NATURAL RESOURCES

Life on this planet earth depends upon a variety of goods and services provided by the nature,
which are known as Natural resources. Thus water, air, soil, minerals, coal, forests, crops and
wildlife are all examples of natural resources. Any stock or reserve that can be drawn from
nature is a Natural resource.

Major Natural Resources are -

1. Forest Resource 3. Mineral Resource 5. Energy Resource

2. Water Resource 4. Food Resource 6. Land Resource

CLASSIFICATION OF RESOURCES

Living resources are biological resources that are used by human beings e.g. forests, croplands,
animal resources.

Non-living resources are not derived from biological materials e.g. soil, land, water.

Renewable resources which are in exhaustive and can be regenerated within a given span of
time e.g. forests, wildlife, wind energy, biomass energy, tidal energy, hydro power etc. Solar
energy is also a renewable form of energy as it is an inexhaustible source of energy.

Non-renewable resources which cannot be regenerated in a time span e.g. Fossil fuels like coal,
petroleum, minerals etc. Once we exhaust these reserves, the same cannot be replenished. Even
our renewable resources can become non-renewable if we exploit them to such extent that their
rate of consumption exceeds their rate of regeneration. For example, if a species is exploited so
much that its population size declines below the threshold level then it is not able to sustain itself
and gradually the species becomes endangered or extinct.

It is very important to protect and conserve our natural resources and use them in a judicious
manner so that we do not exhaust them. It does not mean that we should stop using most of the
natural resources. Rather, we should use the resources in such a way that we always save enough
of them for our future generations.
WATER RESOURCES

Water is a vital elixir for all living beings. We need water to grow food, keep clean, generate
electricity, control fire, and last but not the least we need it to stay alive. World Ocean water
covers about 71 percent of the surface of the earth. Ocean water is saline and not fit for human
consumption. Fresh water is just about 2.7 percent of the total water. Water is renewable, but its
overuse and pollution make it unfit for use. Sewage, industrial use, chemicals, etc. pollute water
with nitrates, metals, and pesticides. As a result, water is very scarce.

Water Properties - A Unique Resource

1. It exists as a liquid over a wide range of temperature i.e. from 0° to 100°C.

2. It has the highest specific heat, due to which it warms up and cools down very slowly
without causing shocks of temperature jerks to the aquatic life.
3. It has a high latent heat of vaporization. Hence, it takes a huge amount of energy for getting
vaporized. That’s why it produces a cooling effect as it evaporates.
4. It is an excellent solvent for several nutrients. Thus, it can serve as a very good carrier of
nutrients, including oxygen, which are essential for life. But, it can also easily dissolve
various pollutants and become a carrier of pathogenic microorganisms.
5. Due to high surface tension and cohesion it can easily rise through great heights through the
trunk even in the tallest of the trees like Sequoia.
6. It has an anomalous expansion behavior i.e. as it freezes, it expands instead of contracting
and thus becomes lighter. It is because of this property that even in extreme cold, the lakes
freeze only on the surface. Being lighter the ice keeps floating, whereas the bottom waters
remain at a higher temperature and therefore, can sustain aquatic organisms even in extreme
cold.

Use of Water Resources

Water resources are used for agricultural, industrial, domestic, recreational, and environmental
activities. Majority of the uses require fresh water. A little over two-thirds of the available fresh
water is frozen in glaciers and polar ice caps. The remaining freshwater is found mainly as
groundwater and a negligible portion of it is present on the ground or in the air.
Following is a brief account of how water is used in different sectors.

1. Agricultural Use - Indian Agriculture accounts for 85 percent of all water consumption
basically in agricultural economies like India. Agriculture, therefore, is the largest consumer
of the Earth’s available freshwater.
2. Industrial Use - In industry, water is used as a raw material coolant, a solvent, a transport
agent, and as a source of energy. Manufacturing industries account for a considerable share
in the total industrial water consumption. Besides, paper and allied products, chemicals and
primary metals are major industrial users of water.
3. Domestic Use - It includes drinking, cleaning, personal hygiene, garden care, cooking,
washing of clothes, dishes, vehicles, etc. Of all water consumption in the world, domestic
use accounts for about 12 percent.
4. Use for Hydropower Generation - Electricity produced from water is hydropower.
Hydropower is the leading renewable source of electricity in the world. It accounts for about
16 percent of total electricity generation globally.

