NATURAL RESOURCES

Introduction to Natural
Resources

 Any material which can be transformed in a way that it becomes more valuable
and useful can be termed as resource.

 In other words, it is possible to obtain valuable items from any resources

 Life on this planet depends upon a large number of things and services
provided by the nature, which are known as Natural Resources.

 Thus water, air, soil, minerals, coal, forests, crops and wild life are all examples
of natural resources
Classification of natural
resources

 Depending upon availability of natural resources can be divided into two

categories such as :

 (1) renewable

 (2) Non renewable resources.

Renewable resources
 Renewable resources are in a way inexhaustible resources.

 They have the ability to replenish themselves by means such as

recycling, reproduction and replacement.

 Examples of renewable resources are sunlight, animals and

plants,soil,water,etc.
Non-Renewable Resources :
 Non renewable resources are the resources that cannot be
replenished once used or perished.
 Examples of non-renewable resources are minerals, fossil fuels, etc.
Resources can also be classified as biotic or abiotic.
 a) Biotic resources These are living resources (e.g. forest, agriculture,
fish and wild life) that are able to reproduce or replace them and to
increase.
 b) Abiotic resources These are non-living resources (e.g. petrol, land,
minerals etc.) that are not able to replace themselves or do so at such
a slow rate that they are not useful to consider them in terms of the
human life times.
Problems associated with natural
resources
The unequal consumption of natural resources :

 A major part of natural resources today are consumed in the

technologically advanced or ‘developed’ world, usually termed ‘the west’.

 The ‘developing nations’ of ‘the east’, including India and China, also over
use many resources because of their greater human population.

 However, the consumption of 4 resources per capita (per individual) of

the developed countries is up to 50 times greater than in most developing
countries.
Planning land use

 Land is a major resource, needed for not only for food production and
animal husbandry, but also for industry and growing human
settlements.

 These forms of intensive land use are frequently extended at the cost
of ‘wild lands’, our remaining forests, grasslands, wetlands and deserts.

 This demands for a pragmatic policy that analyses the land allocation
for different uses
The need for sustainable lifestyles:

 Human standard of living and the health of the ecosystem are indicators of
sustainable use of resources in any country or region.

 Ironically, both are not in concurrence with each other.

 Increasing the level of one, usually leads to degradation of other.

 Development policies should be formulated to strike a balance between the

two.
FOREST RESOURCES

 Forest is important renewable resources.

 Forest vary in composition and diversity and can contribute substantially

to the economic development of any country .

 Plants along with trees cover large areas, produce variety of products
and provide food for living organisms, and also important to save the
environment.
 It is estimated that about 30% of world area is covered by forest
whereas 26% by pastures.

 Among all continents, Africa has largest forested area (33%) followed by
Latin America (25%), whereas in North America forest cover is only 11%.

 Asia and former USSR has 14% area under forest.

 European countries have only 3% area under forest cover. India’s Forest
Cover accounts for 20.6% of the total geographical area of the country as
of 2005.
Uses of forests

