MANAGEMENT OF NATURAL RESOURCES


MANAGEMENT OF NATURAL RESOURCES


Natural Resources


Renewable Resources


The resources which cannot be exhausted even after continuous utilization are termed as renewable resources. Examples of renewable resources are the sun, wind, and tidal energy.


Non-Renewable Resources


The resources which cannot be immediately replaced once they are depleted are called Non-renewable resources. Examples of Non renewable resources include fossil fuels, such as coal, petroleum

and natural gas and rare minerals typically found in meteorites.


Differences between Renewable and Non-renewable Resources


Renewable Resources


Renewable resources cannot be depleted over time


Renewable resources include sunlight, water, wind and also geothermal sources such as hot springs and fumaroles

Most renewable resources have low carbon emissions and low carbon footprint

The upfront cost of renewable energy is high. - For instance, generating electricity using technologies running on renewable energy is costlier than generating it with fossil fuels

Infrastructure for harvesting renewable energy is prohibitively expensive and not easily accessible in most countries.


Requires a large land/ offshore area, especially for wind farms and solar farms

Non-renewable Resources 


Non-renewable resources deplete over time

Non-renewable energy includes fossil fuels such as coal and petroleum

Non-renewable energy has a comparatively higher carbon footprint and carbon emissions.

Non-renewable energy has a comparatively lower upfront cost.

Cost-effective and accessible infrastructure is available for non-renewable energy across most countries

Comparatively lower area requirements

Management of natural resources is needed for conservation of natural

resources.

There are national and international laws and acts to protect the

environment. Ganga Action Plan: Multi Crore Project came in 1985 to improve the quality of Ganga

National Award for wildlife conservation - In the memory Amrita Devi Bishnoi who lost her life in the protection of Khejri trees in Rajasthan along with 363 other people


Chipko Andolan - Movement originated in Garhwal in early 1970s that was the result of a grassroot level effort to end the alienatiy of people from their forest.


Three R's to save the environment


REDUCE


REDUCE simply means living more carefully so that you have less rubbish to get rid of, avoiding waste the preferable option of waste management


For example, use online materials, avoid using papers excessively


REUSE


REUSE means to use the same tam more than once preferably many times rather than. disposing of it after one


For example, reuse glass


for other purposes such as


vases or other decorations.


RECYCLE


RECYCLE means to


process used material into new products to save resources and energy


For example, papers for wrapping presents, use used paper to sketch or do calculation.


• Eg. When shopping look for and purchase products with minimal packaging


Reuse is better than recycling as it saves energy.


Management of Natural Resources is necessary so that these may fast for the generations to come and are not exploited for short term gains. Also see the damage they canse to the environment when they are used or mixed.


Forest and wild life conservation - Forests are biodiversity hot spots Biodiversity of an area is the number of species of different life forms like bacteria, fungi, powering plants insects, birds etc.


Hotspot means an area full of biological diversity. loss of diversity may lead to a loss of ecological stability/ecological imbalance


Sustainable management - Management of forest resources Wisely to make it available for future generations.


Water as a Resource

Water is a basic necessity for all terrestrial forms of life.

Regions of water scarcity is closely correlated to the regions of acute

poverty.

Failure to sustain water availability has resulted in loss of vegetation cover, diversion for high water demanding crops and pollution from industries and urban wastes and less rain.

Irrigation methods like dams, tanks and cools have been used in various part of India.


Dams


Advantages of Danis - 

Ensures of adequate water for irrigation.

- Generate electricity.

Continuous supply of water in regions


Disadvantages:


No equitable distribution of water.

-Large no, of people displaced without compensation.

Involves huge amount of public money without giving proper benefits. -Causes deforestation and loss of biological diversity.

Water Harvesting-Aim is to develop primary resources of land and water and to produce secondary resources of plants and animals for use in a manner which will not cause reological imbalance.


Tamilnadu

These techniques are locale specific to ensure the mismanagement and over exploitation of these resources.


Advantages of Khadin System:

-Water does no evaporate

- Recharge wells and moisture for vegetation.

- does not provide breeding ground for mosquito

-Ground water is protected from human and animal waste.


Coal and Petroleum

-Generally called fossil fuel.

Formed from the disintegration of bio-muss millions of years ago.

- They will get exhausted in the future no matter how carefully we use them.

Petroleum will last us for about 40 years and the esal resources will last for another two hundred years.

These contain hydrogen, nitrogen and sulphur.