Overexploitation of Surface and Ground Water

Continuous overutilization of surface and ground water by rising human population and the rapid
rise in industrialization and urbanization in modern times has led to virtual water scarcity in the
world today.

Consequences of Overutilization- Nearly three billion people in the world suffer from water
scarcity. The intra-state issues such as Cauvery Water dispute in South India, is still a simmering
cauldron causing periodic tension at the national and regional levels.

The use of ground water and surface water rates which are higher than that of recharge ultimately
leads to:

1. Lowering of water table - The water table can be defined as an underground boundary
where atmospheric pressure and water pressure are equal. It is the boundary between the soil
surface and areas of sediments and rocks, where groundwater gets saturated. Depletion of the
water table is the reduction in the amount of groundwater.
2. Salt-water intrusion in coastal aquifers - The
intensive extraction of groundwater from
coastal aquifers reduces freshwater outflow to
the sea and creates local water table
depression, causing seawater to migrate inland
and rising toward the wells resulting in
deterioration in groundwater quality. This
phenomenon, called seawater/saltwater
intrusion, has become one of the major
constraints imposed on groundwater
utilization in coastal areas.

3. Subsidence may due to over pumping of ground water - Land subsidence occurs when there
is a loss of support below ground. This is most often caused by human activities, mainly from
the overuse of groundwater, when the soil collapses, compacts, and drops.

Unconfined aquifer: it is covered by permeable layer. The recharge of this layer is by

rainfall or snowmelt. Confined aquifer: sandwiched between impermeable layers. The
 recharge is through unconfined aquifer layers.
4. Water-logging is excess water in the root zone accompanied by anaerobic conditions. The
excess water inhibits gaseous exchange with the atmosphere, and biological activity uses up
available oxygen in the soil air and water. This occurs due to over-irrigation or in poorly
drained soil (impermeable clay layer below the soil) where water can’t penetrate deeply.
5. Salination - One of the consequences of excessive irrigation in certain areas is that it can
raise the water table. Salts which are found in rocks when come in contact with this water, it
moves up when evaporation takes place in upper soil layer, so it results in salinity in the soil.
6. Pollution - Materials from the land’s surface can move through the soil and end up in the
groundwater. For example, pesticides and fertilizers can find their way into groundwater
supplies over time. Road salt, toxic substances from mining sites, and used motor oil also
may seep into groundwater. In addition, it is possible for untreated waste from septic tanks
and toxic chemicals from underground storage tanks and leaky landfills to contaminate
groundwater. Three categories of water pollutants –
Biological – Viruses, bacteria, etc
Chemical – Organic wastes, inorganic chemical, etc
Physical – Hot water, oil spills, etc
Waterborne Diseases (Biological)
Contaminated water and poor sanitation are linked to transmission of diseases such as
cholera, diarrhea, dysentery, hepatitis A, typhoid and polio. Absent, inadequate, or
inappropriately managed water and sanitation services expose individuals to preventable
health risks. Inadequate management of urban, industrial and agricultural wastewater means
the drinking-water of hundreds of millions of people is dangerously contaminated or
chemically polluted. Natural presence of chemicals, particularly in groundwater, can also be
of health significance while some chemicals, such as lead, may be elevated in drinking-water
as a result of leaching from water supply components in contact with drinking-water.
Sources of water pollution are
o Clay and slit from soil erosion, leaching of minerals, falling of organic matter
from the banks
o Industrial discharge of chemical wastes and byproducts
o Discharge of poorly-treated or untreated sewage
 o Slash and burn farming practice, which is often an element within shifting
cultivation agricultural systems
o Surface runoff containing spilled petroleum products
o Surface runoff from construction sites, farms, or paved and other impervious
surfaces, e.g. silt
o Discharge of contaminated and/or heated water used for industrial processes
o Acid rain caused by industrial discharge of sulfur dioxide (by burning high- sulfur
fossil fuels).
o Excess nutrients added by run-off from agricultural fields having fertilizers and
pesticides or detergents
o Underground storage tank leakage, leading to soil contamination, hence aquifer
contamination.
7. Drought, famine and food shortage - Crops failure and reduction in agricultural production.
Droughts set in when a particular region goes without rain for a long period of time. In the
meantime, the soil will continuously lose groundwater by the process of evaporation and
transpiration. The level of water in the ponds and rivers goes down and in some cases water
bodies get dried up completely. Ground water becomes scarce and this leads to droughts.

