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ROLE OF INDIVIDUALS IN CONSERVATION OF RESOURCES

Conference Paper · June 2010

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8. ROLE OF INDIVIDUALS IN CONSERVATION OF RESOURCES

Dr. K. Ravi Kumar
Associate Professor, Centre for Environmental Engineering
PRIST University, Thanjavur.

Abstract: Until recently, mankind acted as if he could endlessly exploit the Earth‘s ecosystems and natural
resources like oil, forests and grasslands and extract minerals and fossil fuels. However, in the last few decades, it
has become increasingly evident that the global ecosystem has the capacity to sustain only a limited level of
utilization. Biological systems cannot go on replenishing resources if they are overused or misused. Increasing
pressure destabilizes their natural balance. Even biological resources traditionally classified as ‗renewable‘- such as
those from our oceans, forests, grasslands and wetlands-are being degraded by overuse and are permanently
destroyed. And no natural resource is limitless. Non-renewable resources will be rapidly exhausted if we continue to
use them as intensively as at present. At this juncture, resource conservation has become an important subject for
one and all to utilize the resources in safe manner and pass them to future generations.

1. Introduction: ‗Resource‘ conservation has become the main focus in all sectors of the society as it is the
sustenance for all living beings including human beings. There are multiple factors that are responsible for resource
depletion and its quality alteration. ‗Possessive‘ mentality of the human being is the major factor that cause other
factors to trigger this problem. Human being has been gifted with higher intelligence compare to other living beings.
That intelligence has been used to exploit the resources in various ways to increase the comforts of life and changing
life style altogether from the life of living harmonious with nature to going against the nature and its natural
supporting system. To achieve this comforts of life, science and technology has been used over past few decades.
Then onwards the real problems of environment have started coming. For example plastic bags, plastic bottles etc
artificial goods are invented by the scientists and it has been projected that it is convenient to carry and light in
weight but actual question of how to handle it (waste materials) after it has been utilized for certain purpose.
Now while realizing the actual problem of its non-degradable quality (takes pretty long time to degrade naturally in
nature), the government has started announcing the slogans such as ‗say no to plastic‘. This is only one sample
example but there are other several totally unpredictable ways that our newer inventions are causing severe
damaging effects on the environment. Now the situation has been come to decide whether to continue our life style
depending on modern technological gadgets and destroy the world‘s natural ecosystem Or mold our life to live
harmonious with nature and utilize the resources for higher purpose of life. Along with human beings there are
millions of living beings using the multiple resources for their sustenance. The bare fact is that except human being
no other living being can damage the nature and its resources by its utilization of the resources. So, we the human
beings have very high role to play while exploiting the resources to conserve them concerning future needs in safe
manner by the forth coming generations. Following sections describes the various resource conservations ways that
we need to observe individually in our day to day life and in a broad way by the community and nation.

