Water and nitrogen footprint assessment of integrated agronomic practice management in a summer maize cropping system

The footprints of water and nitrogen(WF and NF)provide a comprehensive overview of the type and quantity of water consumption and reactive nitrogen(Nr)loss in crop production.In this study,a field experiment over two years(2019 and 2020)compared three integrated agronomic practice management(IAPM)systems:An improved management system(T2),a high-yield production system(T3),and an integrated soil-crop management system(ISCM)using a local smallholder farmer’s practice system(T1)as control,to investigate the responses of WF,Nr losses,water use efficiency(WUE),and nitrogen use efficiency(NUE)to IAPM.The results showed that IAPM optimized water distribution and promoted water use by summer maize.The evapotranspiration over the whole maize growth period of IAPM increased,but yield increased more,leading to a significant increase in WUE.The WUE of the T2,T3,and ISCM treatments was significantly greater than in the T1 treatment,in 2019 and 2020respectively,by 19.8-21.5,31.8-40.6,and 34.4-44.6%.The lowest WF was found in the ISCM treatment,which was 31.0%lower than that of the T1 treatment.In addition,the ISCM treatment optimized soil total nitrogen(TN)distribution and significantly increased TN in the cultivated layer.Excessive nitrogen fertilizer was applied in treatment T3,producing the highest maize yield,and resulting in the highest Nr losses.In contrast,the ISCM treatment used a reduced nitrogen fertilizer rate,sacrificing grain yield partly,which reduced Nr losses and eventually led to a significant increase in nitrogen use efficiency and nitrogen recovery.The Nr level in the ISCM treatment was34.8%lower than in the T1 treatment while NUE was significantly higher than in the T1 treatment by 56.8-63.1%in2019 and 2020,respectively.Considering yield,WUE,NUE,WF,and NF together,ISCM should be used as a more sustainable and clean system for sustainable production of summer maize.

The potential impact of increased whole grain consumption among Chinese adults on reducing healthcare costs and carbon footprint

Excessive consumption of refined grains harms human health and ecosystem viability.Whole grains,as a healthy and sustainable alternative to refined grains,can benefit individual health by providing dietary fiber,B vitamins,and bioactive substances.Additionally,they aid in improving the environment due to their higher extraction rate and lower carbon emission during the processing stage.However,few studies have attempted to evaluate the economic and social benefits of increasing the amount of whole grain in grain intake.This paper estimates the potential savings in healthcare costs and reduced food carbon footprints(CFs)that could result from a shift toward whole grain consumption following the Chinese Dietary Guidelines(CDG).We investigate hypothetical scenarios where a certain proportion(5–100%)of Chinese adults could increase their whole grain intakes as proposed by CDG to meet the average shortfall of 30.2 g.In that case,the healthcare costs for associated diseases(e.g.,type2 diabetes mellitus(T2DM),cardiovascular disease(CVD),and colorectal cancer(CRC))are expected to reduce by a substantial amount,from USD 2.82 to 56.37 billion;the carbon emission levels are also projected to decrease by0.24–5.72 million tons.This study provides compelling evidence that advocating for the transition towards greater consumption of whole grain products could benefit individual health,the environment,and society,by reducing both healthcare costs and carbon emissions.

Carbon Footprint in Waste Sector of Hydropower Plant: A Case Study of Nam Theun 2 Hydropower Plant

While hydropower is generally considered a clean energy source, it is important to recognize that their waste can still contribute to greenhouse gas emissions (GHG). The purpose of this study is to assess the carbon footprint associated with the waste sector throughout the operational phase of the Nam Theun 2 hydropower plant in Laos. Understanding the environmental impact of the waste sector is crucial for ensuring the plant’s sustainability. This study utilizes the theoretical estimation method recommended in the 2019 Refinement to the 2006 IPCC Guidelines for National Greenhouse Gas Inventories, as well as the Requirements for Specification with guidance at the organization level for quantification and reporting of GHG emissions and removals. We emphasize the significance of implementing sustainable waste management practices to reduce GHG emissions and minimize the environmental impact of hydropower operations. By conducting a comprehensive analysis, this paper also provides insights into the environmental implications of waste management in hydropower plants and identifies strategies to mitigate the carbon footprint in the waste sector. The findings contribute to a better understanding of the environmental sustainability of hydropower plants and provide valuable guidance for policymakers, energy producers, and environmental practitioners involved in hydropower plant design and operation.

