As one of the main tourist destinations in the Mediterranean, Ibiza received around four million visitors in 2016 – double the number from a decade ago. This growth has seen a strong imbalance between the summer population and permanent residents, and placed pressure on limited resources. In 2017, we coordinated a major study by the University of the Balearic Islands to produce a set of sustainability indicators for the island.
The indicators cover a range of themes, including human pressure, urban planning, agriculture, transportation, water, energy, waste and biodiversity.
The indicators will be used to provide a solid fact base to drive decision making and reporting. A “sustainability observatory” could be created in 2018 following the model from Menorca’s OBSAM (Observatori Socioambiental de Menorca).
To date, we have invested €20,000 to produce the carrying capacity study and sustainability indicators.
The study and sustainability indicators will provide a useful tool to engage key stakeholders and decision makers on the future development of Ibiza.
View the study here, ‘Social and Environmental Carrying Capacity of the Island of Eivissa’ (in Spanish).
The study’s introduction and executive summary is available in English here.