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2. Forest Resources and Its Conservation: Expanding human establishments needed space which was obtained at
the expense of natural vegetation which in turn was modified or destroyed. A number of products, such as food,
timber, fore wood, fruits and nuts come from forests. Human need, therefore, started a systematic exploitation of
forest wealth which intensified as the size of human population grew. Exploitation turned into over exploitation.
Even the technological advancement of modern times has not reduce society‘s dependence on forest products. As
nations develop, wood remains the basic raw material for construction, furniture, railway ties, paper, cell phones,
rayon, plastics and so many things.
2.1 Importance of Forests to Human Society: often we do not realize the tremendous importance of forests to the
human society. Apart from providing a number of products forests perform an irreplaceable ecological service. In
brief, the diverse functions of forests can be stated as follows:
1. Forests provide a number of products such as timber, fire wood, nuts, fruits and seeds, medicinal plants etc
without which human life shall become miserable.
2. Forests shape natural environment by influencing such factors as temperature, humidity and precipitation.
3. Forests shape the natural environment by affecting its consumption, structure, the chemical properties, water
contents etc. and play an important role in bio-geo-chemical cycles of water, carbon, nitrogen, oxygen,
phosphorus, sulphur and a number of other elements.
4. Forests help in checking soil erosion by obstructing currents of water or air. Roots of plants bind the soil
particles together in larger lumps which are helpful in preventing erosion.
5. Forests influence flood conditions by intercepting surface runoffs, infiltration, evaporation etc. which is
helpful in water retention by the soil and in recharging ground water resource.
6. Forests help in public health protection by reducing physical and chemical contaminants of the environment.
Forest soils and vegetation acts as an effective sink for a number of pollutants.
7. Forests provide suitable habitats for a number of important plant and animal species. They help in
maintaining a broad genetic base from which future strains and varieties could be developed.
2.2 Conservation of Forests: To maintain a healthy environment and obtain a sustainable supply of a number of
forest products, natural forests should be carefully managed and conserved. Conservation of forests should involve
the following two aspects:
1. Prevention of deforestation
2. Extension of our forest wealth
(1). Prevention of Deforestation: Many places on the earth and in most of the advanced countries we have
been extracting materials much more than the average productivity of the system. As a consequence our forests are
shrinking and are gradually degenerating into useless waste lands. In order to prevent further degeneration of our
forest wealth we should adopt rather strict measures which involve:
(a) Controlling unregulated expansion of agriculture and cattle ranching at the expense of our natural
forests.
(b) Controlling unregulated grazing and destruction of green cover.
(c) Controlling unregulated fuel wood collection and timber harvesting.

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World wide level already the cultivation has reached its maximum capacity near by the rivers, streams, lakes or
ground water source. Any other extension of agriculture now shall involve cultivation over marginal land – degraded
soils or land in arid, semi-arid and hilly regions of the world which shall require grueling labour and large
investments. While productivity shall be low, this will involve further destruction of our forests.
We can comfortably manage our existing cropland to produce sufficient food grains and edibles to feed the world,
even in near future as full production potential of our agriculture has not been tapped so far. We should concentrate
on proper management and intensification of existing agriculture rather than expanding it on virgin lands.
(2) Extension of our forest wealth: There is a plenty of space available around us, large stretches of
degraded barren waste land, hill slopes, arid and semi-arid regions on which we can extend our forests. Even amidst
our agriculture fields, on outskirts and fences, trees may be planted which shall be of enormous benefit to the
people, the environment and agricultural productivity. To be successful, a reforestation drive must involve proper
management of soil environment as most of the plantation has to be done on degraded waste land and hill slopes. To
improve soil environment we shall have to reduce soil erosion, provide water and improve soil fertility by adding
fertilizers wherever possible. A combination of soil conservation,. measures and techniques of growing and
maintaining plant life are needed to carry out the reforestation drive. Active co-operation of local people in
reforestation drive should be sought as without it all our efforts could end and in utter failure.
As forests help in maintaining a healthy environment and provide a number of valuable products and
benefits, they should also be treated like our agriculture which receives the top priority today. In order to promote
better plant growth, our forests should be looked after properly. Wherever necessary adequate, soil conservation
measures and proper inputs of water, fertilizers and other chemicals should be used to maintain and augment healthy
growth of forests.

3. Food Resources and its Conservation:

We are able to produce much more food than ever before by over-exploiting our natural resources. Food
production depends on a number of factors, not all of which are available everywhere on our planet. These factors
include availability of appropriate biotic resources, land and fertile soil which supply nutrients, availability of fresh
water, suitable conditions of environment and technical skill.
3.1 Adverse Consequences of Modern Agriculture: Much of the adverse consequences of today‘s agricultural
stem not from food production but from over-exploitation of our natural resources. In order to grow more and more
food we have been over expanding agriculture and using means and methods which are corroding our natural
resource base. It is strange that we are doing all this to produce food stuff which is either fed to the animals or
simply wasted.

