Published by: Mandira
Published date: 11 Jan 2022
The environment consists of artificial and natural components. The natural components of the environment like air, water, land, soil, plants and animals are called natural resources. These resources are taken as gift of nature to human beings. Mankind used these natural resources for their prosperity and survival. Some resources like air, water, land, plants and animals can be regenerated by natural process but mineral resources cannot be regenerated, it has its own importance. A continuous and dynamic cyclic of natural resources is found in nature.
Classification of natural resources
natural resources available in natural environment can easily and directly used. For example solar energy, water, fruits from plants can be directly used without any processing but some of the natural resources cannot be used, they need to be processed and refined, e.g. solar energy, water tides, winds, flowing water. We obtain heat and light energy from the sun as a principal source of energy in the earth. We use flowing water to rotate dynamo and generate electricity. All these resources do not exhaust due to their use. So, they are called perpetual resources.
Renewable resources
The natural resources that can be replenished through natural formation even after their utilization are called renewable natural resources. E.g. grass, food, plants, raw materials, etc. They die and get replaced by new vegetation. Soil formation is continuous and slow and other soil gets replaced by new soil. Water, wildlife, animals, plants, etc. are said to be renewable resources and but over exploitation of resources gets plants and animals lead to extinction.
Non renewable resources
The resources that are in fixed quantity in the nature and cannot be obtained by any natural means are non - renewable natural resources. e.g. oil, coal, diesel, petroleum, etc are in fixed amount in the earth. They cannot be regenerated once they are finished. Such natural resources should be used properly and wisely and should preserve for future.
Importance of natural resources
Natural resources are the bases of our life. We take on differences development activities by using them. Importance of natural resources is given below:
Difference between renewable and non- renewable natural resources
Renewable Natural Resources | Non- Renewable Natural Resources |
The natural resources which can be regenerated and renewed, are called renewable natural resources. | The natural resources which cannot be regenerated and get exhausted after overuse are called non- renewable resources. |
Animals, plants, fresh air, fertile soil and fresh water are the examples of renewable natural resources. | Fossil fuel, natural gases, metallic minerals and non- metallic minerals are the example of non- renewable resources. |
We can manage this sources through proper conservation of them. |
We should use alternative resources for their conservation. |
Natural resources are very large in their types and importance. People use natural resources for their benefits. Each natural resource has its own importance.
Air
Air is colorless, order less, and tasteless mixture of gases found in the earth's atmosphere. It forms a layer on the earth above land and water surface. It comprises 78 % nitrogen, 21% oxygen, 0.03% carbon dioxide, 0.1% other 4 gases and water vapor.
The importance of air are given below:
Water
It covers about seventy one percent of the earth's surface. Water is used use for drinking and other human activities, growing crops, and most in industrial used. In Nepal, people have the severe problem of drinking water practically in the urban areas. Sources of water is degrading where as the demand of water is increasing for the growing population.
The importance of water is given below:
Land
It is essential natural resource. The Geo- physical structure of the country varies according to the nature of rock and its structure. Soil is formed by weathering of rock and mixing of dead plants and animals. The formation of soil depends upon the climate, topography, nature of rock and biological changes. Due to this reason, soil formation may take from a few years to hundreds of years according to place.
The land feature of Nepal can be summarized as given below:
The importance of soil is given below:
Forest
Nepal has board variation of altitude from place. This is the reason that Nepal has been a land of different ecosystem and water ships. Because of the climate and topographical condition, there are diverse types of forest in our country. On the basis of physical features, climate, soil and local surrounding.
Forests can be divided into various types or groups, they are given below:
Importance of forest is given below:
Wildlife
The uncultivated plants and non- domesticated animal resources are called wildlife. Nepal is rich is rich in its biodiversity. According to project profile 1995, Nepal has got 181 species of mammals, 844 species of birds, 6356 species of butterflies, 5000 species of insects and 185 species of fishes. Reptiles like golden monitor lizard, gharal, and Asiatic rock python are also found in Nepal.
The importance of wildlife is given below:
Minerals
The metallic or non metallic substance found on the c rust of the earth is called mineral. Mineral is an important natural resources needed in construction and decoration. Soil, coal, clay and limestone are some of the examples of non metallic minerals. Copper, aluminum, etc. are the metallic minerals. It takes thousand years to form such minerals. As they are the non renewable natural resources, special care is needed while consuming them.
The status of major of our country is given below:
The importance of mineral resources is given below:
Earth is a habitat of human beings and other living things. Human gets all types of resources from the environment. As one of superior most creatures of the earth due to intelligence, human has a great possibility of wise use of natural resources and creating a balance in the ecosystem. Therefore, human is very closely interrelated and dependent on natural resources.
The interrelationship between human and natural resources are given below:
Air and Human
Air is a significant factor which protects the life of human. Human cannot survive only for a minute without air. They takes breathe for 22,000 times per day in normal condition and gets sixteen kilogram oxygen from the atmosphere. Thus, air is a very important factor among the natural resources. If methane, nitrogen and carbon dioxide are mixed in air, it causes air pollution. It makes human ill. The fresh air protects the life of human. Thus, there is close relationship between man and air.
Water and Human
Water is another significant resource for the survival of living beings. Human uses water for drinking cleaning, cooking food and irrigation of agricultural land. In absence of water, plants cannot grow and human are deprived of food from plants. It also acts as an important metabolite of our body and forms seventy percent of our body mass. Therefore it is very much essential to conserve water resources by controlling the possible causes of pollution.
