NATURAL RESOURCES

WHAT ARE NATURAL RESOURCES ?

Natural resources- are naturally occurring substances that
are considered valuable in their relatively unmodified
(natural) form. 
OR

Any material in nature which is required or used to sustain

life or livelihood is termed as a natural resources.
OR
 Any stock or reserves that can be drawn from nature is a
natural resources.
NATURAL RESOURCES
 A natural resource’s value rests in the amount of the
material available and the demand for it.
  Some Examples:
 Air for breathing,
 Water for drinking,
 Land for living & growing food,
 Forests for timber & paper,
 Ores for metals,
 Oil, coal &natural gas for producing energy
MAJOR NATURAL RESOURCES
 Forest Resources
 Water Resources

 Mineral Resources

 Food Resources

 Energy Resources

 Land Resources 
IMPORTANCE OF NATURAL
RESOURCES
1. Nature helps to maintain the environmental balance and
satisfy the needs to the fullest.
2. A wide range of industrial material and biological material
from plant and animal, directly or indirectly are used in
production and in the manufacturing of medicine.
3. Resource are known as capital converted to commodity
inputs to infrastructural capital processes.
4. These are the “3R Concept” 3R means “REDUCE”, “REUSE”
and “RECYCLE”. An example is papers, our used papers will
reuse by recycling it and turn it into a new paper product.
5. Resources are important for the development of any country. For
example, to generate energy, one need fossil fuels; and for
industrial development, we require mineral resources.
6. Irrational consumption and over utilisation of natural resources
has led to socio-economic and environmental problems.
IMPORTANCE OF NATURAL
RESOURCES
7. Natural resources are available in fixed quantity,
and they are non – renewable, 
8. Natural resources are getting scarce with the
increasing population, so it is essential to conserve
them. This empowers us as well as our future
generation to utilise the natural resources to the
full extent.
9. It takes millions of year for the formation of
natural resources.
10. They play a vital role in the economic
development of the country by enriching
agriculture, trade, imports and exports, etc.
CLASSIFICATION OF RESOURCES
CLASSIFICATION OF NATURAL
RESOURCES
Basis of UTILITY Basis of ORIGIN
 On the basis of origin, resources may be divided
into:
 Biotic – Biotic resources are obtained from the 
biosphere, such as forests and their products, animals,
birds and their products, fish and other marine
organisms. Mineral fuels such as coal and petroleum
 are also included in this category because they are
formed from decayed organic matter.
 Abiotic – Abiotic resources include non-living things.
Examples include land, water, air and minerals
 including ores such as gold, iron, copper, silver etc.
 CONSIDERING THEIR STAGE OF DEVELOPMENT, NATURAL
RESOURCES MAY BE REFERRED TO IN THE FOLLOWING WAYS:

