NATURAL RESOURCES

A resource has been defined as : Any means of attaining given ends. It can be also
defined as “a source of supply or support generally held in reserve”. A resource
satisfies human wants.

Water, air sun shine, land soil, forests, wildlife, fishes, minerals and power
resources all are useful to man. All basic needs of food, shelter and clothing are
supplied by natural resources on earth. The stocks of nature , useful to mankind are
called natural resources. Natural resources are the components of atmosphere,
hydrosphere and lithosphere.

TYPES OF NATURAL RESOURCES

On the basis of abundance and availability natural resources can be broadly

classified into Inexhaustible and exhaustible Resource

a) Inexhaustible. These are present in plenty and cannot be exhausted by man’s

consumption viz. air, sand, clay, water, solar radiation etc. Although air will never
become limiting, its quality can be affected due to continuous increase in human
population.

b) Exhaustible. The stock of these resources in nature is limited. Exhaustible

resources are further divided into: (i) Renewable (ii) Non-renewable.

I) Renewable resources. Are those which are being continuously consumed by

man but renewed by nature e.g. water, wood, natural pastures , soil and living

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organisms, forests, wild life etc. The resources reappear by the quick replacement,
recycling and reproduction in a particular time.

II) Non-renewable resources. They are not renewable after use and are not
replenished by nature e.g. fossil fuels minerals viz. copper, iron, etc. Fossil fuels
include coal, petroleum etc.

ATMOSPHERE :- The Gaseous envelope surrounding the earth is called

atmosphere. In atmosphere, about 95% of the total air is present upto the height of
about 20 Km above earth’s surface. The remaining 5% is present upto about 280
Km height. The earth upto the height of about 300 Km above earth’s surface is
surrounded by air. Air is formed of a mixture of different gases in different
proportions. These various gases are nitrogen (78.08%), oxygen (20.9486%) and
carbon dioxide (0.0318%). Air besides these gases also contains water vapours,
industrial gases, dust smoke particles, microorganisms etc.

ROLE OF ATMOSPHERE

1. Air functions as a medium for locomotion insects, birds etc.

2. Ozone layer of atmosphere protects the living organisms from harmful

radiations of sun.

3. Air is the source of oxygen, carbon dioxide and nitrogen required for various
metabolic activities of living beings.

4. It helps in dispersal of spores, pollen, seeds etc. 6. Air transmits sound for
communication.

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WATER

Water is renewable resource. Water is vital to life since for all physiological
activities of plants and animals, it is essential. Water is mainly present in two
forms, i.e. i) Surface water ii) Ground water.

TYPES OF WATER RESOURCES:- Water resources can be classified into two

type’s i.e. i) Fresh water resources ii) Salt water resources.

FRESH water is obtained by following three types of natural resources: 1. Rain

water 2. Surface water 3. Ground water 1) Rain water. India gets near about 3
trillion m3 of water from rainfall (or precipitation which amounts for 1405-117 cm.
annually). 2) Surface water. India has plenty of rivers, lakes, streams, and ponds.
In India, surface flow of water takes place through 14 major river.

SOIL

The top surface layer of the exposed, solid part of crust capable of supporting
plant growth is called soil. Over millions of years of long periods of time, the rocks
at or near the surface of the earth are broken down by various physical, chemical
and some biological processes to form fine soil particles. Soil is a dynamic layer in
which many complex physical, chemical and biological activities are going on
constantly. It is an important resource that decides the diversity of life in an area.
The soil is a complex mixture. It consists of five components: (i) Mineral matter
=45% (ii) Organic matter =5%

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(iii)Water =25%

(iv)Air =25%

(v) Living organisms.

Formation of soil

1. The Sun. The sun heats up rocks during the day so that they expand. At night,
these rocks cool down and contract. Since all parts of the rock don of expand and
contract at the same rate, this results in the formation of cracks and ultimately the
huge rocks break up into smaller pieces.

2. Water. Water helps in the formation of soil in two ways. One, water could get
into the cracks in the rocks formed due to an even heating by the sun. If this water
later freezes, it would cause the the cracks to widen. Fast flowing water often
carries big and small particles of rock downstream. These rocks rub against other
rocks and the resultant abrasion causes the rocks to wear down into smaller and
smaller particles. The water then takes these particles along with it and deposits it
further down its path. Soil is thus found in places far away from its parent-rock.

3. Wind. In a process similar to the way in which water rubs against rocks and
wears them down, strong winds also erode rocks down. The wind also carries sand
from one place to the other like water does.

4. Living organisms also influence the formation of soil. The lichen that we read
about earlier also grows on the surface of rocks. While growing, they release
certain substances that cause the rock surface to powder sown and form a thin layer
of soil. Other small plants like moss are able to grow on this surface now and they

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cause the rock to break up further. The roots of big trees sometimes go into cracks
in the rocks and as the roots grow bigger, the crack is forced bigger.

