105
CONCLUSION
To understand the magnitude of human impacts on Algeria’s coastal ecosystems, this work
analyzes for the first time the ecological footprint (EF) of two coastal wilayas, Algiers and
Tipaza. The selection of both wilayas was motivated a contrast between the wilaya of Algiers
and that of Tipaza. Indeed, the wilaya features intense human activity compared to the wilaya
of Tipaza, in which “naturality” reflects a reduced human pressure on its ecosystems and their
functions. Considered as an environmental and natural resource indicator, the EF measures
the hypothetical extent of natural ecosystems required to provide goods and services
expressed in global hectares (gha), compared to the natural capital (biocapacity) available to
the settlement and the development of a given population's socio-economic activities.
The EF is reported worldwide by the global footprint network (GFN), which compiles annual
national accounts of EF and BC based on international data. For instance, the GFN classifies
Algeria as ecologically deficient with a total EF of 1.9 gha/capita (GFN, 2014), which implies
that an Algerian citizen appropriates 2 ha of average world production for his development.
This description, based on estimates, proxies, and which provides a distorted image, was one
of the primary motives for investigating Algerian wilayas' EF. With 100 million gha, Algeria is
ranked 21
st
in the Mediterranean with a Biological capacity (BC) and a per capita EF below the
world average compared to the North Western Mediterranean countries such as France, Italy,
or Turkey, whose BC and EF exceed the world average. Algeria's excess between the BC and
the EF is mostly associated with its high imports.
This import’s EF is one of the first concerns raised about the standard EF model, since the EF
of imported products is added to the EF of local production, from which exports' EF is
subtracted (thus a negative balance in international trade). The resulting consumption EF (EFc)
is then compared to the local BC (the only areas considered by the EF concept). The
interpretation of the outcome is complex, especially since imported products require
productive surfaces beyond the country's geographical limits. Accordingly, a country with a
negative trade balance is dependent on the provider county’s BC and a high EF value
compared to its local available natural capital. As a matter of fact, if Algeria's local production
EF was compared to its local BC, Algeria would be in a state of an ecological reserve. Which is
not the case, because the EF is funded on and considers the needs of a population (locally
produced and imported goods). However, imported products are associated with energy, thus
CO2 emissions, during their production in the countries of origin (91% carbon EF) and
international transport (9% carbon EF). Therefore, it appears that the country's natural capital
will constantly be deemed insufficient to carry the population's activity, especially for carbon
sequestration ecosystems (in this case, forests).
The original model takes accounts for the international trade. However, in this thesis work,
we have considered only the local production of the two wilayas analyzed. Based on a bottomup approach, the model uses locally collected data and displays overshoot points for three
components: material, energy, and built area. The main findings reveal that Algiers and Tipaza
wilayas are facing an ecological deficit, which is greater in the wilaya of Algiers (62 million
gha). This result was anticipated for the wilaya of Algiers, selected precisely to demonstrate
CONCLUSION
To understand the magnitude of human impacts on Algeria’s coastal ecosystems, this work
analyzes for the first time the ecological footprint (EF) of two coastal wilayas, Algiers and
Tipaza. The selection of both wilayas was motivated a contrast between the wilaya of Algiers
and that of Tipaza. Indeed, the wilaya features intense human activity compared to the wilaya
of Tipaza, in which “naturality” reflects a reduced human pressure on its ecosystems and their
functions. Considered as an environmental and natural resource indicator, the EF measures
the hypothetical extent of natural ecosystems required to provide goods and services
expressed in global hectares (gha), compared to the natural capital (biocapacity) available to
the settlement and the development of a given population's socio-economic activities.
The EF is reported worldwide by the global footprint network (GFN), which compiles annual
national accounts of EF and BC based on international data. For instance, the GFN classifies
Algeria as ecologically deficient with a total EF of 1.9 gha/capita (GFN, 2014), which implies
that an Algerian citizen appropriates 2 ha of average world production for his development.
This description, based on estimates, proxies, and which provides a distorted image, was one
of the primary motives for investigating Algerian wilayas' EF. With 100 million gha, Algeria is
ranked 21
st
in the Mediterranean with a Biological capacity (BC) and a per capita EF below the
world average compared to the North Western Mediterranean countries such as France, Italy,
or Turkey, whose BC and EF exceed the world average. Algeria's excess between the BC and
the EF is mostly associated with its high imports.
This import’s EF is one of the first concerns raised about the standard EF model, since the EF
of imported products is added to the EF of local production, from which exports' EF is
subtracted (thus a negative balance in international trade). The resulting consumption EF (EFc)
is then compared to the local BC (the only areas considered by the EF concept). The
interpretation of the outcome is complex, especially since imported products require
productive surfaces beyond the country's geographical limits. Accordingly, a country with a
negative trade balance is dependent on the provider county’s BC and a high EF value
compared to its local available natural capital. As a matter of fact, if Algeria's local production
EF was compared to its local BC, Algeria would be in a state of an ecological reserve. Which is
not the case, because the EF is funded on and considers the needs of a population (locally
produced and imported goods). However, imported products are associated with energy, thus
CO2 emissions, during their production in the countries of origin (91% carbon EF) and
international transport (9% carbon EF). Therefore, it appears that the country's natural capital
will constantly be deemed insufficient to carry the population's activity, especially for carbon
sequestration ecosystems (in this case, forests).
The original model takes accounts for the international trade. However, in this thesis work,
we have considered only the local production of the two wilayas analyzed. Based on a bottomup approach, the model uses locally collected data and displays overshoot points for three
components: material, energy, and built area. The main findings reveal that Algiers and Tipaza
wilayas are facing an ecological deficit, which is greater in the wilaya of Algiers (62 million
gha). This result was anticipated for the wilaya of Algiers, selected precisely to demonstrate