 Potential Resources – Potential resources are those that exist in a

region and may be used in the future. For example, petroleum may
exist in many parts of India, having sedimentary rocks 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
WITH RESPECT TO RENEWABILITY, NATURAL
RESOURCES CAN BE CATEGORIZED AS FOLLOWS:
 Renewable resources are ones that can be replenished or reproduced easily.
Some of them, like sunlight, air, wind, etc., are continuously available and
their quantity is not affected by human consumption. Many renewable
resources can be depleted by human use, but may also be replenished, thus
maintaining a flow. Some of these, like agricultural crops, take a short time
for renewal; others, like water, take a comparatively longer time, while still
others, like forests, take even longer.
 Non-renewable resources are formed over very long geological periods.
Minerals and fossil fuels are included in this category. Since their rate of
formation is extremely slow, they cannot be replenished once they get 
depleted. Of these, the metallic minerals can be re-used by recycling
them. But coal and petroleum cannot be recycled.
ON THE BASIS OF AVAILABILITY, NATURAL
RESOURCES CAN BE CATEGORISED AS FOLLOWS:
 Inexhaustible natural resources- Those resources
which are present in unlimited quantity in nature and
are not likely to be exhausted easily by human
activity are inexhaustible natural resources (sunlight,
air etc.)
 Exhaustible natural resources- The amount of these
resources are limited. They can be exhausted by
human activity in the long run (coal, petroleum,
natural gas, etc.)
ON THE BASIS OF DISTRIBUTION, NATURAL
RESOURCES CAN BE CLASSIFIED AS FOLLOWS:
 Ubiquitous resources- Resources that are found everywhere
are called ubiquitous resources. For example land, air
 Localized resources- Resources that are found only at certain
places are called localized resources. For example minerals, 
fossil fuels
FOUR BASIC REASONS OF THE
DEPLETION OF NATURAL RESOURCES:
1.Rapid population increase
2.Pollution
3.High consumption of resources
4.Deterioration of land 
RAPID POPULATION INCREASE
 There has been a tremendous increase in India ‘s population and it will be about 130 billion
by the next decade.
 An increase in population will decrease all types of natural resources and consequently
result in environmental pollution.
 Ultimately, there will be short supply or deteriorating quality of natural resources.
 This is because increase in population will increase the demand of natural resources and
environment.
 The industrialized countries have annual growth rate of 0.5 to 1%. The developing
countries have annual growth rate of 2 to 3%.
 The per capita use of energy and mineral resources shows a difference between the
developed countries of the world.
 The developed countries consume less but their resources are enough. The population and
per capita consumption have a considerable impact on the environment. The world can not
meet the continuous increased demand for natural resources
POLLUTION
 We are deteriorating our environment due to increasing population. We are
polluting lakes, streams, rivers by sewage, industrial wastes, heat
radioactive materials, detergents, fertilizers and pesticides.
 Besides these , we are releasing a number of toxic materials into our
surroundings.
 The uncontrolled use of pesticides has disturbed the entire food chains by
which animals including man is affected
 Recent researches have revealed that the proportion of pesticides in our
body has deleterious effects on heart and liver and higher concentration may
cause several other diseases including cancer.
 Many gases e.g. carbon monoxide, sulphur dioxide and nitrous oxide are
known to cause respiratory troubles.
 The unplanned and uncontrolled industrial growth may adversely affect or
destroy the health of the society
HIGH CONSUMPTION OF RESOURCES
 Due to tremendous increase of population, most of the
natural resources are being consumed.
 The high rate of consumption has disturbed our
ecosystem. But on the other hand, many of the natural
resources are essential to man for the basic needs.
 Many industries require raw materials which are
essential for the advancement of the country.
 However there is no doubt that high consumption will
affect adversely the quality of our environment either by
unwise use of natural resources or by increasing
pollution.
DETERIORATION OF LAND 
 Due to excessive consumption of minerals of the soil by cropping or
soil erosion or other natural events, fertility of the soil is lost and
land deteriorates gradually.
 Sometimes draught also results in deterioration of land and many
nutrients of the top soil are destroyed and their fertility is lost. As a
result of cropping; mineral cycling of soil nutrients is greatly
reduced.
 Erosion has also depleted soil fertility because most of the mineral
remain in the upper part of the soil and they are easily removed by
wind or washed away by water.
 For the proper economic development land for cropping, forest,
recreation, urban land, transportation and wild life are needed but
they are reduced day by day.
CONSERVATION OF WATER, FOREST,
ENERGY RESOURCES

FYBAS
CONSERVATION OF WATER
RESOURCES
WHAT IS A WATER CRISIS?

