UNIT 3

Mugdha De shpan de
Natural resources can be defined as the resources that exist
(on the planet) independent of human actions.
Natural resources are naturally occurring materials that are useful to man or could
be useful under conceivable technological, economic, or social circumstances or
supplies drawn from the earth, supplies such as food, building and clothing
materials, fertilizers, metals, water, and geothermal power. For a long time, natural
resources were the domain of the natural sciences.
 Natural resources come from
different spheres/components of
the Environment
 Atmosphere - Air
Importance
• Oxygen for human respiration
• Oxygen for animals for respiration
(used by man as food)
• Oxygen as a part of CO2 for plants
(in turn used by man)
Threats
• Air pollution (industrial gases,
burning of fossil fuels)
2. Hydrosphere - water
Importance
• Clean water for drinking and daily chores
• Water for agriculture and industry
• Food from freshwater and saltwater sources (plants, fishes, crustaceans)
• Water for generating electricity
Threats
• Deforestation brings changes in the hydrosphere
• Land degradation leads to soil erosion due to surface water
• Pollution (Chemicals from sewage and industry)
3. Lithosphere - Earth
Importance
• Soil (basis for agriculture)
• Stone, sand, gravel for construction
• Micronutrients (soil) for plant growth
• Minerals
• Underground sources (oil, gas, coal)
Threats
• Pollution (Soil pollution)
• Degradation of land
• Deforestation (for mining)
4. Biosphere - living beings
Importance
• Food (from crops and domestic animals)
• Food for all forms of life which form food
chains
• Biomass fuel wood (energy demands)
• Timber and construction materials
Threats
• Overexploitation
• Agriculture and plantations replacing forest
areas
• The demand for renewable resources is
increasing as the human population continues
to grow.
• Energy from renewable resources puts less
strain on the limited supply of fossil fuels,
which are considered nonrenewable resources.
• Using renewable resources on a large scale is
costly, and more research is needed for their
use to be cost-effective
The need for sustainable lifestyles: The quality of
human life and the quality of ecosystems on earth
are indicators of the sustainable use of resources.

There are clear indicators of sustainable lifestyles

in human life - Human development index
• Increased longevity
• An increase in knowledge
• An enhancement of income.
 Food comes from:
*Agricultural crops
*Fisheries
*Forest produce
*Animal husbandry

Is it enough for the world’s population?

Why is there so much hunger across the world?
In many developing countries where populations are expanding rapidly, the production of
food is unable to keep pace with the growing demand.

Food production in 64 of the 105 developing countries is lagging behind their population
growth levels (unable to produce more food /don’t have financial means to import it).

Although India is self-sufficient in food production, it is only because of modern

patterns of agriculture that are unsustainable & pollute our environment with excessive
use of chemical fertilizers & pesticides
Monoculture - In case of a disease/pest outbreak, the entire crop gets devastated leaving
farmers with no income.

Excessive use of chemical fertilizers and pesticides does not give higher yields but
decreases crop productivity over time (land degradation).

Loss of genetic diversity among crops and spread of the hybrids. E.g. Genetically Modified
crops.

There are 50,000 known edible plants documented worldwide. Of these only 15 varieties
produce 90% of the world's food.

Erosion of traditions - Decreasing farm sizes

Increasing desertification - Globally 5 to 7 million hectares of farmland are degraded each
year. In India, there is a shortage of cultivable productive land

Water scarcity is an important aspect of poor agricultural outputs

Unequal distribution of food resources - Food security is only possible if food is equitably
distributed to all

Use of hormones in animal husbandry

Animal and plant diseases

Global warming and acid rain

• Overharvesting of aquatic food resources & use of destructive methods for
aquatic harvesting:
• In several parts of the world fish catch has dropped due to overfishing.
• Modern fishing technologies using mechanized trawlers and small meshed
nets lead directly to overexploitation, which is not sustainable.
• The worst hit is the small traditional fishermen who are no match for the
organized trawlers.
The FAO (Food and Agriculture Organization) of the United Nations defines sustainable
agriculture as that which conserves land, water, and plant & animal genetic resources
do not degrade the environment and is economically viable & socially acceptable.

Integrated Crop Management (ICM) and Integrated Pest Management (IPM) will help.
ICM: use of drip irrigation, use of bio-fertilizers, intercropping, using traditional
varieties, use of organic fertilizers & pesticides.
IPM: preserving pest predators, using pest-resistant seed varieties, and reducing the
use of chemical pesticides
• Many of us waste a large amount of food carelessly.

