Abstract: Problems of indicator for regional sustainable development have theoretical, practical and technical properties. All indicators proposed only from one part of theoretical analysis, and practical application or technical design have some specified limitations. Indicators of regional sustainable development are a sign of the level of men’s understanding. So, indicators of regional sustainable development should be an indicator system of regional economy, society, resources and environment, and it can be used to describe the state of regional sustainable development, to monitor the process of regional sustainable development, to show the prospects of regional sustainable development, and to judge the quality of regional sustainable development. On the basis of summarizing indicator studies for sustainable development, this paper presented an indicator system of man land interactive potential consisting of the bearing capacity of natural resources, the latent capacity of social resources and the social economic capacity of natural environment. There are many studies and ripe methods on the natural resources dimension. On the natural environment dimension, the studies are still in the stage of theoretical research, and the next stage should be practical research. The input output potential belongs to social resource dimension, its measuring method is a key link in the theory and practice of regional sustainable development. Henan Province is a complex regional system, its social economic level and conditions of resources and environment are representative in China. Taking Henan Province as a case, this paper gives a method of measuring regional input output potential, and discusses the analysis and application of this indicator in the sustainable development of Henan Province supported by GIS. The results indicate that input output potential is an effective indicator of measuring the level, capacity and prospects of regional sustainable development, these analysis methods of indicators can be used for other regions by the support of GIS.

Key words: regional sustainable development, man land interactive potential, input output potential, indicator system