 Did you know that only 2.5% of all the water in the world is
freshwater? And that only 1% is accessible, by accessible, I
mean water trapped in glaciers and snowfields. We only have
real access to 0.0007% of the planet’s water, that’s all we have
to feed and fuel over 6.8 billion people. The lack of clean
water is a plague that affects 1.8 billion people every year.
 A water crisis is when there is not enough potable water for a
population, which in turn leads to drought, famine, and death.
Today safe drinking water has become a luxury for people
living in drought-hit regions and the African subcontinent.
People can be seen walking miles and spending the entire day
searching for it. Even if they get it, they have to fight with the
waterborne diseases arising from it.
PROBLEMS ASSOCIATED WITH
MANAGEMENT OF WATER RESOURCES
1. Water Pollution
Most of the sources of water in rural areas are terribly polluted due to poor sanitation and lack of
waste treatment plants. Overall levels of global pollutants are having a negative effect on the
drinking water that is currently clean; as time goes on, this damage will be exacerbated.
2. Groundwater over drafting
The excessive use of groundwater in our agricultural industries is leading to diminished yields and
wasted water. Over 70% of our water is used to grow crops, and most of it is wasted due to leaky
pipes and poor watering techniques.
3. Overuse and misuse of water
This leads to more water being wasted and squandered for pointless reasons and leads to further
escalations of the crisis. One single hamburger takes 630 gallons of water to produce!
4. Disease
A large quantity of the available groundwater in the worst affected parts of the world is ridden
with disease due to the lack of proper water treatment and recycling.
 PROBLEMS ASSOCIATED WITH
MANAGEMENT OF WATER RESOURCES
5. Climate change
Climate change is changing the way water evaporates and where it rains, pushing rainfall further south in both
hemispheres. Global warming has altered the rainfall pattern in India dramatically. Previously, average monsoon rainfall
spanned 45 days. This number has now decreased to 22 days, with each monsoon having a smaller intensity of rain.
6. Mismanagement
Improper training and education lead to a needless waste of safe, clean water every day, as well as overuse in areas that
don’t require so much water. Despite being a populous country with diverse geography and climate, India does not have
a comprehensive water policy. There are no proper guidelines available for the usage of surface water and groundwater
by different sectors and different states.
7. Human settlements
Construction of dams, other hydroelectric projects, and water diversion for irrigation has led to systematically
destroying large river ecosystems.
8. Corruption
Simply put. Some of the people who have the power to help those people in need just don’t care.
9. Lack of institutions
Lesser developed countries have no institutions to advise on water treatment and management; this leads to
mismanagement and waste.
10. Lack of infrastructure
Poor regions often don’t have the funds or education to implement proper infrastructures such as waste treatment and
recycling plants
PROBLEMS ASSOCIATED WITH
MANAGEMENT OF WATER RESOURCES
11. Loss of groundwater
Due to climate change, human expansion and development are leading to loss of
groundwater worldwide.
12. Groundwater exploitation
In addition to irrigation, groundwater exploitation has also resulted from rapid urbanization
as well as extreme groundwater usage by soft drink companies such as Coca-Cola. India uses
more groundwater than any other country in the world, and groundwater exploitation has
causes accelerated drying of aquifers. The total groundwater used for irrigation has risen
from 30% in the 1980s to nearly 60% today.
13. Unutilized resources
River basins, catchments, and watersheds have not been properly utilized for water and soil
conservation purposes, which in turn affect the hydrology of the river basins.
14. Unfair pricing of water
Areas of extreme poverty often have to pay extortionate rates in order to purchase clean
water. Those who have no money have to drink from holes in the dirt or puddles on the
roadside.
CONSERVATION OF FOREST
RESOURCES
INTRODUCTION
 The word forest is derived from a Latin word
 “ Foris” means Outside

 Forest are one of the most important natural resources of the earth.
Approximately 1/3rd of the earth’s total area is covered by forests
 Forest resources play an important role in the economy of any country.
It is highly complex, changing environment made up of a living and
non living things.
 Living things include trees, shrubs, wildlife etc. and non-living things
include water, nutrients, rocks, sunlight and air. Forest vary a great
deal in composition and density and are distinct from meadows and
pastures.
 Forest are important to humans and the natural world. For humans,
they have many aesthetics, recreational, economic, historical, cultural
and religious values. Forest provide fuel, wood, timber, wildlife,
habitat, industrial, forest products, climate regulations, medicinal etc.
USES OF FOREST RESOURCES
 They provide timber for house-building, shipbuilding, bridges, railway carriages, furniture's etc.
 They supply fire wood and charcoal for fuel in homes and in industries.
 They provide wood pulp for the paper and rayon industries. They provide honey for food and medicines.
 They provide bee wax for candles, medicines, shoe-making etc. They provide canes foe baskets, mats, chairs,
ropes, walking sticks and umbrella handles.
 They provide sandal wood for carved boxes and small domestic articles.
 They provide tanning materials in the form of wood, barks, leaves, roots, and fruits for tanning hides and skin.
 They stop the rain-bearing winds and cause the rainfall. They increase the moisture content in the atmosphere
and thereby provide additional precipitation(i.e. rainfall) in the locality
 They minimize the extreme variation in climatic condition and make the climate more equable. They control
floods during heavy rain by absorbing excess rain water.
 They prevent soil erosion by checking the force of flowing of water. The thick roots of the trees absorb large
quantity of water thus, forest help in the flow of rivers and streams.
 They provide shelter to wild animals and birds.
 They are a source of revenue to the government . They facilitate human existence by provide by providing O2
to human beings and absorbing CO2 by human beings.
FOREST DEGRADATION IN INDIA
 At the beginning of 20thcentury about 30 % of land in
India was covered with forests but by the end of
20thcentury the forest cover was reduced to 20%
 As a result of exploitation, the tropical forest cover in
India, is now only reduced to coastal western Ghats and
northern India We have a huge population size and a
very low precipitate forest area 0.075 Ha per capita as
compared to 0.64 ha/ capita of world forest area.
 The National forest policy has recommended 33 % forest
area for plains and 67 % for hills The deforestation rate
per unit population in India is lowest among the major
tropical countries For effective forest management of
country we have to take the confidence of tribal who
have been living in forest.
REASONS
 Expansion of agriculture, more forest have been cleared
for agriculture
 Large area of forest lands have been cleared for
urbanization and human settlement
 Commercial exploitation of forest

