Published by: BhumiRaj Timalsina
Published date: 02 Feb 2022
There is interaction, movement exchanges and other various activities among environmental aspects. Environmental balance is concerned with these activities. We will study here about the significance of environmental balance.
Living and non-living things are the components of the environment. Weakness or damage in one of them affects the other. This breaks the environmental balance.The relation between human beings and water can be taken as an example. Human beings use water for various purposes such as for drinking, cleanliness, irrigation etc. However the sources of water does not finish by its use. It is because the water we use goes under the ground through various ways. Some amount of it changes into vapour and goes high. The vapour changes on water and falls on the land in the form of rain. This is like a cycle that goes on continuously. Animals survive by eating grass available on the land. They drink water collected in ponds, lakes, rivers, streams, etc. the excretion by the animals is fertilizer for the plants. They mix into the soil after they die.
The above example shows the inter-relationship among animals, grass/plants and water. This activity is an example of the exchange of components and energy between living and non-living things. Their lives exist if they operate such an activity continuously. When this relationship between living and non-living things is maintained and remains stable, the balance between them is maintained. Therefore, environmental balance is the relationship between living and nonliving things in the form of continuous cycle. To maintain it should be a cycle of use of environmental component and return of such component in the same or other form into the environment. There remains environmental balance between living and non-living things if it happens in the environment. If there is obstruction in this process the balance between them is lost. Environmental balance is broken when the balance between living and non-living things breaks. Therefore environmental balance helps for the survival of all the living beings.
Natural resource is one aspect of the environment. When we describe the earth, we describe the natural resource in one or the other form. We will study its general meaning, importance and condition here.
The resources available on and under the surface of the earth are natural assets. Natural resources are the things that are available and provided by the nature. Land, plant, water-resource, minerals air etc are natural things. They are environmental aspects. They are connected each other.
The forms of land are different such as plain, steep-hill, low land etc. Some land is cultivable and some is not. The land in our country has been divided into Himalayan, Hilly and Terai region. The land in Himalayan region is covered with snow and it is dry. This region has less cultivable land. The land in hilly region is steep and low. Some land is plain. The land in terai region is plain.
Human beings build their houses on the land. They grow grains, vegetables, cash crops, fruits etc on the land. Land is the main sources of growing food. Animals survive by eating crops grown on the land. Medicinal plants are available on the land.
Plant kingdom is a big aspect of natural resource. Various kind of plants are included in it. Plants protect land from their erosion and deposition. Fern, mushroom, algae, herbs are small plants. Chap, mango tree, sallo, saal, chilaune etc are big plants. Forest is the habitat of wild animals. They survive by eating grass, fruits etc available there. Human beings collect woods, fire woods, grass, medicinal plants etc from the forest. They use wood to build houses and to prepare different furnitures. This also provides them employment. It also helps them to be economically strong. Similarly, they can take cattle for grazing in the forest.
There are different kinds of animals and birds in nature. They increase the beauty of that place. Tourists come to observe them. Nepal earns foreign currencies through this. People want to study the life cycle, their habitat, nutrition process etc of the birds and animals. It has provided employment to many people. Such a study helps to develop skill and knowledge about birds and animals. The country gets benefit from it.
Birds and animals are important environmental aspect of nature. There are various types of birds and animals in the Himalayan, Hilly and Terai region of our country. Birds and animals like brown bear, naur (wildsheep) hispid, wild yak, lophophorus, munal, chilme etc are found in Himalayan region. Jackal, Marten (malsapro), monkey, wild pig, chitah, barking deer, dove, crow, bulbul (jureli), etc are found in Hilly region. Tiger, bear, chitah, elephant, rhinoceros, wild buffalo, alligator, crocodile, python, ghariyal, black antelope, peacock, crane heron, dhanesh etc are found in Terai region. They have added beauty of our country. We can earn foreign currencies through them.
Water resource is the collection of water. Water is on and under the surface of the land. The water in sea, river, lake, pond, glacier is on the surface of land. Under ground water is found in well. We can bring out the underground water by digging deep hole or by penetrating pipe. Water is the main source of electricity and irrigation.
Copper, iron, stone, lime stone, mineral oil, natural gas, coal etc are minerals. Minerals containing copper, iron like metals are found very less amount in our country. Mineral oil, coal, natural gas etc are about nill. We have enough stone and lime stone. They are raw materials for the cement factories established in our country.
Mineral oil such as petrol; diesel is needed to run vehicles. Natural gas is needed for cooking and running small vehicles. Coal is used to burn. It is also used in brick factories. This shows the importance of natural resources.
