ENV2104C04: ENVIRONMENTAL RESOURCES AND

SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT

Environmental Resources
 Aquatic resources: Geohydrology. Surface, subsurface and groundwater resources.
Requirement, exploitation, conservation and budgeting of water resources.
 Terrestrial resources: Forest, Grasslands, deserts as resources, development and
management components, Urbanization challenges.
 Minerals and mining resources management
 Biodiversity as natural resources, Its over exploitation challenges
 Energy Resources: Renewable and Non-renewable
 Carbon, Nitrogen, Water, Energy and Ecological Footprints
• Resources/Natural Resources are naturally occuring materials, that human
beings at any state of economic development or technological awareness
perceives to be required or useful for their utilization.

“Erich Walter Zimmermann was a resource economist.

• Prof. Zimmermann’s defined resource as: “The word resource does not refer
to a thing or a substance but to a function which a thing or a substance may
perform or to an operation in which it may take part, namely, the function or
operation of attaining a given end such as satisfying a want. In other words,
the word resource is an abstraction reflecting human appraisal and relating
to a function or operation”
 Terms Related to Concept of Resources
It is technology which gives value to the neutral,
which it processes and convert them to useful

• Resources which have no practical ability or utility on the

basis of present technical knowledge is called as neutral
Neutral stuff.
• Examples:- Till 1895 petroleum was a neutral stuff.

• The process which comes in the way of effective utilisation

of resources is called as resistance.
Resistance • Examples:- Technical, economic and transportation
processes.

• Resource creation is a function of space and time, with increase in

resources.

Functional knowledge or requirement, functions of a resource may change over time

Concept Resources or space (either diminishes or increases).
 Classification of Resources
On the Basis of Origin
• Biotic Resources- Resources which are
obtained from biosphere and have life in any
form is called as Biotic Resources .
• Example - Forest, wildlife, livestock, and even
Human beings.
• Abiotic Resources- Resources which is
obtained from nature but are not a living
thing or have life in any form is called as
abiotic resources.
• Example:- Minerals, wind, solar radiation, sea
waves, water etc.
On the Basis of Exhaustibility
• Flow/Inexhaustible/Renewable Resources-
Resources which can be renewed or
reproduced and are almost permanent in
nature is called as Renewable Resources.
• Examples:- Solar Energy, Wind, water etc.
• Fund/Exhaustible/Non-Renewable
Resources- Resources which are formed
Geologically in a very long period of time are
difficult to be renewed or reproduced is called
as Non-Renewable or Exhaustible Resources.
• Recyclable :- Metals (iron, copper,
Aluminium)
• Non-Recyclable - fossil fuels (Coal and
petroleum)
On the Basis of State of Development

Potential resources — Potential resources are those that exist in a region and may be used in the
future. For example, petroleum occurs with sedimentary rocks in various regions, but until the time
it is actually drilled out and put into use, it remains a potential resource.

Actual resources — Actual resources are those that have been surveyed, their quantity and quality
determined and are being used in present times. The development of an actual resource, such as wood
processing depends upon the technology available and the cost involved.

Reserve resources — The part of an actual resource which can be developed profitably in the future
is called a reserve resource.

Stock resources — Stock resources are those that have been surveyed but cannot be used by
organisms due to lack of technology. For example: hydrogen.
 On the Basis of Ownership

Private/Individual Resources- owned by private person/individuals is termed as

Private/Individual resources. Examples:- Farm lands, houses, individual ponds, pasture lands,
plantation.

Community Resources- owned by community, that means resources, which can be utilised by any
individual of the community is called as community resources.

National Resources- Resources, which are not owned exclusively by individuals or community are
called as National resources. Examples:- Roads, railways, spectrum waves, minerals.

International Resources- Resources in the ocean found after exclusive Economic zone (beyond 200
Kms) of a country is known as international resources, which can be utilised only after consensus of
international organizations. Example:- Fishes, marine deposits etc.
On the Basis of Distribution

Ubiquitous Resources
resources which are abundantly found everywhere in the world is called as
ubiquitous resources.
Example:- Wind.

Localized Resources
Resources which are not found everywhere and localised into some particular
regions are called as regional resources.
Examples:- Minerals, petroleum etc.
Aquatic Resources
 Brackish water typically contains TDS in concentrations
ranging from 1,000 milligrams per liter (mg/l) to
10,000 mg/l.
 Salt water has more than 10,000 mg/l TDS.
 Brine is very salty water (TDS greater than 35,000
mg/l).
 Typical residence times of water found in various reservoirs

Reservoir Average Residence Time

Glaciers 20 to 100 years

Seasonal Snow Cover 2 to 6 months

Soil Moisture 1 to 2 months

Groundwater: Shallow 100 to 200 years

Groundwater: Deep 10,000 years

Lakes 50 to 100 years

Rivers 2 to 6 months
• Water is continually moving around, through, and above the Earth.

• It moves as water vapor, liquid water, and ice. It is constantly changing its form.

• Water on Earth is known by different terms, depending on where it is and where it

came from.

* Meteoric water - is water in circulation

* Connate water - "fossil" water, often saline.
* Juvenile water - water that comes from the interior of the earth.
* Surface water - water in rivers, lakes, oceans and so on.
* Subsurface water - Vadose water, connate water, soil, capillary water
* Groundwater - exists in the zone of saturation, and may be fresh or saline.
• Connate water are liquids that were trapped in the pores of sedimentary rocks as they
were deposited. These liquids are largely composed of water, but also contain many
mineral components as ions in solution.

• Juvenile water or Magmatic water is water that exists within, and in equilibrium
with, magma or water rich volatile fluids that are derived from a magma. This
magmatic water is released to the atmosphere during a volcanic eruption.

• Meteoric water is the water derived from precipitation (snow and rain). This includes
water from lakes, rivers, and icemelts, which all originate from precipitation indirectly.
Freshwater Resources
Surface Water

Sub-surface Water

Ground water
 Surface Water Sources
• Surface water is any body of water above ground, including streams, rivers, lakes, wetlands, reservoirs.

• Surface water is constantly replenished through precipitation, and lost through evaporation and seepage into
ground water supplies.

• There are three types of surface water: perennial, ephemeral, and man-made.

• Perennial (permanent) surface water persists throughout the year and is replenished with groundwater
when there is little precipitation.

• Ephemeral (semi-permanent) surface water exists for only part of the year. Ephemeral surface water
includes small creeks, lagoons, and water holes.

• Man-made surface water is found in artificial structures, such as dams and constructed wetlands.

• The total land area that contributes surface runoff to a river or lake is called a watershed, drainage basin, or
catchment area.