Evaluation of Ecological Sustainable Development in the Yangtze River Delta Region Based on Ecological Footprint Theory

The ecological footprint was employed as a quantitative indicator of resource inputs,enabling a detailed account of the structure of biological resources and energy occupancy,as well as the variation of resource productivity in the Yangtze River Delta(YRD)Region.From 2004 to 2018,there were notable variations in the ecological productivity of different types of land on basis of China’s equilibrium factor across the three provinces and one city in the YRD region.Jiangsu Province exhibited the highest ecological productivity of arable land,while Anhui Province exhibited the highest ecological productivity of forest land.Shanghai City exhibited the highest ecological productivity of pasture land,while Zhejiang Province exhibited the highest ecological productivity of water area.In 2018,the proportion of arable land within the total ecological carrying capacity of the YRD region reached 74.35%.Furthermore,the contribution of Jiangsu and Anhui provinces to the YRD’s total ecological carrying capacity was 41.36%and 41.26%,respectively.In the construction of a new development pattern in the YRD region,which is dominated by the domestic cycle as the main body and mutually reinforced by domestic and international double-cycle,the YRD region should combine the utilization of natural forces with innovation in science,technology and cooperation mechanisms.Furthermore,the government should guide the concentration of social capital towards green industries.It is also recommended that the moderate reduction of ecological footprints should be encouraged,and that the security of biological resources and energy,the leadership in the field of cutting-edge science and technology should be ensured in YRD region.This will facilitate the formation of a new development pattern of higher-quality integration at the national level firstly.

Carbon, Water, Ecological Footprints, Energy and Nutritional Densities of Omnivore and Vegan Culinary Preparations

This study aimed to evaluate energy and nutritional densities, water, carbon and ecological footprints, cost, of omnivorous and vegan main courses served in a university restaurant in the city of Rio de Janeiro. A cross-sectional, analytical study was conducted with 40 main dish-type preparations, 20 of which are omnivorous and 20 vegans, served at lunch, to assess energy and nutritional densities, carbon, water and ecological footprints and cost of preparations. We propose a healthy and sustainable preparation index (HSPI) to evaluate from the list, the best preparation options considering the nutritional quality combined with the impact that the food causes on the environment. Preparations with the highest HSPI were considered the best options because they have a good relation between the nutritional profile and the environmental impact. Results: Regarding energy (ED), nutritional (ND) densities and water, carbon and ecological footprints, omnivorous preparations presented much higher values when compared to the vegan ones. The omnivorous preparations had the highest average cost (R$ 3.44). Regarding the HSPI, vegan preparations showed better rates than omnivorous preparations. Food services should promote healthy and sustainable choices by offering menus with low energy density preparations, high nutritional density, and low environmental impact, considering local realities and customer needs. Conclusion: This study was able to evaluate the best preparation options, considering the nutritional profile and the food impact on the environment, using health and sustainable indicators. Obtaining indicators of preparations regarding healthiness and sustainability, in practice, translates environmental aspects in menu planning, which contribute to changes in food consumption patterns in food services, in addition to contributing to the reduction of the environmental impact. In this way, they can be used as tools added to the menu planning process for the analysis of the environmental impact of menus, in addition to nutritional and qualitative aspects.

Carbon and Water Footprint Evaluation of 120Wp Rural Household Photovoltaic System: Case Study

This study uses the Life Cycle Analysis (LCA) to evaluate the magnitude of the environmental impact, in terms of global warming potential, and water footprint throughout the 20 years of useful life of a rural electrical energy concession comprised of 120Wp Households photovoltaic systems (HPS) in the isolated communities of San Martin, in the Peruvian Amazon region. On the other hand, due to the particular conditions of the system (installation, operation, maintenance, monthly tariff collection), it is necessary to know its real impact and sustainability;not only through the aforementioned environmental impact indicators, but also by energy intensity values required by the system throughout its life cycle. Therefore, this paper used the Cumulative energy demand (CED) method to determine the amount of energy taken from natural resources for each process involved in the LCA and calculated with this, i.e., the Energy Payback Time (EPBT) of the whole system. Likewise, the HPS has been environmentally compared to other case studies and the Peruvian Energy Mix, revealing a lower impact in the latter case and results within the range for stand-alone systems. Besides, the HPS shows a strong relation between energy production and O&M condition. Additionally, this study allows a further promotion of the use of this type of system in isolated areas, as well as the diversification of electricity generation in Peru.

