Resources
Resources refers to all the materials available in the environmental which help us to satisfy our needs
and demands
• It provides and secures the need of Individuals/populations
• Encourage freedom to live
• Secure comfort and migration of population
Environment Resource: Made up of Physical, chemical and biological factors
such as climate, soil, and living things. Resources
It is essential for the life on Earth providing food, water and air
Environment
Resources
Natural Resource: Material comes from earth, such as air, sunlight,
Soil, water, oil, coal, natural gas, metals, stone, and sand
Natural
Natural resources can be used to support life and meet people needs.
Resources
Classification of Resources
Potential Resource
Realistic Resource
The resources that are available in
The resources provides sustainable
specific reason and can be utilized in
environment for living and recreation.
the future, use of these resources
This resources can be accessible by
required advanced technology
existing technologies
Examples: Geothermal energy, nuclear
Examples: Mineral deposits, Soil,
energy, freshwater in iceberg, Wave
freshwater, timber etc.
energy
Natural Resources
Environment provides life support materials or resources for nourishment of life on earth for
plants, animals and man.
Examples are water, air, soil, forests, minerals, crops etc
There are two categories of natural resources:
1. Renewable Resources: These can be recycled and
regenerated within a given span of time e.g.,
forests, wind energy, solar energy, biomass energy,
hydropower etc.
2. Non-renewable Resources: These cannot be
regenerated e.g., fossil fuels such as coal, petroleum,
minerals etc.
With increase in consumption, these will be
exhausted in near future.
Natural Resources
On the basis of origin
a) Biotic resources - E.g: Wildlife, Fossil fuels like coal, petroleum, etc.
b) Abiotic resources - E.g: Gold, iron, copper, silver, etc.
On the basis of abundance and availability:
a) Exhaustible resources - E.g: Coal, petroleum, mineral rocks, etc.
b) Inexhaustible resources - E.g: Solar energy, atomic energy, wind energy, tidal
energy, etc.
On the basis of renewability
a) Renewable resources - E.g: Sunlight, air, wildlife, etc.
b) Non-renewable resources - E.g: Fossil fuels, Uranium
On the basis of recyclability
a) Recyclable resources -Ore of aluminium, copper etc, minerals used in natural form.
b) Non-recyclable resources -E.g: Fossil fuels and Uranium
Natural Resources
On the basis of distribution :
a) National resources - E.g: minerals and land
b) Multi national resources - E.g: Rivers, certain lakes and migratory animals
c) International resources - E.g: Air, solar energy
Types of Natural Resources
• Natural resources: renewable and non-renewable resources; natural-associated problems.
• Water resources: use and over utilization of surface and ground water; floods, drought, and
conflicts over water; dams (benefits and problems).
• Forest resources: use and over-exploitation; deforestation: case studies- timber extraction,
mining, dams and their effects on forests and tribal people.
• Mineral resources: use and exploitation, environmental effects of extracting and using mineral
resources- case studies.
• Food resources: world food problems, changes caused by agriculture over grazing-, effects of
modern agriculture fertilizer, pesticide problems, water logging, and salinity- case studies.
• Energy resources: growing energy needs, renewable and non-renewable energy resources, use
of alternate energy resources.
• Land resources: land as a resource, land degradation, man-induced landslides (soil erosion and
desertification).
Forest resources
• Trees/Plants have been dominating the earth for about 3.0 billion years.
• Around 3000 BC, India had about 80% forest cover.
• The National Forest Policy of India, 1988 predicted a goal of achieving 33% of the
geographical area of the country under forest & tree cover.
• During the British period, the rate of forest conversion into agricultural land
continued
• After our independence in 1947, net result is that the forest cover has dwindled from
80% to about 12%.
• India has been losing 1.3 million hectares of forests each year.
Global Share Forest Area UN Food Agriculture Organization (FAO)
Deforestation
Forest are burned or cut for clearing of land for agriculture ,harvesting for wood and timber ,
development and expansion of cities .These economic gains are short term where as long term
effects of deforestation are irreversible
If present rate of deforestation continues we may losses 90% tropical forest in coming six
decades
Causes of deforestation
a) Shifting cultivation or jhum cultivation
b) Commercial logging
c) Need for fuel wood
d) Expansion for agribusiness
e) Development projects and growing need for food
f) Raw materials for industrial use
Forest Cover Map, 2021 adapted from
Area-wise, Madhya Pradesh has the largest
forest cover in the country followed by
Arunachal Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Odisha
and Maharashtra.