Conflicts over water

Conflicts over water occur when different users/communities compete for access to limited water
resources, or when quality or quantity is affected by human activities. These conflicts can arise at
both the local and international levels and can have significant social, economic, and
environmental impacts. Ex, Cauvery river dispute.

As the river originates in Karnataka, flows through Tamil Nadu with major tributaries coming
from Kerala and drains into the Bay of Bengal. The genesis of the dispute is 150 years old and
dates back to the two agreements of arbitration in 1892 and 1924 between the then Madras
presidency and Mysore.

It entailed the principle that the upper riparian state must obtain consent of lower riparian state
for any construction activity viz. reservoir on the river Cauvery. The Cauvery water dispute
between Karnataka and Tamil Nadu began in 1974 when Karnataka started diverting water
without Tamil Nadu's consent. In 2018, the Supreme Court declared the Cauvery a national asset
and largely upheld the water-sharing arrangements.

Environmental problems due to dams - Displacement of tribal people, Loss of forests, flora and
fauna, Changes in fisheries and the spawning grounds, Siltation and sedimentation of reservoirs,
Loss of non-forest land, Stagnation and water-logging near reservoir, Breeding of vectors and
spread of vector-borne diseases, Growth of aquatic weeds, Microclimatic changes.

Fluoride problem in drinking water

Fluoride protects teeth from decay by demineralization and re-mineralization. Too much fluoride
can lead to dental fluorosis or skeletal fluorosis, which can damage bones and joints. Fluoride
comes from fluoroine, which is a common, natural, and abundant element. Fluoride in drinking
water is primarily due to rich fluoride soil, volcanic activity, forage, grasses and grains, and
manufactured-generated industrial pollutants. Excess amounts of fluoride ions in drinking water
can cause dental fluorosis, skeletal fluorosis, arthritis, bone damage, osteoporosis, muscular
damage, fatigue, joint-related problems, and chronicle issues. In extreme conditions, it could
adversely damage the heart, arteries, kidney, liver, neuron system, and several other delicate
parts of a living organism. Ways to remove fluoride from water-

1. Reverse osmosis filtration

2. Activated alumina defluoridation filter
3. Distillation filtration

Arsenic problem in drinking water

Arsenic occurs naturally as a trace component in many rocks and sediments. Arsenic also can be
released into groundwater as a result of human activities, such as mining, and from its various
uses in industry, in animal feed, as a wood preservative, and as a pesticide. In drinking-water
supplies, arsenic poses a problem because it is toxic at low levels and is a known carcinogen.

Water in agriculture
Water conservation in agriculture is essential for preserving limited water resources, mitigating
water scarcity, and ensuring sustainable food production and prevent situations similar to
drought. Adopting efficient irrigation methods and water-saving techniques can help farmers
optimize water usage, reduce environmental impact, and maintain the long-term viability of
agricultural systems.

Mulching involves covering the soil surface with organic material (plastic sheet), such as straw,
wood chips, or leaves to preserve moisture and improve the condition of the soil. This layer acts
as a protective barrier, preventing water evaporation and reducing weed growth, thus conserving
soil moisture. The combined use of compost and mulch significantly enhances soil health,
promotes water infiltration, and minimizes water requirements. Compost, a mixture of
decomposed organic matter, is applied to the soil to enhance its structure, water-holding
capacity, and nutrient content. Adding compost makes the soil more porous and helps it retain
water, reducing the need for frequent irrigation.

Measures to conserve water

1. At Home 2. In Yard & Garden

o At home Check for hidden water o Water lawn only when it is needed
leaks. o Don’t water the gutter
o Check for toilets for leak o Recycle your water where you can
o Turn off water after we wet our o Don’t run the hose while washing
toothbrush your car
o Take shorter shavers o Cover swimming pools to reduce
o Use clothes washer for only full evaporation
loads