• This eventually places great stress on our environmental resources.

• Buy locally grown food.

• Buy organic food.

• Support is needed for small farmers so that they remain, farmers,

rather than shifting to urban centers as unskilled industrial workers.
• Animal husbandry helps in the proper management of animals by providing
proper food, shelter, and protection against diseases to domestic animals.
• It provides employment to a large number of farmers and thereby increases
their living standards.
• It helps in developing high-yielding breeds of animals by cross-breeding. This
increases the production of various food products such as milk, eggs, meat,
etc.
• It involves the proper disposal of animal waste and promotes a healthy
environment.
• Land resources mean the resources available from the land, thus the agricultural land which
contains natural fertilizer for the growth of the products sown; the underground water, the
various minerals like coal, bauxite, gold, and other raw materials.

• The interaction between the components of land resources is vital for determining the
productivity and sustainability of agroecosystems.

• If the land is utilized carefully it can be considered a renewable resource

• Protected areas can be only formed in regions where land resources are still natural or pristine
In the last 100 years, there is
The majority of forests,
tremendous development in
and grasslands
industrialization, health care,
converted into
improved nutritional status
intensive agriculture,
and population growth
industry, and urban
especially in the developing
sectors
countries
• Healthy soil feeds the world
• It is a finite resource
• It can help in mitigating climate change
• It helps in the growth of plants
• It holds and cleans water
• It recycles nutrients
• It is a home for a multitude of
organisms
Land degradation is the result of human-induced
actions which exploit land, causing its utility,
biodiversity, soil fertility, and overall health to decline

The major causes of land degradation include:

• land clearance poor farming practices,
• overgrazing, inappropriate irrigation,
• urban sprawl and commercial development,
• land pollution including industrial waste
• quarrying of stone, sand and minerals.
• Soil erosion is the displacement of
the upper layer of soil; it is a form of
soil degradation

• This natural process is caused by the

dynamic activity of erosive agents,
that is, water, ice, snow, air, plants,
and animals

• Deforestation leads to rapid soil

erosion
Land degradation describes the whole aspects that entail the
decline in the soil quality that results in the inability to
sustain plants and animal growth. In contrast, soil erosion
describes the reduced nutrient levels of the soil only. Soil
erosion, in general, is a part of land degradation.
 Desertification is the degradation process by which a fertile land changes itself into a
desert by losing its flora and fauna.
Desertification takes place when a particular type of biome converts into a desert biome.
• Overgrazing
• Deforestation
• Farming Practices
• Urbanization and other types of land
development
• Climate Change
• Stripping the land of resources
• Natural Disasters
• Farming becomes difficult or even impossible in the
area
• Flooding chances are more
• Hunger – because of no farming
• Poor quality of water
• Overpopulation
• Poverty as a result of the above
• Focus on Water management. Rainwater harvest must be done, water that can
be reused must not be left out as waste
• Reforestation and tree regeneration
• Buttressing the soil through the use of sand fences, shelter belts, woodlots and
windbreaks
• Better and hyper-fertilization of soil through planting
• The residue from pruned trees can be used to provide mulching for fields thus
increasing soil water retention and reducing evaporation
 Forests account
for 75 percent of
the biosphere's
gross primary
productivity.
It is home to 80%
of the world's
plant biomass.
• Forests contribute to the earth's water cycle by
bringing rain.
• Forests aid in the regulation of atmospheric
temperature and oxygen levels.
• Plants eat carbon dioxide and release oxygen into the
atmosphere.
• Forests contribute to global warming mitigation.
• Forests aid in soil erosion prevention.
• Forests provide a rubber, lac, organic colors, gum,
resins, and other materials.
Deforestation can be defined as the
large-scale removal of trees from
forests (or other lands) for the
facilitation of human activities. It is a
serious environmental concern since it
can result in the loss of biodiversity,
damage to natural habitats,
disturbances in the water cycle, and
soil erosion. Deforestation is also a
contributor to climate change and
global warming.
• Forests cover approximately 31% of the total land surface of
the Earth.
• Tropical forests harbor over half of all land-based animal and
plant species in the world.
• Between the years 2000 and 2012, over 568 million acres
of forest have been claimed by deforestation.
• Approximately 9 million acres of virgin tropical forest were
cut down in the year 2018.
• The Amazon rainforest, which is the source of 20% of the
world’s oxygen supply, loses approximately 1.32 acres of its
area every minute due to deforestation.
• It is a program in which there is a partnership between the state forest departments
and the local communities that depend upon the forest for their living.
• It originated in the early 1970s. It was developed by the environment and forest
ministry of the Indian Government to develop forests in barren soil.
• In this, there is one forest protection committee that is in agreement with the forest
department.
• The committee also maintains the balance of ecosystems and the protection of the
climate.
• There are 22 states that are implementing the JFM program.
A mineral is a pure inorganic substance that occurs
naturally in the earth’s crust. More than two-
thousand minerals have been identified and most of
these are inorganic, which are formed by the
various combination of elements. However, a small
proportion of the earth’s crust contains organic
materials, consisting of single elements such as
gold, silver, diamond, and sulfur.
1. Important raw materials for industrial use
Iron
Aluminum
Zinc 2. Important non-metal
Copper resources
Manganese Coal
Salt
Clay
Silica
3. The stone used for building materials, such as granite, marble,
and limestone.