 Uses of forests Forest can provide prosperity of human being and to

the nations. Important uses of forest can be classified as under

 • Commercial values
 • Ecological significance
 • Aesthetic values
 • Life and economy of tribal
 Commercial values
 Forests are main source of many commercial products such as wood, timber,
pulpwood etc.
 About 1.5 billion people depend upon fuel wood as an energy source. Timber
obtained from the forest can used to make plywood, board, doors and windows,
furniture, and agriculture implements and sports goods.
 Timber is also a raw material for preparation of paper, rayon and film.
 Forest can provide food , fibre, edible oils and drugs.
 Forest lands are also used for agriculture and grazing.
 Forest is important source of development of dams, recreation and mining.
Life and economy of tribal
 Forest provide food, medicine and other products needed for tribal people and play a
vital role in the life and economy of tribes living in the forest.
 Ecological uses Forests are habitat to all wild animals, plants and support millions
of species. They help in reducing global warming caused by green house gases and
produces oxygen upon photosynthesis. Forest can act as pollution purifier by
absorbing toxic gases. Forest not only helps in soil conservation but also helps to
regulate the hydrological cycle.
 Aesthetic values :All over the world people appreciate the beauty and tranquillity of
the forest because forests have a greatest aesthetic value. Forest provides
opportunity for recreation and ecosystem research.
Over exploitation of forests:
 Forests contribute substantially to the national economy.
 With increasing population increased demand of fuel wood,
expansion of area under urban development and industries has lead
to over exploitation of forest .
 At present international level we are losing forest at the rate of 1.7
crore hectares annually.
 Overexploitation also occurs due to overgrazing and conversion of
forest to pastures for domestic use.
 Deforestation:
 Forest are burned or cut for clearing of land for
agriculture ,harvesting for wood and timber , development and
expansion of cities .
 These economic gains are short term where as long term effects of
deforestation are irreversible
 Deforestation rate is relatively low in temperate countries than in
tropics
 If present rate of deforestation continues we may losses 90% tropical
forest in coming six decades
 For ecological balance 33% area should be under forest cover but our
nation has only 20.6% forest cover.
Causes of deforestation:
 Forest area in some developed area has expanded. However in developing
countries area under forest is showing declining trend particularly in
tropical region. Main causes of deforestation are:
a) Shifting cultivation or jhum cultivation:
This practice is prevalent in tribal areas where forest lands are cleared to
grow subsistence crops.
It is estimated that principle cause of deforestation in tropics in Africa, Asia
and tropical America is estimated to be 70, 50, and 35% respectively.
Shifting cultivation which is a practice of slash and burn agriculture are
posses to clear more than 5 lakh hectares of land annually. In India, shifting
cultivation is prevalent in northeast and to limited extent in M.P, Bihar and
Andhra Pradesh and is contributing significantly to deforestation.
Commercial logging:
 It is a important deforestation agent.
 It may not be the primary cause but definitely it acts as secondary cause,
because new logging lots permits shifting cultivation and fuel wood gatherers
access to new logged areas.
Need for fuel wood
 Increased population has lead to increasing demand for fuel wood which is also
acting as an important deforestation agent, particularly in dry forest.
 Expansion for agribusiness: With the addition of cash crops such as oil palm,
rubber, fruits and ornamental plants, there is stress to expand the area for
agribusiness products which results in deforestation.

 Development projects and growing need for food: The growing demand for
electricity, irrigation, construction, mining, etc. has lead to destruction of forest.
Increased population needs more food which has compelled for increasing area under
agriculture crops compelling for deforestation.

 Raw materials for industrial use: Forest provides raw material for industry and it
has exerted tremendous pressure on forest. Increasing demand for plywood for
backing has exerted pressure on cutting of other species such as fir to be used as
backing material for apple in J&K and tea in northeast states.
Major effects of deforestation
Deforestation adversely and directly affects and damages the environment and living
beings .Major causes of deforestation are
 • Soil erosion and loss of soil fertility
 • Decrease of rain fall due to affect of hydrological cycle
 • Expansion of deserts
 • Climate change and depletion of water table
 • Loss of biodiversity ,flora and fauna
 • Environmental changes and disturbance in forest ecosystems
 Case studies

1. Jhum cultivation :
 Jhum Agriculture or shifting agriculture has destroyed large number of hectare
of forest tracts in North Eastern states and Orissa.

 Jhum agriculture is subsidence agriculture in which tract of forest land is

cleared by cutting trees and it is used for cultivation.

 After few years, when productivity of the land decreases, cultivators abandon
the land and clear next tract.