The potential of green manure to increase soil carbon sequestration and reduce the yield-scaled carbon footprint of rice production in southern China

Green manure(GM)has been used to support rice production in southern China for thousands of years.However,the effects of GM on soil carbon sequestration(CS)and the carbon footprint(CF)at a regional scale remain unclear.Therefore,we combined the datasets from long-term multisite experiments with a meta-analysis approach to quantify the potential of GM to increase the CS and reduce the CF of paddy soils in southern China.Compared with the fallow-rice practice,the GM-rice practice increased the soil C stock at a rate of 1.62 Mg CO_(2)-eq ha^(-1) yr^(-1) and reduced chemical N application by 40%with no loss in the rice yield.The total CF varied from 7.51 to 13.66 Mg CO_(2)-eq ha^(-1) yr^(-1) and was dominated by CH_(4) emissions(60.7-81.3%).GM decreased the indirect CF by 31.4%but increased the direct CH_(4) emissions by 19.6%.In the low and high CH_(4) emission scenarios,the CH_(4) emission factors of GM(EF_(gc))were 5.58 and 21.31%,respectively.The greater soil CS offset the increase in GM-derived CF in the low CH_(4) scenario,but it could not offset the CF increase in the high CH_(4) scenario.A trade-off analysis also showed that GM can simultaneously increase the CS and reduce the total CF of the rice production system when the EF_(gc) was less than 9.20%.The variation in EF_(gc) was mainly regulated by the GM application rates and water management patterns.Determining the appropriate GM application rate and drainage pattern warrant further investigation to optimize the potential of the GM-rice system to increase the CS and reduce the total CF in China.

An analysis of energy consumption and carbon footprints of cryptocurrencies and possible solutions

There is an urgent need to control global warming caused by humans to achieve a sustainable future.CO_(2) levels are rising steadily,and while countries worldwide are actively moving toward the sustainability goals proposed during the Paris Agreement in 2015,we are still a long way to go from achieving a sustainable mode of global operation.The increased popularity of cryptocurrencies since the introduction of Bitcoin in 2009 has been accompanied by an increasing trend in greenhouse gas emissions and high electrical energy consumption.Popular energy tracking studies(e.g.,Digiconomist and the Cambridge Bitcoin Energy Consumption Index(CBECI))have estimated energy consumption ranges from 29.96 TWh to 135.12 TWh and 26.41 TWh to 176.98 TWh,respectively for Bitcoin as of July 2021,which are equivalent to the energy consumption of countries such as Sweden and Thailand.The latest estimate by Digiconomist on carbon footprints shows a 64.18 MtCO_(2) emission by Bitcoin as of July 2021,close to the emissions by Greece and Oman.This review compiles estimates made by various studies from 2018 to 2021.We compare the energy consumption and carbon footprints of these cryptocurrencies with countries around the world and centralized transaction methods such as Visa.We identify the problems associated with cryptocurrencies and propose solutions that can help reduce their energy consumption and carbon footprints.Finally,we present case studies on cryptocurrency networks,namely,Ethereum 2.0 and Pi Network,with a discussion on how they can solve some of the challenges we have identified.

Carbon footprints in minimally invasive surgery:Good patient outcomes,but costly for the environment

Advancements in technology and surgical training programs have increased the adaptability of minimally invasive surgery(MIS).Gastrointestinal MIS is superior to its open counterparts regarding post-operative morbidity and mortality.MIS has become the first-line surgical intervention for some types of gastrointestinal surgery,such as laparoscopic cholecystectomy and appendicectomy.Carbon dioxide(CO_(2))is the main gas used for insufflation in MIS.CO_(2)contributes 9%-26%of the greenhouse effect,resulting in global warming.The rise in global CO_(2)concentration since 2000 is about 20 ppm per decade,up to 10 times faster than any sustained rise in CO_(2)during the past 800000 years.Since 1970,there has been a steady yet worrying increase in average global temperature by 1.7℃ per century.A recent systematic review of the carbon footprint in MIS showed a range of 6-814 kg of CO_(2)emission per surgery,with higher CO_(2)emission following robotic compared to laparoscopic surgery.However,with superior benefits of MIS over open surgery,this poses an ethical dilemma to surgeons.A recent survey in the United Kingdom of 130 surgeons showed that the majority(94%)were concerned with climate change but felt that the lack of leadership was a barrier to improving environmental sustainability.Given the deleterious environmental effects of MIS,this study aims to summarize the trends of MIS and its carbon footprint,awareness and attitudes towards this issue,and efforts and challenges to ensuring environmental sustainability.

