MANAGEMENT OF NATURAL RESOURSES

Natural resources: It is the stock of the nature such as air, water, minerals, soil, petroleum,
forests and wildlife that are useful to mankind in many ways.

Pollution: It is defined as the undesirable change in physical, chemical or biological

characteristics of our soil, air or water, which harmfully affect human lives or the lives of
other species.

Pollutant: those substances that cause a harmful change in the environment, thereby
producing adverse effects on living organisms are called pollutant.
Eg- Pesticides, industrial wastes, vehicles & sewage exhaust.

Ganga-Action Plan: It is a massive multi-crore project implemented in 1985, which has

been undertaken to clean the excess of pollutant from the Ganga river.

 We can reduce pressure on the environment applying the maxim of 3R- Reduce,
Recycle & Reuse in our lives.

Sustainable development: It is the development which can be maintained for a long time
without undue damage to the environment.

The objective of sustainable development is to provide the economic well-being of the

present and the future generations and to maintain the healthy environment and life support
system.

Need to manage our resources:-

1. Since the natural resources are limited but population grows at a very rapid rate.
2. It requires long term perspective to meet the need and aspirationss of future
generation.
3. Everyone of the society should be benifitted from its development.
4. The waste generated from exploitation of natural resourses should be disposed off
safely.

BIODIVERSITY:- It is the existence of wide variety of species of plants, animals &

microorganisms in a natural habitat within a particular environment.

WILDLIFE:- All naturally occurring animals, plants and their species which are not
cultivated and tamed.

CONSERVATION:- It is the sensible use of the earth’s natural resourses in order to avoid
excessive degradation and betterment of the environment.

*conservation means ‘to keep safe’ whereas Presercation means ‘to maintain the
environment as it is’.
The conservation of forests depend on its forest resourses or its various stakeholders who
are as follows;

1. People who live in or around forests: depend on forest produce for various aspects of
their life
2. Forest department of the government which owns the land and control the forest
recourses.
3. Industrialist: Consider the forest as a source of raw material for its factories.
4. Wildlife and nature enthusiast: they are not dependent on the forest buy conserve
nature and take part in management.

CHIPKO MOVEMENT ( HUG THETREES MOVEMENT ):- Started during 1970, in

Rani village of garhwal by the influence of Sundar lal bahuguna.

*Bishnoi community in Rajasthan worked for conservation of forest and wildlife as a

religious act.

In 1731,Amrita Devi Bishnoi sacrificed her life along with 363 people for the
protection of „Khejri‟ trees in Khejrali village,, near Jodhpur in Rajasthan. In her memory
govt. of India have instituted “Amrita Devi Bishnoi National Award” for “ Wildlife
conservation”.

Fresh water: obtained from rain water, surface water & ground water.

WATER

Saline water / salty water.

Management of water recourses: - it includes-

1. Integrated water-shed plan for drinking, irrigation & industrial uses.

2. Flood control
3. Transfer of surplus water to water deficit region by interlinking rivers.
4. Artificial recharging of ground water
5. Mass awareness programmes through public or private agencies.

DAMS: they are massive barriers built across rivers and streams to confine and utilize the
flow of water for human purposes such as irrigation, generation of electricity and control
flooding which either stops or shows the amount of water in river.
Benefits of Dam:

1. It ensures the storage of adequate water.

2. Canal system leading from dams transfer large quantity of water to a greater distance
and bring greenery to considerable area.

Criticism of large dam:

1. Social problem:- as they displace large number of farmers and tribals.

2. Economic problem:- as they consume huge amount of public money without
proportionate benefit.
3. Environmental problems:- as they causes deforestation and loss of biological diversity.

WATERSHADE MANAGEMENT: Scientific conservation of soil & water to increase the

biomass production. It does not only increase the production and income of the watershed
community but also overcome draught and flood. It increases the life of downstream dams
and reservoir.

WATER HARVESTING-It means capturing rain-water where it falls or capturing runoff

water in a local area and taking measures to keep the water clean by not allowing polluting
activities to take place.

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