Abstract
In the first place, we need to clarify why we have chosen the term disaster footprint to characterise our study. Apart from its obvious meaning, the word footprint also carries significance as a marked impression, an effect, or an impact. Yet, while other fields of science seem familiar with the concept, it appears to be scarcely used in the literature related to natural hazards.
Ecologists define footprint as an estimate of the territory required to provide resources consumed
by a given population (Ewing et al. 2010). Ecological footprint analysis cor- relates the human
appropriation of ecosystem products and services to the area of bioproductive sea and land required
to supply these services (Ewing et al. 2010). Čuček et al. (2012) also report the definition of
footprint given by UNEP as describing ‘how human activities can impose different types of burdens
and impacts on global sustain- ability’ (UNEP/SETAC 2009)....