There is no uniformity in the distribution of natural resources in the world. Natural resources are scattered in different places of the world. Each country has its own natural resources. Some countries have more natural resources and some have less. Our country has various natural resources. Now we will study about them here.
The land of Nepal has been divided into three regions: they are Himalayan region, Hilly region, and Terai region. Growth and development of plants is affected by different aspects such as formation of land, fertility of soil, water, air pressure, temperature etc. Due to these environmental components, the distribution of vegetation varies. Therefore, different type of plants are found in different places of our country. Nepal has variety of land formation and climate. Therefore, various type of plants are found in our country. According to the environmental report of 2008 there are about 10633 types of vegetation found in Nepal. There are 3991 type of flowering plants. There are around 400 types of trees. It is estimated that around 700 types of plants are used as medicinal herb. Because of the snow, plants are not found in Himalayan part. Coniferous plants such as bhojpatra, chilme, dhupi, devdar, gobre salla, thingre salla etc are found in Hilly region. Rhododendron, phalant, khasru, baanj, katus, uttis, kalikath, chilaune etc are found in Mahabharat region.
Land is found in the form of plain, hill and steep field. Land is divided into agricultural, forest, field covered with shrubs (butyan), snow covered land and others. Human and other animals use land. Land is a base for their survival. According to the environmental report (2008) Nepal has 14718100 hectare land in total. 21% land is cultivable and 7% land is not suitable for cultivation. Around 29% (42 lakh 70 thousand hectare land is covered with forest. 10.6% land is covered with shrubs and bushes. 12% land is grassy land or grazing area. 17.8% land is covered with snow, uncultivated, land with rock, stone and sand. 2.6% land is covered by water and lake.
Although Nepal is a small country there is variety in land formation and climate. Due to the variation in environmental aspects, Nepal is in animal diversity. There are different types animals and birds in Nepal. According to the Environmental Report (2008) there are 185 types of mammals in Nepal. Similarly, it has estimated that there are 874 types of birds and 118 types of amphibians in Nepal. Similarly, there are 651 types of butterfly, 78 types of reptiles, 187 types of fishes, and 175 types of spiders.
There is a cold climate in the northern part of Nepal. Snow leopard, Himalayan brown bear, naur, hare, wild yak, wild donkey etc are found there. Junge giddha, golden eagle, lophophorus, himalayan pheasant (munal), chilme etc birds are also found. Warm climate is found in southern part of Nepal. Animals as tiger, bear, leopard, elephant, rhinoceros, wild buffalo, alligator, crocodile, python, ghariyal, black, antelope, stage etc are found in this region. Birds such as peacock, crane, heron, dhanes, etc are also found. Mixed type of climate is found in the middle hilly part of Nepal. Therefore, there are animals that are found in hot and cold environment. Jackal, malsapro, langur monkey, wild pig, leopard, ratua deer etc are found in this part. Similarly, birds such as dove, crow, Nitingale or Bulbul (jureli), sparrow etc are found there.
Water Resource is the main natural resource of Nepal. Monsoon rain, snow and underground water are the main sources of water in Nepal. In Nepal, almost 75% rain takes place in rainy season. We can use it for economic development of the nation. Around 2.6% is covered by lakes, ponds, rivers etc. Among them, river covers 3 lakh 95 hectare. Similarly, it is estimated that water pool covers 1500 hectare and rural ponds include 6500 hectare. If we include all of them, they cover 4 lakh 8 thousand hectare. In Nepal, there are 660 lakes that have their area more than one hectare.
In Nepal, minerals like limestone, lead, zinc, marble, copper, iron, etc are found to some extent. It is estimated that in Udayapur and Sindhuli, there is 7 crore tons limestone that can be used to produce cement. Similarly, limestone is estimated to be found in Surkhet. Chovar in Kathmandu is also the sources of limestone. It is estimated that there is 1 crore, 53 lakh ton limestone. Similarly, 80 lakh tons limestone is in Bhaise and 1 crore ton in Okhare of Makwanpur district. Limestone is used in cement factory. Agricultural and chemical lime are also made from limestone.
Iron is estimated to be found in Lalitpur, Ramechhap, Rolpa, Tanahu and Chitwan. It has not been dug and brought in use. There is 10 lakh tons iron in Phulchoki of Lalitpur district. There is 1 lakh 40 thousand tons in Kalitour of Makwanpur and 1 lakh 74 thousand tons in Wapsa of Solukhumbu district. Similarly, it is estimated that there is 78 thousand tons lead in Ganesh Himal of Rasuwa, 28 lakh tons lead and zinc in Lawang and Khairang of Dhading district. Around 30 crore cubic metre natural gas is estimated to be found in Kathmandu valley. These resources will support for the economic development of the country if they are used properly.