Forest cover as percentage of total
geographical area, the top five States are
Mizoram (84%), Arunachal Pradesh (79%),
Meghalaya (76%), Manipur (74%) and
Nagaland (73%).
Case studies
Jhum cultivation
Chipko movement
Western himalayan region.
Chipko: A movement that gave forest conservation a new life
Sunderlal Bahuguna with his wife, Vimla.
FOREST FUNCTIONS
Watershed protection:
• Reduce the rate of surface run-off of water.
• Prevent flash floods and soil erosion.
• Produces prolonged gradual run-off and thus prevent
effects of drought.
Atmospheric regulation:
• Absorption of solar heat during evapo-transpiration.
• Maintaining carbon dioxide and oxygen levels
• Maintaining the local climatic conditions.
Local use –Food, Fodder, Fuel wood, Timber, Sericulture,
Apiculture, Medicinal Plants etc.
Market use - (Productive use)
Minor forest produce - (non-wood products):
Fuelwood, fruit, gum, fiber, etc.
Major timber extraction - construction, industrial uses, paper pulp, etc.
Timber extraction is done in India by the Forest Department,
but illegal logging continues in many of the forests of India and the world.
Water resources: Water has no alternative—it is known as “life”.
Although water covers about 71 percent of Earth's surface, only a small percentage of that water is
freshwater, and even less of that is easily accessible to the billions of organisms that depend on freshwater
for survival.
Includes all water bodies such as lakes, ponds, rivers, streams and ocean etc.
• All plants, insects, animals and human have 60–95 per cent water in their bodies.
• A major part of the water resource is the marine ecosystem in the ocean,
while only a small part occurs in fresh water.
• The unequal distribution of freshwater resources on earth impact
Population access to water, economic development and global
geopolitics
The UN has estimated that by the year 2050, 4 billion people will be seriously affected
by water shortages.
Water resources (Continue……)
Water resources
Pacific Ocean
The largest ocean. It is larger
than all the land put together.
It contains 48% of the world’s
seawater.
The deepest ocean because
the Mariana Trench is located
in it. (over 36,000 feet deep)
Atlantic Ocean
The second largest ocean.
It contains 23% of the world’s seawater.
Most traveled ocean routes.
Sea floor spreading- This ocean is
growing!!
Indian Ocean
The warmest ocean.
It contains 20% of the world’s seawater.
Monsoons occur here
It contains 40% of the world’s oil production.
Arctic Ocean
The smallest ocean.
Located near North Pole
It is covered by drifting ice
Southern Ocean
The newest ocean.
Recognized in 2000.
Located at the 60° S Latitude near the South
Pole
It contains icebergs and deep continental
shelves.
The water crisis has impacted the people of the city, schools, hospitals, hotels, restaurants, fire department, offices, housing
societies which have been affected by severe shortage of water due to demand and supply gap.
It is important to note that the Cauvery River and groundwater are the two main sources of water for the city. Additionally, out of
the 14,000 government borewells in the city 6,900 have dried up.
The water crisis of Bengaluru can be considered to be an outcome of a combination of factors which include:
Unplanned urbanization
Neglect of city’s water bodies
Absence of conservation of water bodies
Rainfall deficit in 2023
Groundwater depletion
Remedies for depletion of Water resources
• Improvement of efficiency of water use.
• Identification of water resources
• Technical training and education about water and its uses
• Information about water resources and flood mitigation
• Several programs are implemented such as:
• National mission for clean Ganga
• Jal Jeevan mission: By proving the safe drinking water to all rural houshold
• National Water mission: Promotion of citizen and state actions for water conservation,
augmentation and preservation
• Drinking water supply and sanitation
Case Study
Rainwater harvesting – another success story:
The area surrounding the River Ruparel in Rajasthan is a good example
of proper water conservation.
The site receives very little rainfall, but proper management and
conservation have ensured water availability throughout the year.
The water level in the river began declining due to extensive
deforestation and agricultural activities along the banks and, by the
1980s, a drought-like situation began to spread.
