URSUS (2006-2011)

2B06183 Socio-economic Metabolism of Urban Systems and its Impact on Ecosystems

The project aims at assessing dependence of urban systems on surrounding environment and at expressing the degree of impact on surrounding ecosystems and biodiversity by urban metabolism. It elaborates on the concept of socio-economic and urban metabolism and strives to express the relation between environmental burden and ecosystem services, including biodiversity maintenance.

2B06183 Socio-economic Metabolism of Urban Systems and its Impact on Ecosystems

Donor

Ministry of Education, Youth and Sports, Programme 2B - Healthy life of high quality

 

Project duration

2006-2011

 

Project coordinator in CUEC

Mgr. David Vačkář

 

Project description

The project aims at assessing dependence of urban systems on surrounding environment and at expressing the degree of impact on surrounding ecosystems and biodiversity by urban metabolism. It elaborates on the concept of socio-economic and urban metabolism and strives to express the relation between environmental burden and ecosystem services, including biodiversity maintenance.

The research is rooted in the concept of environmental sustainability, while it aims at a quantitative expression of the balance of urbanized systems with their longterm base of  natural resources.

Metabolism of urban systems is assessed using the method of material and energy flow analysis (MEFA) and by stating the overall footprint of the urban systems via the analysis of the demands on biologically productive area.

An important part of the project forms the integrated assessment of the impacts of socioeconomic metabolism on ecosystem services and biodiversity.

 

Project milestones

1) Urban ecosystem
The objective of this part is to identify a suitable model of an urban ecosystem as a complex of socioeconomic and biophysical factors.

- 30.6.2008 - basic research

2) Socioeconomic metabolism 
This part intends mainly to detect the interlinkages between the trends of macroeconomic indicators of environmental sustainability and trends set by the socioeconomic metabolism of regions and urban systems.

- 31.12.2009 - basic research

3) Demands of urban systems on primary productivity and area

The objective lies in expressing the impact of human dominance on ecosystems and biodiversity using the aggregated  indicators of environmental sustainability.

- 31.12.2009 - basic research

4) Metabolism of urban systems
The objective is to quantify material and energy flows, inputs and outputs, and demands on biologically productive area of selected model cities in the context of regions.

- 30.6.2011 - applied non-industrial research

5) Ecosystem services in urban context
This part aims at an integrated assessment of ecosystem services in urban context, their disturbance rate at present and possible risks of their disturbance in future. 

- 30.6.2011 - applied non-industrial research 

 

Outputs

KOVANDA, Jan,  WEINZETTEL, Jan a  HÁK, Tomáš. Analysis of regional material flows: The case of the Czech Republic. Resources, Conservation and Recycling, 2009, roč. 2009, č. 5, s. 243-254, ISSN 0921-3449.

KOVANDA, Jan,  WEINZETTEL, Jan,  HÁK, Tomáš a  HAVRÁNEK, Miroslav. Domestic extraction used (DE) and physical trade in Prague and the Czech Republic: Comparison and argumentation for the best DE ratio. In ConAccount 2008: urban metabolism - measuring the ecological city, 1. vyd., 2009.s. 36-53, ISBN 978-80-87076-12-5.

VAČKÁŘ, David. Urban metabolism, footprints, sustainability, and net primary production. In ConAccount 2008: urban metabolism - measuring the ecological city, 1. vyd., 2009.s. 295-315, ISBN 978-80-87076-12-5.

VAČKÁŘ, David. Ecological Footprint and biodiversity sustainable use. Paper at the the International Ecological Footprint Conference, Cardiff, 8-10.5. 2007.

VAČKÁŘ, David, HAVRÁNEK, Miroslav, CHARRIERE, Benoit, KOVANDA, Jan. Urban Footprint and Metabolism. The case of the Pilsen. Paper at the International Ecological Footprint Conference, Cardiff, 8-10.5. 2007.

HAVRÁNEK, Miroslav, VAČKÁŘ, David. Ecological footprint of the Czech Republic: Robustness of Energy Conversion Approaches. Paper at the International Ecological Footprint Conference, Cardiff, 8-10.5. 2007

 

Contact

Charles University
Environment Centre
José Martího 407/2
160 00 Praha 6
Czech Republic

tel.: +420 220 199 460

e-mail: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. 

How to find us

Personal data protection

Information about data protection

Data Protection Officer
Mgr. Jan Jindra

E-mail: gdpr@cuni.cz
Phone: +420 224 491 740