How Spatial Analysis Can Help Enhance Material Stocks and Flows Analysis

Spatial information can be integrated into almost all fields of industrial ecology. Many researchers have shown that spatial proximity affects a variety of behaviors and interactions, and thus matters for materials stocks and flows analysis. However, normal tools or models in industrial ecology based on temporal dependence cannot be simply applied to the case of spatial dependence. This paper proposes a framework integrating material stocks and flows analysis with spatial analysis. We argue that spatial analysis can help data management and visualization, determine spatio-temporal patterns-processes-drivers, and finally develop dynamic and spatially explicit models, to improve the performance of simulating and assessing stocks and flows of materials. Scaling in spatial, temporal, and organizational dimensions and other current limitations are also discussed. Combined with spatial analysis, industrial ecology can really be more powerful in achieving its origin and destination—sustainability.