SUSTAINABLE MANAGEMENT OF NATURAL RESOURCES
Introduction
Natural resources are substances obtained from the planet that is used to sustain life
and provide for human needs. A natural resource is something that comes from
nature that humans use. Natural resources include things like stone, sand, metals,
oil, coal, and natural gas. Air, sunlight, soil, and water are other natural resources.
The well-being of people depends on natural resources. We cannot survive without
the freshwater we drink, the plants we consume, or the pure air we breathe. To build
roofs over our heads and heat our homes, we require natural resources.
Pollution in Ganga
The river Ganga is used as a sewage dump for more than 100 cities stretching across
Uttar Pradesh, Bihar and West Bengal.
Dumping of untreated sewage, excreta and chemicals from industries increase the
toxicity of the water.
This makes it inhabitable for flora and fauna in the river system.
In 1985 the GAP (Ganga Action Plan) project was initialised to curb the poor quality of
the water of the river Ganges.
Reduce, Recycle and Reuse
The 3 Rs to save the environment can be performed by each individual in our
society:
Reduce: Reducing our usage and wasteful habits. E.g. not wasting food, turning off the
switches to save electricity, repairing leaky taps, reducing the amount of water used for
bathing, etc.
Reuse: Using things again instead of discarding them. For example, reusing plastic
utensils and bottles. Many things cannot be recycled or require a lot of energy; instead,
we can utilize them for other purposes.
Recycle: Collecting discarded paper, plastic, glass or metal objects to manufacture
different products rather than synthesizing them from scratch. It must have a mechanism
to segregate and dispose of each type of waste separately.
Why Do We Need to Manage Our Resources?
Need to Manage Natural Resources
Due to the ever-increasing population and rising demands of changing lifestyles, natural
resources are being depleted at an alarming rate. To ensure sustainable, equal
distribution of resources and reduction of damage to the environment, management of
resources must be an integral part of our society.
We must ensure judicious use of our natural resources as it is not unlimited, and
management of such requires long-term planning in order to last generations.
Increase in Demand for Natural Resources
The increasing population is increasing the demand for more resources that are getting
depleted at an exponential rate.
Changing lifestyles and advancements in technology are compelling industries to exploit
our natural reserves to meet the demands.
Forests and Wildlife
Forests and Wildlife
Forests are termed biodiversity hotspots.
Biodiversity is the variety and range of plant and animal life in a particular habitat.
Loss of biodiversity may result in loss of ecological balance and damage to the
ecosystem.
Stakeholders of Forests
When we consider the conservation of forests, we must consider the following
stakeholders:
People who habituate around forests are dependent on forest produce.
The Forest Department of Government owns the land and resources.
Industrialists: who use the forest to produce certain products, e.g. leaves of Tendu
for bidis and paper mills.
Conservationists and wildlife enthusiasts who want to conserve nature in its pristine form.
Monoculture
Monoculture is the cultivation of a single crop in a given area.
Excessive monoculture destroys the biodiversity of the area.
Various needs of the people local to forest areas are neglected, such as leaves for
fodder, herbs and fruits for consumption.
Industrialist’s Mentality and Influence
Industrialists consider forests as a source of raw materials.
Industries have more political power than the locals and only bother about meeting their
demands. They do not care about sustainability and will move on from one habitat to
another in search of raw materials.
People’s Intervention in Forests
Human intervention is a necessity in the management of forest resources and
landscapes.
Resources must be utilised to ensure development while preserving the environment.
Benefits must go to the local people to ensure economic growth and conservation takes
place simultaneously.
Examples: Bishnoi community in Rajasthan for saving Khejri trees in Jodhpur Rajasthan.
Sustainable Development
Sustainable development needs all stakeholders of forest resources to be satisfied.
In reality, industries use forests at rates far below the market rates, which causes conflict
between local dwellers and industrialists.
West Bengal’s Arabari forests forest gained notoriety as a result of the participation of
locals who established a community and worked with village police and forest officials to
ensure that there was no significant deforestation, land poaching, or illegal wildlife
hunting there.
Water for All
Water
Water is a necessity for all terrestrial forms of life.
In India, places having water scarcity are also places experiencing acute poverty.
Despite the monsoon, there exists a failure to retain groundwater due to the loss of
vegetation and the release of effluents from industries.
Decrease in fresh usable water due to the destruction of the water table and disruption in
the water cycle.
Rains and Irrigation Practices
Intervention of the government to pursue mega projects neglected the local irrigation
methods.
Strict regulations on the usage of stored water and building tanks, dams and canals
Optimum cropping patterns must be followed based on water availability.
Involvement of Local People (ex: kulhs)
Himachal Pradesh had a canal irrigation system called kulhs where flowing stream water
was diverted to man-made channels, which took it to villages down the hillside.
The water was used first by the village farthest from the origin of the kulh. This helped
water percolate in the soil.
It was made defunct after the government irrigation system took over.
Dams
Dams can store large amounts of water and generate electricity.
Mismanagement of dams causes exploitation, and there is no equitable distribution of
this resource.
Criticism about large dams addresses:
(i) Displacement of tribals without compensation
(ii) Corruption and consumption of money without generation of benefits
(iii) Environmental problems like deforestation.
Coal and Petroleum
Water Harvesting
Water harvesting encourages soil and water conservation in order to sustain and
increase biomass.
Increases income for the local community but also alleviates floods and droughts.
Examples: Rajasthan’s tanks, Khadins, and Nadis; Maharashtra’s Tals and Bandharas;
Madhya Pradesh’s and Uttar Pradesh’s Bundhis; Bihar’s Pynes and Ahars; Himachal
Pradesh’s Kulhs; Kattas in Karnataka; ponds in the Kandi belt of Jammu region; Eris
(tanks) in Tamil Nadu and Kerala’s Surangams.
Water harvesting constructions are crescent-shaped earthen embankments/concrete
check dams built in areas that are seasonally flooded.
The main purpose is to recharge groundwater.
The following is a list of the advantages of a rainwater harvesting system.
Decreases the demand for water imports.
Encourages energy and water conservation.
Increases groundwater availability and quality.
Does not need a filtering system for irrigation in gardens.
This technology is comparatively straightforward and simple to install and use.
Groundwater
Advantages:
does not evaporate
recharges wells
when flowing does not allow mosquitoes to breed
does not come in contact with human contamination
Coal and Petroleum
Coal and petroleum are derived from fossil fuels, which are non-renewable. They will get
depleted in due time. Hence, proper management of the consumption of fossil fuels is
important.
Their combustion pollutes our environment due to the production of oxides of carbon,
sulfur and nitrogen. Therefore, we need to use these resources judiciously.
Why Should Fossil Fuels Be Used Judiciously?
Fossil fuels are formed over millions of years of degrading biomass and have a huge
amount of carbon.
When combusted in a limited supply of oxygen, they form harmful gases that pollute the
atmosphere, which leads to global warming.
Judicious use of fossil fuels addresses the efficiency of our machines and ensures the
sustainability of our resources for the future.