4. Minerals with special properties that humans value for their

aesthetic and economic value are gems such as diamonds,
emeralds, rubies, gold, silver and platinum.

5. Minerals in the form of oil, gas, and coal were formed when
ancient plants and animals were converted into underground
fossil fuels
Minerals and their ores need to be extracted from the earth’s
interior so that they can be used. This process is known as
mining.

Mining operations generally progress through four stages:

• Prospecting: Searching for minerals
• Exploration: Assessing the size, shape, location, and
economic value of the deposi
• Development: Work of preparing access to the deposit
so that the minerals can be extracted from it.
• Exploitation: Extracting the minerals from the mines
Mines are of two types
• Surface (open cut or strip mines)
• Deep (shaft mines)

New technology to excavate the minerals and energy to use them in the best way is required
Mine safety
• Hazardous occupation and safety of workers are of concern
• Deep mining is more dangerous
• Coal mining is more hazardous than metal mining
• Mining poses several long-term occupational hazards to the miners. Dust
produced during mining operations is injurious to health and causes a lung
disease known as black lung, or pneumoconiosis.
• Fumes generated by incomplete dynamite explosions are extremely
poisonous.
• Methane gas, emanating from coal strata, is hazardous to health although
not poisonous in the concentrations usually encountered in mine air.
• Radiation is a hazard in uranium mines.
• Mining operations are
considered one of the main
sources of environmental
degradation
• Depletion of available land due
to mining
• waste from industries
• conversion of land to industry
• pollution of land, water and air
by industrial wastes
• The water cycle, through evaporation and
precipitation, maintains hydrological
systems which form rivers and lakes and
support a variety of aquatic ecosystems
• All people depend on water for several
needs. The world depends on a limited
quantity of freshwater.
• At a global level, ~ 70% of water is used
by agriculture, 25% by industry, and
only 5% for domestic use
• In India, 90% is for agriculture, 7% for
industry, and 3% for domestic use.
 1. Saltwater Resources:

The planet's atmosphere is covered in saltwater. However, when it relates to potable water
sources, saltwater is actually ineffective. Desalination plants, though they do operate, are in
short supply due to the high energy costs associated with the operation.