Under the guidance of local people, the women living in the area were
encouraged to take the initiative in building johads (round ponds) and
dams to hold back rain water.
Gradually, water began coming back as proper methods of conserving
and harvesting rainwater were followed. The revival of the river has
transformed the ecology of the place and the lives of the people living
along its banks.
Mineral resources
▪ A mineral is a naturally occurring substance of definite chemical composition and
identifiable physical properties
▪ An ore is a mineral or combination of minerals from which a useful substance can be
extracted and used to manufacture a useful product.
Mineral resources (Cont…)
• Minerals are formed over a period of millions of years in the earth’s crust.
• Iron, aluminum, zinc, manganese and copper are important raw materials for industrial
use.
Environmental Issues
Extraction and processing has large environmental impacts in terms of such things as
air quality, surface water quality, groundwater quality, soils, vegetation, and
aesthetics.
Acid mine drainage is one example, Sulfide minerals newly exposed to Oxygen and
water near the surface create sulfuric acid. Rainwater falling on the mine tailings
becomes acidified and can create toxic conditions in the runoff. This can mobilize
potentially dangerous heavy metals and kill organisms in the streams draining the
tailings.
Mineral resources (Cont…)
Food resources
Plants and animals are the main source of food for all the organisms on earth.
Food resources (Cont…)
World Food problem
• According to the UNEP’s (United Nations Environment Programme) food wastage index report, 68.7
million tonnes of food is wasted annually in Indian homes, in simple words it is about 55 kgs per
person. It stands 2nd worldwide in terms of household wastage of food only followed by China.
• A report by the National Resources Defence Council (NDRC) says that 40% of the food produced
goes uneaten in the US, whereas in Asia, approx 1.34 billion tonnes of food gets wasted; the main
contributors being India and China.
Causes of Food Wastage in India
❑ Post-Harvest Losses
❑ Lack of Awareness
❑ The Big Fat Weeding
❑ Market Needs
How to resolve shortage of food resources
Energy resources
Energy resources are essential components that power our modern societies, fueling economic
activities, technological advancements, and daily life. These resources can be broadly
categorized into two main types: renewable and non-renewable
Energy resources (Cont…)
Non-renewable sources of energy are produced or
replaced in nature much more slowly than they are
consumed by mankind.
Renewable energy sources draw energy from processes
that occur continuously in nature.
Land resources
Anthropogenic cause
Natural resources conservation
Natural resource conservation is important to ensuring natural resources are available for future human
use. Resources must be conserved at a level that allows renewability to keep pace with consumption or
shortages could emerge.
Natural resources include air, water, plants, fossil fuels, and animal species.
Conservation is the proper management of a natural resource to prevent its exploitation, destruction or
degradation.
Natural Resources and Associated Problems
There are several problems that are attached to natural resources.
The irrational consumption and overuse of these natural resources have led to several socio-economic
and environmental problems.
1.Natural resources are available in a fixed quantity and are non-renewable.
2.There is an increasing scarcity of these natural resources as the population is increasing day by day.
3.Non-renewable natural resources take millions of years to form
Role of Individuals in conservation of natural resources.
1.Use an alternative source of power like solar and wind energy
2.Plant more trees for preventing the soil erosion
3.Use pipelines for transporting oil
4.Treat the industrial sewage and wastage even before they get released into the water bodies
5.Include the rainwater harvesting system in the house
6.Use biogas in the house
7.Use biofuels instead of the conventional petroleum-based fuels
8.Ensure that the wastes are being recycled
9.Use electronic mails
10.Make use of the energy-saving tube lights and bulbs
11.Practice the method of crop rotation
12.Construct reservoirs
Case Studies: Mineral resources
Sariska Tiger Reserve, Rajasthan
The Forest Department has leased land for mining in the Sariska
Tiger Reserve area by denotifying forest areas.
Mining involve clearing of forests and digging around 30 to 40
meters deep pits which results in water flow from wells into the pits.
This results on peoples lives, agriculture, animal husbandry and
region water supply.
The local people have fought against the mining lobby, and have filed
a Public Interest Litigation in the Supreme Court in 1991.
Rajendra Singh, secretary of Tarun Bharat Sangh, NGO, highlighted
that as many as 70 mines operate in close proximity to the forest.
Case registered under: Wildlife Protection Act, 1972