 As a result of this practice, combined with increasing population there is rapid

deforestation as more and more cultivators clear forest to cultivate land.
 2. Chipko movement :
 The Chipko movement or Chipko Andolan is a social-ecological movement that practiced the
Gandhian methods of satyagraha and non-violent resistance, through the act of hugging trees
to protect them from being felled.
 The modern Chipko movement started in the early 1970s in the Garhwal Himalayas of
Uttarakhand,with growing awareness towards rapid deforestation.
 The landmark event in this struggle took place on March 26, 1974, when a group of peasant
women in Reni village, Hemwalghati, in Chamoli district, Uttarakhand, India, acted to prevent
the cutting of trees and reclaim their traditional forest rights that were threatened by the
contractor system of the state Forest Department.
 By the 1980s the movement had spread throughout India and led to formulation of people-
sensitive forest policies, which put a stop to the open felling of trees in regions as far reaching
as Vindhyas and the Western Ghats.
 3. Western himalayan region:
 Over the last decade, there has been widespread destruction and degradation of
forest resources in Himalayas, especially western Himalayas.
 This has resulted in various problems such as erosion of top soil, irregular rainfall,
changing weather patterns and floods.
 Construction of roads on hilly slopes, have not only undermined their stability,
but also damaged protective vegetation and forest cover.
 Tribes in these areas are increasingly facing shortage of firewood and timber, due
large scale tree cutting.
 Timber extraction:
There has been unlimited exploitation of timber for commercial use. Due to increased
industrial demand; timber extraction has significant effect on forest and tribal people.
 Logging
 • Poor logging results in degraded forest and may lead to soil erosion especially on
slopes.
 • New logging roads permit shifting cultivators and fuel wood gatherers to gain access to
the logging area.
 • Loss of long term forest productivity
 • Species of plants and animals may be eliminated
 • Exploitation of tribal people by contractor.
 Mining :Major effects of mining operations on forest and tribal people are:
 • Mining from shallow deposits is done by surface mining while that from deep
deposits is done by sub-surface mining. It leads to degradation of lands and loss of
top soil. It is estimated that about eighty thousands hectare land is under stress of
mining activities in India
 • Mining leads to drying up perennial sources of water sources like spring and
streams in mountainous area.
 Mining and other associated activities remove vegetation along with underlying soil
mantle, which results in destruction of topography and landscape in the area. Large
scale deforestation has been reported in Mussorie and Dehradun valley due to
indiscriminating mining.
 • The forested area has declined at an average rate of 33% and the
increase in non-forest area due to mining activities has resulted in
relatively unstable zones leading to landslides.
 Mining of radioactive minerals in Kerala, Tamilnadu and Karnataka are
posing similar threats of deforestation.
 • The rich forests of Western Ghats are also facing the same threat due
to mining projects for excavation of copper, chromites, bauxite and
magnetite.
Effects of dams on forests and tribal people:

 India is one of the largest dam-building nations in the world and the fact is that
dams are the single largest cause of human displacement in India and account for
75 per cent to 80 per cent of displacement of about four to five crore people.
 The impact of large dams on forests and on the lifestyle and identity of tribal
people is extremely high.
 A government report based on a study of 110 dam projects stated that more than50
per cent of the total 1.69 million people displaced by these projects were tribals.
 This means that the tribal communities which account for just 8 per cent of India’s
total population constitute about 40 per cent of the displaced persons. About 92 per
cent of the tribal people in India live in rural areas which are dry, forested or hilly.
 Most of them depend on agriculture and minor forest produce for sustenance.
 These largely self-sufficient tribal communities live in close proximity to forests,
rivers and mountains. Since these areas are rich in natural resources they are most
likely to be developed for dams, mines, industries and so on.
 Immediately after Independence, only a few dams were built in tribal areas.
However, by the 1970s, when the resources in more accessible areas were
exhausted, more dams were planned in tribal areas thereby displacing a large
number of tribal people.
 Tribals are socially, economically and politically the weakest and the most
deprived community in India.
 Unfortunately, tribal people hardly get to share the benefits of development
projects that cause their displacement. They are always forced to live without the
basic amenities like roads, electricity, transport, communication, healthcare,
drinking water or sanitation.
 Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru referred dam and valley projects as “Temples of
modern India”.
 These big dams and rivers valley projects have multi-purpose uses.
However, these dams are also responsible for the destruction of forests.
 They are responsible for degradation of catchment areas, loss of flora
and fauna, increase of water borne diseases, disturbance in forest
ecosystems, rehabilitation and resettlement of tribal peoples.
WATER RESOURCES

 Water resources are sources of water that are potentially useful.

 Uses of water include agricultural, industrial, household, recreational and
environmental activities.
 The majority of human uses require fresh water. 97% of the water on the Earth is
salt water and only three percent is fresh water; slightly over two thirds of this is
frozen in glaciers and polar ice caps.
 The remaining unfrozen fresh water is found mainly as ground water, with only a
small fraction present above ground or in the air. Fresh water is a renewable
resource, yet the world’s supply of ground water is steadily decreasing.
 The depletion is occurring most prominently in Asia, South America and North
America. The framework for allocating water resources to water users (where such
a frame-work exists) is known as water rights.
Surface water and Ground water
use and over exploitation

 Surface water is water in a river, lake or fresh water wetland. Surface water is
naturally replenished by precipitation and naturally lost through discharge to the
oceans, evaporation, evapo transpiration and groundwater recharge.
 The total quantity of water in that system at any given time is also dependent on
many other factors.
 These factors include storage capacity in lakes, wetlands and artificial reservoirs,
the permeability of the soil beneath these storage bodies, the runoff characteristics
of the land in the watershed, the timing of the precipitation and local evaporation
rates. All of these factors also affect the proportions of water loss.
 Human activities can have large and sometimes devastating impact on these
factors.
 For example, many farms require large quantities of water in the spring, and no
water at all in the winter.

