ASSESSING THE FACTORS OF ENERGY CONSUMPTION BEHAVIOR IN URBAN AREA

Abstract

This paper focuses on delineation of ecological viability due to changes of household energy consumption behavior. Then the research also explored the factors (Environmental resources) behind growing ecological footprint. For having a lot of natural elements and high residential characteristics ward-4 of Khulna city was selected as study area. The research followed a three step approaches. At first, geographical and topographical data are analyzed in geo-spatial environment. Which helped to draw the Environmental Performance framework. Geographical Information system (GIS) helps to evaluate the current scenario and past scenario of the resource compatibility of some existing assets. The second phase is all about assessing the residents’ behavior towards energy consumption practice and the influencing factors behind this. The third part showed the environmental performance index (EPI) that include both the socio-economic problems and environmental circumstances using NSA method under the explanatory variables of environmental impact assessment (EIA). Essential natural assets especially water body and the vegetation has decreased at tremendous rate in recent time in Ward-4 with the enhancement of buildup area. This research is totally based on stakeholder perception towards energy consumption pattern and all the further assessment depend on this concept. To assess the behavioral changing factors, it seems that the correlation between income range and energy consumption is positive and linear. It represents that people want to switch high energy consumption appliances with growing wealth. Third phase assess environmental health (measure threat to human health) and ecological vitality (measures ecosystem service and natural resources) under environmental performance index. As the study is mostly involved local residents of study area so the method of neighborhood sustainability Assessment (NSA) is combined with EPI method for scoring the indicators. The approximate score of Environmental Performance Index (EPI) is around 53 percent demarcating the areas existing situation is in moderate rate and diverted from the standard value. This research draw attention to find out environment viability of ward-4 by measuring environmental stress to human health and ecosystem for providing practical guidance to government that aspire to move towards sustainable future.