Apart from spectacular ocean views, there have been saltwater opportunities through which
humans gain profit. Saltwater fish is indeed a staple of many people's diets around the world.
In addition, tidal waters have been used to generate hydroelectric power.
2. Groundwater Resources:
• Of all the freshwater resources, groundwater in the water natural resources is perhaps the most abundant.
Part of the water filters down into the soil via layers of dirt, clay, and rock stacks to the uppermost layers,
providing water to the plants.
• This water is in the vadose region, which means it is unsaturated. Instead of water, almost all of the pores
in the vadose zone are filled with air.
• Inputs, outputs, and storage are the same for groundwater as they are for surface water. The crucial
distinction is that, due to the slow turnover rate, groundwater storage is typically much greater (in
volume) than surface water storage in comparison to inputs.
• Because of this distinction, humans may use groundwater in an unsustainable manner over an extended
period of time without suffering serious repercussions. Nonetheless, the average rate of drainage above a
groundwater source is the upper limit for average groundwater use during the longer run.
3. Surface Water Resources:
• The water in lakes and rivers is known as surface water. Potable water, recreation, industry, agriculture,
transportation, livestock, and hydroelectric energy are all uses for this water.
• Groundwater natural resources provide over 63 percent of the municipal water supply. Irrigation relies on
surface water for 58 percent of all its water supply. Irrigation relies on groundwater for 58 percent of its water
system.
• Surface water systems have nearly 98 percent of the water used by industry. As a result, maintaining and
improving surface water quality is critical. Watershed entities track streamflow and groundwater management
on a regular basis.
• Flooding and drought conditions are predicted by monitoring streamflow. Since surface water provides most of
the water used within the United States, water resources information and management is important. It is a
chemical, biological, and physical test that determines how acceptable water is.
• Electrical conductivity, temperature, pH, dissolved oxygen levels, phosphorus levels, bacteria levels, and
nitrogen levels are evaluated as indicators of water quality.
The availability of water resources varies over space and time-
• Water scarcity is caused by over-exploitation, excessive use and unequal access to
water among different social groups.
• Water resources are being over-exploited to expand irrigated areas for dry-season
agriculture.
• In some areas, water is sufficiently available to meet the needs of the people. But,
those areas still suffer from water scarcity due to the bad quality of water.
In ancient times, we used to conserve water by constructing sophisticated hydraulic structures
like dams built of stone rubble, reservoirs or lakes, embankments and canals for irrigation. We
have continued this tradition in modern India by building dams in most of our river basins.
A dam is a barrier across flowing water that
obstructs, directs, or retards the flow, often creating
a reservoir, lake or impoundment.
Dams are built:
• To impound rivers and rainwater that can be
used later to irrigate agricultural fields.
• For electricity generation.
• Water supply for domestic and industrial uses.
• Flood control.
• Recreation, inland navigation and fish
breeding.
• Regulating and damming rivers affect their natural flow.
• Poorer the habitats for the rivers’ aquatic life.
• Fragmented rivers make it difficult for aquatic fauna to migrate.
• Dams created on the floodplains submerge the existing vegetation and soil leading to
its decomposition over a period of time.
• Creating of large dams has been the cause of many new environmental movements
like the ‘Narmada Bachao Andolan’ and the ‘Tehri Dam Andolan’ etc.
• Many times local people had to give up their land, livelihood, and their control over
resources for the construction of the dam.
Rainwater harvesting is a simple method by which rainfall is collected for
future usage.
Different methods have been adopted in different areas for Rain Water
Harvesting.
In hill and
mountainous regions,
people have built
diversion channels like
the ‘guls’ or ‘kuls’ of
the Western
Himalayas for
agriculture.
“Rooftop rainwater harvesting” is commonly practiced to store drinking
water.
In the flood plains of Bengal, people developed inundation channels to irrigate their fields.
In arid and semi-arid regions, agricultural fields were converted into rain-fed storage
structures that allowed the water to stand and moisten the soil such as ‘khadins’ in
Jaisalmer and ‘Johads’ in other parts of Rajasthan.
‘Save water’ campaigns are essential to make people everywhere aware of
the dangers of water scarcity. These include measures such as:
• Building several small reservoirs instead of few mega projects.
• Develop small catchment dams and protect wetlands
• Soil management, micro catchment development and afforestation
permit the recharging of underground aquifers thus reducing the need
for large dams.
• Treating and recycling municipal wastewater for agricultural use
• Preventing leakages from dams and canals.
• Preventing loss in Municipal pipes.
• Effective rainwater harvesting in urban environments.
• Water conservation measures in agriculture such as using drip irrigation.
• •Pricing water at its real value makes people use it more responsibly and efficiently
and reduces water waste.
• •In deforested areas where land has been degraded, soil management by bunding
along the hill slopes and making ‘Nala’ plugs, can help retain moisture and make it
possible to re-vegetate degraded areas.
Sources of energy can be classified into:

• A renewable source is a natural resource that causes no impact on nature. Renewable

sources of energy are available plentiful in nature and are sustainable. These resources
of energy can be naturally replenished and are safe for the environment.
• Examples of renewable sources of energy are: Solar energy, geothermal energy, wind
energy, biomass, hydropower and tidal energy.
• Non-renewable sources of
energy cause an impact on
nature and are a limited supply
source. Non-renewable sources
can be extracted from the earth
and will run out as time passes.
• Examples of non-renewable
sources of energy are: Natural
gas, coal, petroleum, nuclear
energy, and hydrocarbon gas
liquids.
Sun is the primary source
of energy. Sunlight is a
clean, renewable source
of energy. It is a
sustainable resource,
meaning it doesn't run
out, but can be
maintained because the
sun shines almost every
day. It is called 'Green
Power'.
Advantages
• It is a perennial, natural source and free
• It is available in plenty
• It is non-polluting
• It does not emit any greenhouse gases.
• Solar energy offers decentralization in most (sunny) locations, meaning self-reliant
societies.
• One of the biggest advantages of solar energy is the ability to avoid the politics and
price volatility that is increasingly characterizing fossil fuel markets.
• It doesn’t result in the destruction of forests and ecosystems that occurs with most
fossil fuel operations.
Disadvantages

• Dependent on change in seasons/weather – hence they may not be used always

• Requires high initial investments for productive use
• Solar systems don’t work at night directly but the battery bank, which stores
energy during the daytime can be used during the night.
• Solar electricity storage technology has not reached its potential yet.
• Solar panels are bulky. This is particularly true of the higher-efficiency,
traditional silicon crystalline wafer solar modules.
• The wind is the natural movement of air across the
land or sea. The wind when used to turn the blades of a
windmill turns the shaft to which they are attached.
This movement of the shaft through a pump or
generator produces electricity.
• India now has the 4th largest wind power installed
capacity in the world which has reached 39990.10
MW (as of Oct 2021). Private agencies own 95 % of
the wind farms in India.
• It is environment friendly
• Its freely and abundantly available

• High investment requirement

• Wind speed is not uniform all the time which affects the power
generated
The plants fix solar energy through the process of photosynthesis to produce biomass. This
biomass passes through various cycles producing different forms of energy sources. For
example, fodder for animals that in turn produce dung, agricultural waste for cooking, etc.
The current availability of biomass in India is estimated at about 500 million MT per
annum.
Biomass is an important source of energy accounting for about one-third of the total fuel
used in our country and in about 40% of rural households. The widespread use of biomass
is for household cooking and heating. The types of biomass used are agricultural waste,
wood, charcoal or dried dung.
• Available locally and to some extent abundantly
• It is a relatively clean fuel when compared to fossil fuels. In a way biomass also cleans
our environment by trapping carbon- dioxide

• Drudgery involved in the collection of fuel

• During indoor cooking and in the absence of sufficient ventilation fuels such as dung
cause air pollution which is a serious health hazard
• Unsustainable and inefficient use of biomass often leads to the destruction of
vegetation and hence environmental degradation.
The flowing water and the tides in the sea are sources of energy. India is endowed with
a large hydropower potential of 1,45,320 MW. Heavy investments are made in large
projects. In recent years, hydel energy (through mini and small hydel power plants) is
also used to reach power to remote villages which are un-electrified.

Oceans cover 70 percent of the earth’s surface and represent an enormous amount of
energy. Although currently under-utilized, Ocean energy is mostly exploited by just a
few technologies: Wave, Tidal, Current Energy and Ocean Thermal Energy.
• Geothermal Energy is heat stored in the earth's crust and is used for electric
generation and also for direct heat application. Geothermal literally means the heat
generated by the earth. Various resource assessments carried out by agencies
established the potential 10600 MWth /1000MWe spread over 340 hot springs
across seven Geothermal provinces/11 states.
• The availability of geothermal power is the most environment-friendly power,
around the year 24x7 basis, not affected by the severity of climate during 6 to 7
winter months like hydro and like dependence on the sun in solar PV.
• Coal, Oil and Natural gas are non-renewable sources of energy. They are also called
fossil fuels as they are products of plants that lived thousands of years ago. Fossil
fuels are the predominantly used energy sources today.
• India is one of the largest producers and consumers of coal in the world, with
estimated reserves of around 344.02 billion tonnes (as of 2020). Coal supplies
about 51.9 % of the country's total production of energy from commercial sources.
• The estimated reserves of crude oil in India in 2020 stood at 603.37 million tonnes.
India consumes about 254 MT of crude oil annually, and more than 70% of it is
imported. Burning fossil fuels cause a great amount of environmental pollution.
THANK YOU!