Can food security and low carbon be achieved simultaneously?——An empirical analysis of the mechanisms influencing the carbon footprint of potato and corn cultivation in irrigation areas

Irrigated agriculture has tripled since 1950,accounting for 20%of the global arable land and 40%of food production.Irrigated agriculture increases food security yet has controversial implications for global climate change.Most previous studies have calculated carbon emissions and their composition in irrigated areas using the engineering approach to life-cycle assessment.By combining life cycle assessment(LCA)-based carbon emissions accounting with econometric models such as multiple linear regression and structural equation modeling(SEM),we conducted an interdisciplinary study to identify the influencing factors and internal mechanisms of the carbon footprint(CFP)of smallholder crop cultivation on irrigation reform pilot areas.To this end,we investigated corn and potato production data in the 2019–2020 crop years for 852 plots of 345 rural households in six villages(two irrigation agriculture pilot villages and four surrounding villages as controls)in Southwest China.The crop CFP in the irrigation agriculture pilot areas was significantly lower than in non-reform areas.Irrigation reforms mainly impacted the crop CFP through four intermediary effects:the project(implementation of field irrigation channels),technology(improving adoption of new irrigation technologies),management(proper irrigation operation and maintenance),and yield effects.All effects inhibited the CFP,except for the project effect that promotes carbon emissions.Among them,yield increase has the greatest impact on reducing CFP,followed by management and technology effects.Furthermore,planting practices,individual characteristics,and plot quality significantly impacted the crop CFP.This study has policy implications for understanding the food security–climate nexus in the food production industry.

Fences and hydropower:Important but overlooked Human Footprint

Human activities have impacted 77%of the terrestrial ecosystems(excluding Antarctica),and the remaining areas are becoming increasingly endangered.Mapping spatiotemporal dynamics of Human Footprint has been used to evaluate the cumulative interference on terrestrial environments globally.However,fences and hydropower,two widespread and rapidly expanding infrastructures,have not been considered regarding Human Footprint,despite their complicated and extensive effects on ecosystem functioning and species survival.Previous work has proved that fences increase habitat fragmentation,disrupt migratory routes,inadvertently trap and kill wildlife,and hinder genetic exchange.Hydropower construction also caused habitat loss,fragmentation,and degradation.These impacts have received global concern,but fences around the world are difficult to be detected due to the limitations of current cartographic technologies.Furthermore,the effect of hydropower on the terrestrial environment has been underestimated,making the research on this topic at a global scale still in its infancy.Therefore,building an observation network of global fences and hydropower is a necessary step to move forward in the assessment of the impact of human activities on our planet,but also to better provide scientific support for policy-making regarding global biodiversity conservation,the identification of protected areas,and the prioritization of ecological restoration areas.

Thoughts and Prospects for Promoting Energy-Saving and Carbon Footprint Reduction in the Non-Ferrous Metal Industry

As the upstream of high-energy consumption industries such as metallurgy and chemical enterprises, the “carbon neutrality” ability of mining and mining enterprises can have a strong influence on the progress of China’s non-ferrous metal industry to achieve the “double carbon” goal. According to the Global Mining Development Report 2021, although mining occupies an important position in global economic development, it also accounts for 4% to 7% of global greenhouse gas emissions. Therefore, as an important part of promoting China’s economic development and energy structure transformation, mining will also face scale adjustment. By investigating and studying the carbon emission sources of mining enterprises at the current stage at home and abroad, the carbon neutrality method that has been implemented in mines, and the future low-carbon technologies to be developed, this paper provides the thoughts and prospects for promoting the development of green mines, as well as the reference value for the transformation of China’s mining industry.

Consumptive ecological footprint and productive ecological footprint: a modification on ecological footprint theory to evaluate regional sustainable development

Ecological footprint theory and its application achievements in global and regional sustainable development systems are studied by consulting the published literature, which finds that the application of ecological footprint theory to regional sustainability evaluation has leaded to a perplexity that the indicated result was inconsistent with the philosophy of sustainable development theory. Illuminated by the mechanical system of the movement of matters, it comes up that ecological footprint based on consumption of biologic production could not tell whether the ecological pressure acts on the specified region, and the original ecological footprint theory also undervalued the development impartiality of a region. A modification on this theory is made by introducing consumptive ecological footprint and productive ecological footprint, in which the latter is taken as the indicator of regional sustainability. The development impartiality can be demonstrated by comparison between the global ecological deficit per capita and regional consumptive ecological deficit per capita.