 Forest fires

 Mining activities in forest areas

 Forest diseases are also partly responsible for depletion

CONSERVATION OF FOREST RESOURCES
 Regulated and planned cutting of trees.
 Control over forest fires.

 Reforestation

 Afforestation

 Check on forest clearance for agriculture and human habitation and settlement.

 Development green belt around cities.

 Check on mining activities in forest areas.

 Protection of existing forest.

 Conservation of threatened species of trees.

 Social forestry and agro-forestry.

 Development of national parks and game sanctuaries.

 Development of botanical gardens

 Development of seed banks.

 Forest management.

 Proper role of government in forest conservation

CONSERVATION OF ENERGY
RESOURCES
WHAT IS ENERGY CONSERVATION?
 Energy conservation is one of the words you are hearing more and more these
days. Unfortunately, a lot of the places you will hear about it will be in ads
marketing products or lifestyle habits that may have nothing to do with actual
energy conservation. To learn what real energy conservation techniques are, you
have to begin to understand the theory of conservation behind them.
Understanding Energy Conservation
 Energy conservation is not about making limited resources last as long as they can,
that would mean that you are doing nothing more than prolong a crisis until you
finally run out of energy resources altogether. Conservation is the process of
reducing demand on a limited supply and enabling that supply to begin to rebuild
itself. Many times the best way of doing this is to replace the energy used with an
alternate source.
 In the case of fossil fuels, conservation also can include finding new ways to tap
into the Earth’s supply so that the commonly used oil fields are not drained
completely. This allows for those fields to replenish themselves more. This is not a
process that happens overnight; when you are talking about replenishing natural
resources, you are talking about alleviating excess demand on the supply in 100’s
of years’ time to allow nature to recover.
 CONSERVATION OF ENERGY
RESOURCES
1. Install CFL Lights: Try replacing incandescent bulbs in your home with CFL bulbs. CFL bulbs cost more upfront but last
12 times longer than regular incandescent bulbs. CFL bulbs will not only save energy but over time you end up saving
money.
2. Lower the Room Temperature: Even a slight decrease in room temperature, let’s say by only a degree or two, can result in
big energy savings. The more the difference between indoor and outdoor temperature, the more energy it consumes to
maintain room temperature. A smarter and more comfortable way of doing this is to buy a programmable thermostat.
3. Fix Air Leaks: Proper insulation will fix air leaks that could be costing you more. During winter months, you could be
letting out a lot of heat if you do not have proper insulation. You can fix those leaks yourself or call an energy expert to
do it for you.
4. Use Maximum Daylight: Turn off lights during the day and use daylight as much as possible. This will reduce the burden
on the local power grid and save you a good amount of money in the long run.
5. Get Energy Audit Done: A home energy audit is nothing but a process that helps you to identify areas in your home where
it is losing energy and what steps you can take to overcome them. Implement the tips and suggestions given by those
energy experts, and you might see some drop in your monthly electricity bill.
6. Use Energy Efficient Appliances: When planning to buy some electrical appliances, prefer to buy one with Energy Star
rating. Energy-efficient appliances with Energy Star rating consume less energy and save you money. They might cost
you more in the beginning, but it is much more of an investment for you.
CONSERVATION OF ENERGY
RESOURCES
7. Drive Less, Walk More and Carpooling: Yet another energy conservation
technique is to drive less and walk more. This will not only reduce
your carbon footprint but will also keep you healthy as walking is a good
exercise. If you go to the office by car and many of your colleagues stay
nearby, try doing carpooling with them. This will not only bring down
your monthly bill you spend on fuel but will also make you socially
more active.
8. Switch Off Appliances When Not in Use: Electrical appliances like
coffee machines, idle printers, desktop computers keep on using
electricity even when not in use. Just switch them off if you don’t need
them immediately.
9. Plant Shady Landscaping: Shady landscaping outside your home will
protect it from intense heat during hot and sunny days and chilly winds
during the winter season. This will keep your home cool during the
summer season and will eventually turn to big savings when you
calculate the amount of energy saved at the end of the year.
 CONSERVATION OF ENERGY
RESOURCES