 To supply such a farm with water, a surface water system may require a large
storage capacity to collect water throughout the year and release it in a short
period of time.

 Other users have a continuous need for water, such as a power plant that requires
water for cooling. To supply such a power plant with water, a surface water system
only needs enough storage capacity to fill in when the average stream flow is
below the power plant’s need.
 Groundwater is fresh water located in the subsurface pore space of soil and
rocks. It is also water that is flowing within acquifers below the water table.
 Sometimes it is useful to make a distinction between ground water that is closely
associated with surface water and deep groundwater in an aquifer (sometimes
called “fossil water”).
 Ground water depletion is primarily caused by sustained ground water pumping.
Some of the negative effects of ground water depletion are:
 Lowering of the Water Table :Excessive pumping can lower the ground water
table, and cause wells to no longer be able to reach ground water.
 Increased Costs: As the water table lowers, the water must be pumped farther to
reach the surface, using more energy. In extreme cases, using such a well can be
cost prohibitive.
 Reduced Surface Water Supplies: Ground water and surface water are
connected. When groundwater is overused, the lakes, streams, and rivers connected
to ground water can also have their supply diminished.
 Land Subsidence: 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 ground water, when the soil collapses,
compacts and drops.
 Water Quality Concerns :Excessive pumping in coastal areas can
cause salt water to move inland and upward, resulting in salt water
contamination of the water supply.
 Case Study

 Coca-Cola ground water exploitation in Kerala In 1999, the Hindustan Coca-Cola

Beverages Private Limited, a subsidiary of the Atlanta based Coca-Cola Company,
established a plant in Plachimada, in the Palakkad district of Kerala, southern India.
 The Perumatty Village Council gave a license to the company to commence production in
2000. Coca-Cola drew around 510,000 litres of water each day from boreholes and open
wells. For every 3.75 litres of water used by the plant, it produced one litre of product and
a large amount of waste water.
 Local residents started to protest after two years. Local communities complained that
water pollution and extreme water shortages were endangering their lives.
 In 2003, women from the Vijayanagaram Colony in the village of Plachimada, protested
that their wells had dried up because of the over exploitation of groundwater resources by
the Coca-cola plant.
 In April 2003, the Perumatty Grama Panchayat (Village Council) refused renewal of
Coca-Cola’s license to operate on the grounds that it was not in the public interest to
renew the license stating: “…the excessive exploitation of ground water by the Coca-
Cola Company in Plachimada is causing acute drinking water scarcity in Perumatty
Panchayat and nearby places…”
 The Village Council considered revocation of the license to be necessary in order to
protect the interests of local people. Since December 2003, various cases were filed
by the accused and Perumatty Grama Panchayat.
 Finally in 2017, the Supreme Court of India ordered Coca-cola company authorities
not to resume operations at Plachimada, thus ending a 12-year-long legal battle with
local people.
 Dams – benefits and problems
 A dam is a barrier that impounds water or underground streams.
 Dams generally serve the primary purpose of retaining water apart from managing
or preventing water flow into spe-cific land regions eg: Bakranamgal, Hirakud,
Mullapaeriyar Dam, Damodar Valley Dam etc.
 Dams are built across rivers to store water for irrigation, hydroelectric power
generation and flood control.
 The dams built to serve more than one purpose are called “multi-purpose dams”.
These dams were called the “temples of modern India” by the country’s first Prime
Minister, Jawaharlal Nehru.
 Benefits of dams:
 [Link] are built to control flood and store flood water
 2. Sometimes dams are used for diverting part or all of the water from river into
a channel.
 [Link] in dams are used mainly for drinking and agricultural purposes.
 4. Dams are built for generating electricity
 5. Dams are used for recreational purpose
 6. Navigation and fishery can be developed in the dam areas.
 Problems of dams – Dams may face problems upstream or downstream as listed
below:
 Upstream problems:-
 [Link] of tribal people
 2. Loss of non-forest land
 [Link] of forests, flora and fauna
 [Link], sedimentation and siltation occurs
 [Link] and water logging around reservoirs retards plant growth
 Down steam problems:
 [Link] logging and salinity due to over irrigation
 2. Reduced water flow and silt deposition in rivers
 3. Salt intrusion at river mouth
 4. Since the sediments carrying nutrients gets deposited in the reservoir, the
fertility of the land along the river gets reduced
 5. Structural defects or faulty design of the dam may cause sudden dam failure
leading to collapse and destruction to life and property.