Quantitative Research on Ecological Compensation among Every City of Guangdong Province Based on Ecological Footprint and Ecological Carrying Capacity

Based on the relative theories and methods of ecological footprint and ecological carrying capacity,and according to practical conditions of Guangdong Province,this paper tried to put forward the determinant standard for ecological compensation through calculating the ecological footprint and ecological carrying capacity of every city in Guangdong Province. The results indicated that the ecological footprint of each city was in the status of deficit and the deficit level decreased gradually from developed regions of Pearl River Delta to the outlying regions. The cities which belonged to development areas of Pearl River Delta needed to pay ecological compensation,such as Guangzhou and Shenzhen and so on. In contrast,the cities which accepted compensation were underdeveloped areas,such as Heyuan and Jieyuan and so on.

Forestry ecological footprint in China during 1973–2003

The ecological footprint （EF） model has received much attention as an assessment indicator for sustainable development in recent years. Firstly, the temporal changes of domestic timber production, imports and exports in China were analyzed from 1973 to 2003, the analysis results showed an apparent fluctuation in timber production during 1973-1995 but a decreasing trend during 1995-2002, an increasing trend in timber imports since 1995 especially after the implementation of the Natural Forest Protection Project （NFPP）, an decreasing trend year by year in timber exports since 1995. Secondly, this paper presented a time series analysis of actual forest area demand in the sustainable yield and production approach in China from 1973 to 2003, which includes both import and export forest area demand. The results showed the actual forest area demand simulated from the sustainable yield approach was slightly higher than that from the production approach during 1978-1988 and a little lower during 1989-2003; however, the actual forest area demands simulated by these two model approaches were larger than calculations that expressed in conventional forest EF. Meanwhile, the results indicated the forestry development in China during 1978-1988 was unsustainable due to overexploitation of forest stocking volumes, and China＇s forestry moved toward sustainable development since 1989 because forest resources are exploited at lower rates than they are regenerated. However, compared to forestry developed countries, the forestry development capacity in China is still lower. Finally, based on the model results we analyzed the relationships between forestry EF and the key policies, including trade policy, economic policy and forest conservation programs. In addition, several suggestions about reducing forestry EF and enhancing sustainable forestry development in China are given.

Dynamic Changes of Land Ecological Carrying Capacity Based on the Ecological Footprint——By the Case Study of Chengdu City

Chengdu City is in the period of rapid urbanization and industrialization, and the disturbance derived from human activities on environment is increasing remarkablely in recent 20 years. The pressure on environment, economy and population is also increasing and land use in Chengdu has changed enormously. As struc- ture and function of land ecological system change obviously, sustainable development of land productivity has been an important goal and strategic task from now on, and it is necessary to systematically research land ecological carrying capacity based on ecological footprint. The ecological footprint of Chengdu City in the past ten years was calculated and analyzed from the spatial and temporal aspects according to statistical data from 1998 to 2008, as per ecological footprint method, ecological carrying capacity and the GIS spatial analysis method, and regression analysis method. The ecological footprint and ecological carrying capacity values from 2009 to 2019 in Chengdu City were predicted through calculation results in the past ten years. The results show that the ecological footprint and ecological deficit of land use from 1998 to 2008 increased in Chengdu City. The ecological deficit of land use within the city center was in high levels in the past ten years, and the ecological footprint kept raising, especially in areas, such as Shuangliu, Chongzhou, Qingyang among 9 city areas, 4 counties and 6 districts in Chengdu City. There is fanlike distribution of ecological deficit of land use. Analysis shows that the social and natural ecological system is uneven distribution, which is not in sustainable de- velopment situation. The results of the study show that the economic, social and natural ecological system in Chengdu City is not sustainable, and the ecological foot- print is uneven distribution. The analysis of the dynamic change of land ecological carrying capacity in Chengdu City is very important for city government in the pro- cess of the vigorous development in new Tianfu Xinqu, and redevelopment in the northern part of this city.