10. Install Energy Efficient Windows: Some of the older windows installed at our homes aren’t energy efficient.
Double panel windows and other vinyl frames are much better than single-pane windows. Choosing correct
blinds can save on your power bills.
11. Bicycles are your Best Friend: Yes, bicycles could help us a lot in the process of energy conservation. Since
the bicycles are manually driven and use no forms of energy whatsoever, but manpower, the bicycles are
literally your best friend. If you are health conscious, then it is simply double the gain.
12. Buying a Programmable Thermostat is the Best Decision to Make: Let us face it. In our life, we all have had
that moment where we have known that we do not need the air conditioner or the heater, but we have been
lazy enough to ignore that inner voice. With a programmable thermostat, life just becomes a tad bit more
efficient. A programmable thermostat can turn itself on and off as and when required without troubling you,
even when you are away. It is not just cost-saving, but it is also something that would help you do your bit
towards energy conservation.
13. Motion Detectors are a Real Saviour: Installing motion detectors could help you a lot in serving the purpose of
energy conservation, besides cutting down your energy bill budgets. Installing motion detectors, especially for
external lighting, could be really helpful. This way, you do not have to worry about turning them off when you
are leaving or even worry about turning them on when you get back, which means, you no longer have to turn
the key in absolute darkness. Motion detectors would make your life a little bit more convenient.
CONSERVATION OF ENERGY
RESOURCES
14. Closing Doors is the Key to Conserving Energy: It
cannot get any more literal than this. Shutting the
doors immediately behind you is one of the best ways to
conserve energy. This includes the refrigerator doors as
well as the doors of the rooms where an air conditioner
is running. This saves not only the machines but also
your electricity bills. Also, above all, it is your little step
towards the conservation of energy.
15. Keep Your Dryers as Clean as Possible: Cleaning out
the lint filter of your dryer could save a lot of energy as
well.
OTHER ENERGY CONSERVATION
TECHNIQUES
The other few energy conservation techniques may surprise you. While there are practical
methods such as insulation, changing light sources, using alternate fuels and carpooling rather
than walking – understand the 7 core techniques beneath that will show you more about what
to do in life.
1. Education
Education is probably the most powerful of all energy conservation techniques that can be used.
Education is not just about teaching people the importance of conservation, but it is also
about showing the alternative choices that can be used in construction, manufacturing and
other processes.
2. Alternative Power
There are more processes that are starting to use alternative power and fuel sources in many
different areas of life. The use of alternative power is one of the most key energy conservation
techniques because almost all of the transition models require that the existing processes be
upgraded or replaced to more energy-efficient models too.
3. Cap and Trade Agreements
Cap and trade agreements are used as part of the process of regulating and conserving
consumption and pollution for manufacturing industries. The companies are “allowed” a
certain emission rate, which they can bid buy to extend. The extension bid is then used for
compensating projects. While this may not seem like it is directly related to energy
conservation, it is very much at its core.
OTHER ENERGY CONSERVATION
TECHNIQUES
5. Reduced Demand
There are numerous initiatives that are working to reduce the overall demand on the
energy resources of the world. This can range everywhere from education programs
to changing the type of required insulation in new construction.
6. Research & Development
Continued funding of research and development projects in the energy conservation
field is how we discover the changes that can be made to reduce consumption and
discover renewable methods to provide us with the energy that modern life requires.
It should be one of the energy conservation techniques that are most valued as it is
what holds the promise for leading to a solution to the world’s energy crisis.
7. Switching to Solar Energy
Solar energy is one of the most effective sources of energy. Available in huge amounts,
especially in tropical regions, solar energy is a sustainable source of energy. It is true
that there are a few limitations to harvesting solar energy, such as the expense of the
solar panels and the cost of installing them. Also, it can be a difficult situation during
cloudy or rainy days or even during the nights.
However, switching to solar energy will both- save the environment as well as conserve
our limited energy resources to a great extent.