The ecological intensity of human well-being at the local level

• Published in: Environmental and sustainability indicators 2020-12, Vol.8, p.100061, Article 100061
• Main Authors: Silva, José Maria Cardoso da, Li, Han, Barbosa, Luís Claudio Fernandes
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Development; Economic growth; Geography; Inequality; Sustainability
• ISSN: 2665-9727; 2665-9727
• DOI: 10.1016/j.indic.2020.100061

One of the major challenges that modern societies face is improving their well-being, while reducing pressures on their immediate environments. One indicator that tracks this progress is the environmental intensity of well-being (EIWB), which measures how much stress is placed on the environment per unit of human well-being. In most studies, the variation and relationship of EIWB with socio-economic factors have been evaluated by using countries as the unit of analysis, without considering the impacts of locally spatial dependence and heterogeneity. Here, we present the first study examining the spatial variation of EIWB within a large tropical country (Brazil), by using the smallest possible geopolitical unit of analysis (municipalities). We used spatial regression models to assess how two socio-economic factors (affluence and income inequality) explain EIWB trends across 5564 municipalities after controlling for their areas and population sizes. We found that: (1) there is a significant spatial variation of EIWB within Brazil, with the highest EIWB scores concentrated in the country’s northeastern and southeastern regions; (2) income inequality has a positive effect on local EIWB, but affluence has a negative one; and (3) the relationships between EIWB and its two covariates vary geographically and are context-dependent. Assessing EIWB at the local level can provide decision-makers and stakeholders with a more nuanced perspective on the challenges associated with sustainable development at different geopolitical levels. •Low environmental intensity of well-being (EIWB) indicates sustainable development.•Municipalities in Brazil show large geographic variation in EIWB.•Affluence and income inequality influence local EIWB.•The EIWB of a municipality is influenced by the social characteristics of its neighbors.