Industrial Ecology is of great relevance to developing countries where resources are stressed due to high population density and rapid industrialization. It affords an opportunity for developing countries to measure the flow of resources through different anthropogenic activities. Such measurements are necessary to plan and recommend strategies for sustainable utilization of resources.

Most developing countries are short of material and energy resources; many sections of the population do not have easy access to them. An industrial ecology approach should provide optimal strategies that are desirable in the long run.

Equally importantly, in most developing countries, resources (particularly land, water and energy) are not priced based on their value to society or at fair market prices. Often, these resources are priced so that they are affordable to majority of the population.