2. DEFINITION:
What are Natural Resources?
Natural resources can be defined as the resources that exist (on the
planet) independent of human actions.
These are the resources that are found in the environment and are
developed without the intervention of humans. Common examples of
natural resources include air, sunlight, water, soil, stone, plants, animals
and fossil fuels.
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.
6. EXAMPLES:
A renewable resource is a resource that can be replenished
naturally over time. As a result, it is sustainable despite its
consumption by humankind. Renewable resources are
considered especially important for their potential to replace
non-renewable, or finite, resources in the production of
energy
7. NON-RENEWABLE RESORCES:
What Are Nonrenewable Resources?
Nonrenewable resources are naturally occurring energy substances but with
limited availability. These do not replenish naturally and, when consumed
aggressively, deplete over time. However, due to being cost-effective and
easy to use, these resources are widely utilized for production and extraction
purposes.
9. FOREST RESOURCES:
Forest Resources in India: Use, Over Exploitation, Causes and Effects
In India, forests form 23 percent of the total land area. The word ‘forest’ is
derived from the Latin word ‘foris’ means ‘outside’ (may be the reference was to
a village boundary or fence separating the village and the forest land).
10. Forest are main source of many commercial products such as
wood, timber, pulpwood etc. About 1.5 billion people depend upon
fuel wood as an energy source. ...
Forest can provide food , fibre, edible oils and drugs.
Forest lands are also used for agriculture and grazing.
Forest is important source of development of dams, recreation
and mining
11. Mining and deforestation: the unheeded industry
Since 2014, the New York Declaration on
Forests has aimed to do for deforestation what
the Paris Agreement has since done for
climate change. More than 200 endorsers aim
to stop mining and other industries from
damaging forests, jungles, and biodiversity.
But in this time, the situation has only
worsened. So what more can miners do to
stop deforestation
13. 1. Mining and deforestation have a bearing on landslides,
earthquakes and floods.
6. Some irresponsible human like not properly extinguishing
camp fires, have resulted in forest fires causing great damage
14. WATER RESOURCES:
Water resources are natural resources of water that are potentially
useful for humans,[1] for example as a source of drinking water supply
or irrigation water. 97% of the water on the Earth is salt water and only
three percent is fresh water; slightly over two thirds of this is frozen in
glaciers and polar ice caps.[2] The remaining unfrozen freshwater is
found mainly as groundwater, with only a small fraction present above
ground or in the air.[3] Natural sources of fresh water include surface
water, under river flow, groundwater and frozen water. Artificial sources
of fresh water can include treated wastewater (wastewater reuse) and
desalinated seawater. Human uses of water resources include
agricultural, industrial, household, recreational and environmental
activities.
16. Surface water is water in a river, lake or fresh water wetland. Surface
water is naturally replenished by precipitation and naturally lost through
discharge to the oceans, evaporation, evapotranspiration and
groundwater recharge. The only natural input to any surface water
system is precipitation within its watershed. The total quantity of water
in that system at any given time is also dependent on many other
factors. These factors include storage capacity in lakes, wetlands and
artificial reservoirs, the permeability of the soil beneath these storage
bodies, the runoff characteristics of the land in the watershed, the timing
of the precipitation and local evaporation rates. All of these factors also
affect the proportions of water loss.
Humans often increase storage capacity by constructing reservoirs and
decrease it by draining wetlands. Humans often increase runoff
quantities and velocities by paving areas and channelizing the stream
flow.
17. On one side surface water availability affects the productivity, but
on the other side water sources may cause floods and drought.
Due to unequal distribution, water may lead to national
(interstate) or international disputes.
18. DEFINITION:
Minerals provide the material used to make most of the things of
industrial- based society; roads, cars, computers, fertilizers, etc. Demand
for minerals is increasing world wide as the population increases and the
consumption demands of individual people increase. The mining of
earth’s natural resources is, therefore accelerating, and it has
accompanying environmental consequences.
19. What are the problems of exploitation of mineral
resources?
Excessive exploitation of mineral resources has led to the
following severe problems. Deforestation and desertification.
Extinction of species. Rapid depletion of high grade minerals.
Forced migration. Wastage of upper soil layer and vegetation.
Soil erosion and oil depletion. Ozone depletion.
What are the effects of mining on the environment?
Exploitation of Mineral Resources 1 Deforestation and desertification 2
Extinction of species 3 Rapid depletion of high grade minerals 4 Forced
migration 5 Wastage of upper soil layer and vegetation 6 Soil erosion and
oil depletion 7 Ozone depletion 8 Greenhouse gas increase 9
Environmental pollution 10 Natural hazards, etc.
20. MINERAL RESOURCES:
USES AND EXPLOITATION Uses of minerals are as follows: (i)
Development of industrial plants and machinery. (ii) Generation of
energy e.g. coal, lignite, uranium. (iii) Construction, housing,
settlements.