Reasons for natural resource depletion

1. Fast population increase

2. Contamination
3. High Utilization of Resources
4. The Disintegration of Land

1.Fast Population Increase

There has been an enormous increment in India’s populace and it has now crossed 103
crores. An expansion in populace will diminish a wide range of natural resources and
result in ecological contamination. Eventually, there will be short supply and
disintegration in nature of regular resources. This is on account of increment in
populace will expand the request of normal resources and condition. At introduce, the
total populace is expanding by two for each penny consistently. The industrialized
nations have yearly development rate of 0.5 to 1 for every penny and then again the
creating nations have the development rate of 2 to 3 for each penny. The per capita
utilization of vitality and mineral resources demonstrates a distinction between the
creating and created nations of the world. The created nations devour less, however,
their resources are sufficient.The 1 population and per capita utilization considerably
affect nature. The world can’t take care of the consistently expanding demand for
regular resources.

2.Contamination

We are breaking down our condition because of expanding populace and modern
upheaval. We are contaminating air, lakes, and streams, waterways by sewage,

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mechanical squanders warm, radioactive materials, cleansers, manures and pesticides.
Other than these, we are discharging various lethal materials into our environment.
The uncontrolled and unpredictable utilization of pesticides has bothered the whole
evolved ways of life by which creatures including man are influenced. It has been
assessed that normal individual has around 7 sections for each million (ppm) DDT in
his bodies which influences in the long haul. Late inquiries about have uncovered that
this extent of DDT in our body effectively affects heart and liver and higher fixation
may cause a few different maladies including growth. Numerous gases, e.g., carbon
monoxide, sulfur dioxide, carbon dioxide and nitrous oxide are known to cause
respiratory inconveniences. The unplanned and uncontrolled mechanical development
may antagonistically influence or pulverize the soundness of the general public.

3.High Utilization of Resources.

Because of enormous increment of the populace, the greater part of the common
resources is as a rule quickly expanded. This high rate of utilization has exasperated
our biological systems. In any case, then again, huge numbers of the regular resources
are fundamental essential human needs. Numerous ventures require crude materials
which are basic for the headway of the nation. In any case, their quick utilization will
influence antagonistically the nature of our condition either by impulsive utilization of
common resources or by expanding contamination.

4.The Disintegration Of Land

Because of exorbitant utilization of minerals of the dirt by trimming or soil

disintegration or other formal occasions, the richness of soil is lost and the land falls
apart bit by bit. Once in a while dry spell additionally brings about the weakening of
land and numerous supplements of the best soil are devastated and soil ripeness is
lost. Because of trimming, the cycling of soil mineral supplements is incredibly
lessened.Disintegration has likewise drained soil richness on the grounds that the

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greater parts of the minerals stay in the upper piece of the dirt and they are effortlessly
expelled by wind or washed away by water. Some of the time water disintegrations
inflict significant damage to prolific soils.

Effects of natural resource depletion

The effects of natural resource depletion are an irregularity in nature, a deficiency of
materials, the battle for human life and loosening of monetary development. Our
common resources acquire an adjusting nature and influence it to stable. Expanding
deforestation and other appalling acts has enormously influenced the balance in
nature.

Effect on Human Health

Human wellbeing is intensely affected by natural corruption. Diminishment in water

quality is in charge of more than two million passing and billions of sickness every
year over the globe. Because of natural corruption, the outcomes incorporate water
shortage and decrease in quality sustenances. The decrease in air quality is in charge
of more than 300,000 passing’s every year and a huge number of incessant maladies.

Poverty

In the dominant part of creating nations, destitution is ascribed to poor product

collects and absence of valuable natural resources that are expected to fulfill
fundamental survival needs. The deficiency fundamental survival resources and
absence of nature of sustenance is the immediate aftereffect of ecological corruption
in the locales.

Atmospheric Changes

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Ecological degradation can changes a portion of the natural procedure, for example,
the water cycle and the typical procedures of creature and plant exercises. Likewise,
ecological corruption perspectives, for example, deforestation and mining decimate
the natural land cover. This, together with air, water, and land contamination represent
a few barometrical adjustment dangers.

Loss of Biodiversity

Degradation of the earth has recorded a proceeded with the decimation of wild
woodlands and the harm of natural environments that have incredibly added to the
mass elimination of species. The quantity of debilitated species endures duplicating
worldwide though some have totally become terminated.Unpredictable utilization of
resources has caused a deficiency of material. Numerous materials that we used to get
from backwoods are hard to come by in light of the fact that woods have been cleaned
for making urban areas, streets, dams and so forth. A battle for presence is occurring
between various nations, between the neighboring conditions of one nation, so they
can take the normal resources of that area.

For the earth, sustainability and green advancement, the particular proposals have
been concerning the atmosphere and vitality contemplations, natural cycles and their
associated social procedures, the urban-provincial nexus, urban framework and the
vehicle frameworks, and the green improvement in future and its financial effects. The
spread of greenery has been thought to be a vital factor keeping in mind the end goal
to check debilitating of common resources and ecological corruption, there have been
number of exercises that are because of greening of rustic advancement, enhanced
resource preservation, enhanced resource effectiveness, diminishment in the
negativities of natural effects, reinforcing of the climatic flexibility of groups and
commitment to environmental change moderation.

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