3.1.1 Faulty agricultural practices result in wastage and degeneration of soils: Though an essential natural resource,
we often fail to realize the tremendous importance of soils underneath us. Mankind can live without fossil fuels but
it can not survive the depletion of this thin crust of lose material on which we depend for our future supplies.
However, with an ever increasing population and pressure of demand on our natural resources, degeneration of soils

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has already begun. About thirty years ago, we were already losing almost 7 million hectares of useful cropland every
year (UN, FAO Report 1980). This figure has gone up considerably now. Modern practices of intensive agriculture
contribute much to the deterioration of agricultural soils. Much of the degeneration stems from stress, exposure and
damage to the microbial communities of soil. Plain land exposure to battering actions of wind, rain and water
currents leads to soil erosion. Chemical fertilizers have to be added to maintain the productivity. As organic matter
gradually disappears, soil crumb structure degenerates and soil is reduced to a heap of sand, silt and clay. In poorly
drain soils regular use of chemical fertilizers causes problems of salinity, alkalinity and acidity. The entire fertilizer
molecule is not required by the plants. Some of the constituents ions are taken up, others are left behind which
accumulate in the system and cause problems later. For example application of (NH 4)2SO4 as fertilizer cause the soil
to become acidic as ammonium ions are selectively absorbed while sulphate ions are left behind which make the soil
acidic. Normal soil micro-flora is disturbed.
In addition, problems due to over irrigation by tube well or river water leads to salt-infected soil. Pesticides
sprayed on crops are ultimately washed down to the soil where they kill or damage the microbial community.
Normal functions of soil are disturbed. Shifting cultivation, contributes much to wastage and degeneration of fertile
soils in the tropical regions and plant cover are not provided to the soil before next cycle of farming is started. The
productivity has to be maintained by use of chemical fertilizers. The frazile soil is soon converted to a useless heap
of sand, silt, and clay. The pressure of demand on agricultural products causes people to extend cultivation on
marginal soils, like hill tops and slopes, desert and semi-desert regions. This is more hazardous.
3.1.2 Heavy overdrafts on our fresh water resources cause ecological setbacks:
Nearly 78% to 82 % of the water drawn from our fresh water resources is used in food production activities
of man. A huge quantity of water evaporates from land and sea surface every year. The total amount of water which
is replaced by each year by precipitation ( snow, rains or dew) constitutes the safe limit upto which we can draw and
use the water. However, the world is withdrawing from surface and ground water deposits much more water than the
total quantity which is replenished annually. It is not a sustainable practice. It tends to disturb the ecology of the
locality concerned. Huge irrigation projects have been launched the world over, to store and divert fresh water of
rivers to places which lack adequate water through a net work of canal. These lands are usually poorly drained and
have been under rain fed cultivation which they supported well as ideal water for irrigation is rainwater as it falls
directly in our fields. During its passage on rocks and soil surface it collects plenty of salts and turns into hard water.
Repeated irrigation by waters which carry more dissolved salts, in poorly drained soils causes problems of salinity
and alkalinity. After a few decades of boom in productivity the soils become too saline to support cultivation and
precious land which did provide something when under rain fed agriculture, though meager, is completely lost.
3.1.3 Rapid depletion of our forest wealth:
By faulty agricultural practices we are losing millions of hectares of fertile land every year on one hand,
while on the other we try to expand to expand cultivation by clearing more and more forested land. The overall
effect of this is the gradual reduction of our forest cover. Expansion of agriculture is the primary cause of extensive
destruction of natural vegetation. Human requirement for timber, fuel wood and space also says bare large protion of
otherwise fertile land every year. This leaves the soil unprotected for the battering action of strong wind and rapidly

