Natural Resources

They include essentials like air and water, materials like wood and metals, and energy sources like sunlight and coal. They are classified based on how we use them and whether they can renew themselves.

Natural Resources and Their Use

Concerned social scientists are clear on what we need to do: we must move toward a regenerative economy, an economy that operates in harmony with nature, repurposing used resources, minimizing waste, and replenishing depleted resources. We must return to the innate wisdom of nature herself, the ultimate regenerator and recycler of all resources. ― Christiana Figueres and Tom Rivett-Carnac in ‘The Future We Choose’

LET’S EXPLORE Take up a small research study to assess the types of renewable resources in your region; you may discuss with your teacher.

The geographical area of your study and sources to access information that you may need. What has been the change in their status over time? Make a small report that identifies the reasons for the change and what may be done.

Non-renewable resources

Non-renewable resources are created over long periods. They cannot be replenished at the rate we use them. For example, fossil fuels (coal and petroleum), and minerals and metals like iron, copper and gold, are non-renewable resources. India has significant quantities of coal reserves. We mine coal to meet our growing need for energy, but it has been estimated that the coal reserves in India may last another 50 years; the demand for electricity has been increasing as the population expands and development work accelerates. Till more sustainable options become available widely, we need to use the coal we have judiciously.

LET’S EXPLORE what are the non-renewable resources that you use daily, directly or indirectly? What are the possible renewable substitutes? What are some of the steps we can take to transition to renewables?

Distribution of Natural Resources and its Implications

Natural resources are not evenly distributed across our planet or even within countries. This uneven distribution shapes human settlements, trade patterns, international relations, and conflicts too. Many wars have been fought, and continue to be fought, to gain control over natural resources.

Industries located near natural resources create employment opportunities for the local people. Townships grow around them and expand economic opportunities for others, too. More modern facilities that improve the quality of life become accessible. However, these benefits are often accompanied by costs, in the short term as well as in the long term. We have examples from across the world of people living in resource-rich areas who have been displaced from their homes to facilitate developments. In some cases their sacred places are under threat, leading to conflicts. National and international trade depend on the geographical location of natural resources. Combined with human knowledge and skills, these can create unique products like the Wootz steel. As we know, trade fuelled the development of large empires in India.

LET’S EXPLORE Select any two natural resources. Gather information about their availability across different parts of India. Mark them on a map. What do you observe about their distribution? What are the types of economic activities connected with them? Discuss the implications of extracting the natural resources in those parts for current and future generations. Suggest ways in which we can use Nature’s gifts in responsible ways. Nature does not pay attention to political boundaries. This leads to tensions regarding the sharing of natural resources across states as well as countries. One example is the sharing of Kaveri River water among Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Kerala and Puducherry; negotiations and deft management were required to maintain peace and fair sharing. Of course, reaching such agreements between neighbouring countries is not easy.

Natural resources are substances drawn from nature that become useful when humans have the technology and means to access them. They are categorized based on their use into life essentials (air, water, soil), material resources (wood, metals, marble), and energy resources (coal, sunlight, wind).

Classification of Natural Resources

· By Use:

o Essential for life: Air, water, and soil needed for basic survival.

o Material resources: Wood, stone, and minerals used to build and manufacture items.

o Energy resources: Coal, petroleum, sunlight, and wind used to provide power and electricity.

· By Availability/Renewability:

o Renewable resources: Can be replenished or restored naturally over a short time (e.g., solar energy, wind, water, and forests).

o Non-renewable resources: Formed over millions of years and exist in limited fixed supplies (e.g., coal, petroleum, natural gas, and iron).

Conservation and Sustainable Use

· The Problem: Overuse, industrialization, deforestation, and pollution disrupt nature’s recovery cycles and risk severe shortages.

· Real-World Challenges: Excessive groundwater extraction drops water tables (seen in regions like Punjab), while heavy fossil-fuel reliance speeds up climate change.

· Sustainable Solutions:

o Practice the 3 Rs: Reduce, reuse, and recycle.

o Switch to clean, renewable energy options like solar and wind power.

o Adopt resource management models like rainwater harvesting, organic farming (e.g., Sikkim’s model), and ecosystem restoration.

A natural resource is any material or substance from nature that humans use for survival, living, or making things. They are grouped into renewable resources (which refill quickly, like sunlight and water) and non-renewable resources (which take millions of years to form, like coal and petroleum).

Multiple Choice Questions

Q1. Which of the following is a non-renewable resource?

o a) Solar energy

o b) Wind energy

o c) Water

o d) Coal

o Answer: d) Coal

Q2. Resources that can refill naturally within a short time are called:

o a) Non-renewable resources

o b) Renewable resources

o c) Human-made resources

o d) Potential resources

o Answer: b) Renewable resources

True or False

Trees become a resource only when humans use them. — True

Non-renewable resources can be replaced quickly by nature. — False

Water, air, and sunlight are renewable resources. — True

Overusing chemical fertilizers damages the soil. — True

Short Answer Questions

· Q1. What are natural resources?

o Answer: They are substances found in nature that are useful and valuable to humans for life and work.

· Q2. Why should we use non-renewable resources carefully?

o Answer: Because they take millions of years to form and cannot be replaced once they run out.

· Q3. Give two examples of renewable energy sources.

o Answer: Solar energy and wind energy.