint

Pardisan Nature Park, the last remaining natural habitat in Tehran and home to 443 indigenous plant species, requires sustainable management due to its unique ecological characteristics. Estimating the ecological footprint is an effective method for assessing the ecological status of areas to ensure their optimal use. This study has calculated the quantitative ecological footprint of Pardisan Park using the component method. The ecological footprint was calculated for five consumption activities: electricity, water, gas, waste, and food. The biological capacity of different land types; along with ecological deficit and intensity indices were calculated.The results indicate that the ecological footprints for electricity, water, gas, waste, food, and the total are 121970.15, 86.72, 0.00, 2585.88, 0.00 and 124642.75, respectively. The biological capacity is measured at 438.47 hectares. The difference between the biological capacity and the total ecological footprint suggests an ecological deficit in the consumption sector. The ecological pressure index footprint intensity in the water, waste, and gas sectors is rated at level one (good), while electricity and food are rated at level four (very poor). Hence, park management has demonstrated efficiency in the consumption of water, gas, and waste, but has shown weaknesses in the consumption of electricity and food.