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flowing waters. Many soils under intensive agriculture are already in a fragile state. To this added large areas of
adjoining deforested land. There is little obstruction to the flow of strong winds and water currents. Strong winds
promote rapid drying and carry away the precious soil as dust or sand storm to be deposited elsewhere. Similarly
rains which often tend to visit such areas in strong torrents cause extensive erosion of fertile soils. With soil erosion
follows desiccation and desertification.
3.1.4 Rapid depletion of our biotic resource:
Heavy dependence on a few selected strains of a few species and synthetic varieties is gradually reducing
the biotic resource base on which all humanity depends for its food supplies. To maximize yield and profits we grow
only those strains and varieties which are well suited to the conditions of the environment, disease resistant and
provide optimum yield. A victim of human apathy, thousands of indigenous strains and varieties are disappearing
each year. The species or varieties in which he is no longer interested are vanishing one after the other. How long
they will survive in gunny bags and tin containers? They have to be cultivated regularly, if we have to keep them
alive and in variable state. These straits and varieties have been under cultivation since times immemorial during
which they have evolved and withstood vagaries of a persistently changing environment and cultural conditions.
Their genetic make up contains answers to many unforeseen problems, genes or traits which we could require in the
species and varieties we shall be cultivating in future.
3.2 Conservation of Food Resources:
Food is one of the basic necessities for sustenance of human beings. Understanding the various important
elements that support the agriculture and appreciating the nature which provides the suitable environment for
agriculture, we need to develop the gratitude for the environment and conserve the food resources for the benefit of
present generation and future generation too. Following steps can be considered in conservation of food resources;
This list is not exhaustive. Steps can be any number based on community circumstances.
Global Level:
(i) Dependence on soil microbes for regeneration of fertility and soil conservation
(ii) Reliance on manual means and biodiversity for crop protection and higher productivity.
(iii) Reducing excessive use if chemical fertilizers and pesticides and using natural organic matter.
Local Local:
(i) Creating awareness among people regarding food conservation and future needs
(ii) Minimizing the wastage of the food in each house.
4. Water Resources and Conservation: Water is the basic need of a living organism. No one can live without
water. The demand for fresh water is likely to exceed its supply by the first or second decade of the next century. An
acute crisis is expected to follow in some regions of the world. The shortage of water make many localities barren,
devoid of life. Fertile land will become dessert. Conservation of fresh water is therefore, an absolute necessity of
today. Some of these may be summarized as follows:
(a). Water Economy, Re-Use and Recycling: Water is drawn in past so many years more than the actual need. Much
of the surplus water is returned to surface flow in impure state. A little care can reduce the over-consumption. We
waste the water because of it is easily available. If a water meter is installed and money charged for every bucket of

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water we use, water consumption in domestic establishments, livestock management and industries shall drastically
decline.
(b). Development of an Efficient Distribution System: Water Resources are not distributed evenly. Some localities
have plenty of water. Others have little of it. Therefore, transport of water from one place to another become an
essential part of water conservation efforts. Surplus river water can be diverted to drier regions through a system of
canals and pipes.
(c). Reduction of Pollution and Recycling of Water: Pollution spoils huge quantities of our surface water. All the
waste water should be diverted to treatment plant instead of releasing them into our surface water. Biological
treatment followed by treatment with a suitable disinfectant should done to remove biodegradable organic waste
from waste water.
(d) Enhancement of Surface Storage Capacity: By erecting embankments and dams we can store large amount of
water which can be utilizable for longer time.
(e) Improvement of Underground storage Capacity: An effective method of recharging ground water that providing
good plant cover over the soil surface. Plant obtain most of their water from soil moisture and keep the surroundings
cool and humid, thereby, preventing excessive loss of water through evaporation. As a result of which more water
percolates down the soil surface to add to the ground deposits.
(f) Augmentation of Existing Supplies of Fresh Water: Many regions of the world with scanty rainfall have no other
choice but to augment their water supplied by other means. This can be done by
(i) Desalination of sea water
(ii) Artificial rain making
4. Mineral Resources and Conservation: We have attained such an enormous level of consumption of our mineral
wealth that good quality deposits of many elements have already disappeared while many others are in the process
of being depleted. These resources belong to our children and grand children as much as they do to us. It is high
time now that we should seriously think about conserving them. Important steps which may be taken to make these
deposits last longer are:
(a). Economy in use of Resource: Most of the minerals are cheap because of the importance of mining industry in
the development of a country, Governments provide plenty of subsidies in the form of land at a throw away prices,
cheap power, subsidized fossile fuels, large loans and generous tax exemptions. The simplest way to conserve
mineral resources is to practice economy in the use of metals and minerals. Careful use, or use only where it is
necessary can reduce much of consumption of metals and minerals.
(b) Making finished products long lasting: The use and throw away practice of western society after a product has
lost its utility is a wasteful practice. The mineral components in the product are also discarded and wasted. Metal
containing products, for example automobiles, should be so manufactured as to last longer, and be reparable to be
used again pr their components if in working condition may be used again and again.
(C ) Re-use and Recycling of metals: As rapid consumption of virgin minerals depletes our resources – why not use
mineral products more efficiently or again and again. A machine having brass components can be pulled apart, its
components used to make another object of utility.