Spatiotemporal Comparative Analysis of Ecological Footprint of Poyang Lake Area and Five River Watersheds in Jiangxi Province

The Jiangxi province was divided into seven parts according to the concept of watershed,namely Poyang lake area,Fuhe,Xinjiang,Ganjiang,Xiuhe,Raohe and other river watersheds.The ecological supply and demands status of the former six parts from 2000 to 2006 was computed based on the ecological footprint model and a spatiotemporal comparative analysis to them was conducted.The result showed that:①all the studied areas had an increasing ecological deficit and they were in the status of unsustainable development;② the arable land footprint's demand were about 80% of their total footprint's demand respectively,so it was of great significance to protect and exploit arable land resources scientifically;③ the ecological deficit of grassland and forest resources can not be ignored.

Fluxes Footprint and Source Area of Rubber Plantation

[Objective] The paper was to analyze the quality of flux observation data of rubber plantation.[Method]Based on the FSAM model,footprint and flux source area were analyzed according to the continuous flux measurement with the open-path eddy covariance system on the 50 m tower of Danzhou Key Field Station of Observation and Research for Tropical Agricultural Resources and Environments,Ministry of Agriculture from Jan 1 to Jun 30,2010.[Result] Under unstable stratification,source areas were smaller than those under stable conditions,and source areas in the dormant season were larger than those in the growing season at the same level.In the main wind direction 130°-270°,the upwind range of source areas was in the magnitude of 100-758 m and vertical upwind range was-251-251 m at 80% level under unstable stratification in the growing season,and they were some large than those under the unstable stratification in the dormant season.The source areas of the upwind and vertical upwind ranges were 173-1 858,-534-534 m especially under stable stratification in the growing season,and they were smaller than those under stable stratification in the dormant season.In the other wind directions of 0°-130° and 270°-360°,the ranges were similar to those of the growing season in the prevailing wind direction under the same atmospheric conditions.[Conclusion] The study would lay a foundation for the future flux calculation and analysis.

Energy-based marine ecological footprint in Shandong province, China

An energy-based ecological footprint model was set up to monitor the sustainable development status of a specific marine system. This model used unit energy value and energy density to convert the consumption into ecological productive areas. It can reflect the utilization degree of resources in the regional development. Then, the quantitative analysis of sustainable development was done by comparing the size of the areas. We defined the concept of energy-based ecological footprint of marine and built energy-based ecological footprint model of marine. Then we applied this model to marine ecological system of Shandong province to evaluate its sustainable development statue. The results showed that the energy-based marine ecological footprint of the marine ecological system in Shandong province was 1.74 × 106 hm^2 in 2010, and the energy-based ecological carrying capacity of this area was 1.60×107 hm^2 per capita. Thus, the marine ecological system of Shandong province has strong sustainability.

Coupling analysis of social-economic water consumption and its effects on the arid environments in Xinjiang of China based on the water and ecological footprints

In arid areas,ecological degradation aroused by over-exploitation of fresh water,expansion of artificial oasis and shrinkage of natural oasis,has drawn attention of many scholars and officials.The water and ecological footprints can be used to quantitatively evaluate the water consumption of social-economic activities and their influence on the eco-environments.In addition,increase of the water footprint indicates the expansion of artificial oasis,and the influence on the natural oasis could be reflected by the variation of the ecological footprint.This study was conducted to answer a scientific question that what is the quantitative relationship between the expansion of the artificial oasis and the degradation of the natural oasis in the arid environments of Xinjiang,China.Thus,based on the social-economic data,water consumption data and meteorological data during 2001–2015,we calculated the water and ecological footprints to express the human-related pressure exerted on the water resources and arid environments in Xinjiang(including 14 prefectures and cities),and explore the relationship between the water and ecological footprints and its mechanism by using the coupling analysis and Granger causality test.The results show that both the water and ecological footprints of Xinjiang increased significantly during 2001–2015,and the increasing rate of the ecological footprint was much faster than that of the water footprint.The coupling degree between the water and ecological footprints was relatively high at the temporal scale and varied at the spatial scale.Among the 14 prefectures and cities examined in Xinjiang,the greater social-economic development(such as in Karamay and Urumqi)was associated with the lower coupling degree between the two footprints.Increases in the water footprint will cause the ecological footprint to increase,such that a 1-unit increase in the consumption of water resources would lead to 2–3 units of ecological degradation.The quantitative relationship between the increases of the water and ecological footprints,together with the intensities of water consumption both in the natural and artificial oases of Tarim River Basin,have approved the fact that the formation and expansion of 1 unit of the artificial oasis would bring about the degradation of 2 units of the natural oasis.These conclusions not only provide a technical basis for sustainable development in Xinjiang,but also offer a theoretical guide and scientific information that could be used in similar arid areas around the world.