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(d) Use of cheaper substitutes: There are a number of finished products in which cheaper material other than metals
may be used. Why use a metal bucket when cheaper plastic bucket are available.
(e) More Efficient way of recovery of materials from minerals: A number of minerals occur as a complex mixture of
a number of elements. An ore is never pure. Even ores with a metal content as high as 20% may contain other
elements which are either discarded as tailing during concentration or during melting.
5. Land Resources and Conservation:
1. Limiting expansion of urbanized areas to prevent drastic landscape changes such as concrete coverings all
over the city and losing fresh natural resources like air, light, free space around the building, etc.
2. Monitoring industrialization effluents before releasing into streams and atmosphere
3. Not expanding Agriculture into forest areas
4. Reforestation to prevent soil erosion and soil degradation
5. Avoiding over irrigation to prevent Water logging and Salinisation
6. Giving more priority to preserving natural habitats for forest animals and birds etc rather than mining
activities which severely degrades the quality of soil and local ecosystem on which many living beings are
depending.
6. Energy Resources and Conservation:
1. Energy can be conserved by preventing or reducing waste of energy and by using more efficiently. People
waste energy because government subsidizes it. If the real cost was levied, people would not be able to
afford to waste it carelessly.
2. Small dams using for hydro-power generation are environmental friendly. They do not displace people,
destroy forests or wildlife habitats or kill aquatic and terrestrial biodiversity.
3. Biomass can be converted into biogas or liquid fuels ie. ethanol and methanol. Biogas digesters convert
animal waste or agricultural residues into gas. This is 60% methane and 40% CO2 generated by
fermentation. The commonly used agri-waste is dung of domestic animals and rice husk, coconut shells,
straw or weeds. The material left after the gas is used acts as a fertilizer.
4. A shift to alternate energy use and renewable energy sources that are used judiciously and equitably would
bring about environmentally friendly and sustainable lifestyles.
5. Working in day time rather than night time would save lot of electrical energy. Sun gives lot of light.
Imagine, just students of India using their day time only for fulfilling responsible duties rather than wasting
night lamp can save enormous amount of energy.

EQUITABLE USE OF RESOURCES FOR SUSTAINABLE LIFE STYLE

Reducing the unsustainable and unequal use of resources, and controlling our population growth are essential for the
survival of our nation and, indeed, of humankind everywhere. Our environment provides us with a variety of goods
and services necessary for our day to day lives, but the soil, water, climate and solar energy, which form the abiotic
support that we derive from nature, are in themselves not distributed evernly throughout the world or within
countries. A new economic order at the global and at national levels must be based on the ability to distribute

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benefits of natural resources by sharing them more equally among the countries as well as among communities
within countries such as our own. It is at the local level where people subsists by the sale of locally-collected
resources, that the disparity is greatest. Development has not reached them and they are often unjustly accused of
exploiting natural resources. They must be adequately compensated for the removal of the sources to distant regions
and thus develop a greater stake in protecting natural resources.
There are several principles that each of us can adopt to bring about sustainable lifestyle. This primarily
comes from caring for our mother earth in all respects. A love and respect for nature is the greatest sentiment that
helps bring about a feeling for looking at how we use natural resources in a new and sensitive way. Think of the
beauty of a wilderness, a natural forest in all its magnificence, the expanse of a green grassland, the clean water of a
lake that supports so much lifem the crystal-clear water of a hill-stream, or the magnificent power of the oceans, and
we cannot help but support the conservation of nature‘s wealth. If we respect this, we cannot commit acts that will
deplete our life-supporting systems.

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