Land and Human
Land is that part of the earth over which we live. Plants and vegetation develop on land. Natural resources like minerals are found in land. Land is formed of solid, rock and liquid materials in the shape of a ball. It occupies 13 part of the total land of the earth and it is also called lithosphere. Soil is formed out of the broken grains of rock which is caused by physical, chemical and biological process. Thus, land is such a control point which keeps us safe, provides food, shelter, and gives fresh water to drink. It provides and maintains the balance in the nature. Therefore, there is a close relationship between human beings and land.
Forest and Human beings
Human depends on plants and other animals for his nutrient supply. Plants have capacity to convert radiant energy of the sun into chemical energy by photosynthesis, so a nutritional chain is established in the nature from plants to animals and then to human beings. Human uses various forest resources like timber, medicinal herbs, plants, animal's materials for his livelihood. Human collects fodders and firewood from the forests. A plant also plays a significant role to maintain a balance in the amount gases of the air.
Minerals and Human
The things available free under the earth are called minerals. Copper, tin, lead, magnetite, limestone, natural gas, marble are some minerals. Mankind should be able to make the best use them wisely to increase the national wealth. Minerals help in accelerating the economic development of the country. Truck, jeep, car, motorcycle, train, airplanes, car, motor, etc are run by the petroleum which is found under the ground as mineral.
Wildlife and Human
Animals are important natural resources. Many domestic animals act as sources of food for human. Wildlife provides beauty in the nature and promotes tourism which directly benefits man by providing employment opportunities. On the other hand, survival of animals depends on human activities. Activities like forest fire, poaching, deforestation depletes the wildlife and their species may reach at the verge of extinction.
Human beings maintain their life by using natural resources. These sources are to be mobilized properly and rationally. Conservation of natural resources is to be done by mankind realizing the dependence on the natural resources and living beings and their interrelationship with environment.
Principles of Natural Resource Conservation
Natural resources maintains a balanced environment on the earth by their natural process of regeneration. Micro-organisms, plants and animals create a favorable environment for their survival and continue their race for an infinite period of time. There are two principles of conservation of natural resources.
Absolute conservation
Conservation of natural resources needs to be viewed with the conservation and utilization of natural resources. Absolute conservation encompasses the quantity and quality of natural resources such as air, water, land, forest, animal, minerals, without their declination. Absolute conservation is the thinking that natural resources should be used without their utilization. Human beings including other living-beings use natural resources, which cannot be stopped.
Major objectives of absolute conservation of natural resources are:
Relative conservation
This approach of natural resources conservation emphasizes on the need of integration of conservation program while using the resources. Re-use, recycling and minimum use of the non-renewable resources like fuel, coal and minerals help in their conservation. Plant resources can conserve by making a certain provision of their utilization in limited quantity.
Conversational Use of Natural Resources
Natural resources are essential in every step of our life. We can not imagine even a second of life in the absence of these resources. The way that we exploit these resources along with conservation is its proper utilization. Conversational use of natural resources refers to the utilization of natural resources refers to the utilization of natural resources in such a way that includes the consumption as well as conservation, with the purpose of achieving the principle of sustainability. We should clearly understand the type, status and nature of the resources.
This concept is based on the principle of sustainable development which means to prolong the effects of development to the distant future. It helps preserve the flora and fauna.
Re-use
Re-use means using use the things for the next time. In re-use, the form of the resources is not changed. These are again to supply the drinks. Re-use helps conserve the natural resources in two ways. On the one hand it helps reduce the use of raw materials and on the other hand, it helps one reduce environmental pollution.
Re-cycling
Recycling is the process of making the resources able to be used after some alteration in the structure of the resources. Re-cycling includes re-melting, recollecting and reprocessing as well. The metallic utensils and plastics are re-cycled.
Impact of Human Activities on Natural Resources
Human beings depend upon the natural resources of the universe for their development activities. If they use the natural resources without their development activities. If they use the natural resources without considering their conservation, they can create a situation of imbalance in environment. Some of the important points of impact made on natural resources by human activities are explained below:
Scarcity of Water
Water is a renewable nature resource. water is needed for various activities of human beings, like drinking, irrigation, industry, navigation, electricity production, etc. Water scarcity leads to the degradation of vegetation which in turn increases natural disasters like soil erosion, landslides and flood.
Environmental pollution
The major resources of the earth like air, water and land get polluted due to human activities. Industries are established mainly to produce valuable goods like cloths, food items, beverages, cement, bricks, etc. But, these industries are also major sources of pollution for air water and land resources and the environmental pollution is caused.
Depletion of wildlife
People are destroying forest for the purpose of timber, firewood and agriculture. Beside, forest is also used for the house settlement zone. The habitat of valuable animals like rhinoceros, tiger, bear, leopard, wild cow, yak, etc. is endangered.
Deforestation
Forest is not only important to get valuable forest products but also important to maintain ecological balance. Due to extreme poverty most of the people depend on forest resources for their survival. People collect firewood, timbers, folder, etc from the forest which depletes the forest resources. Landslides, floods, climatic variations such as excessive rainfall, drought, etc are also the consequences of deforestation.
Degradation in Eco-system
Problems like depletion of forests, floods, landslides, extreme utilization of land are started to be observed due to various activities of people. Pollution caused by industrial works degrades the status of land, water and vegetation. Natural status of the earth has started to destroy due to these reasons.
Depletion of pasture land
The pasture land for animals has been depleting due to various types of development activities. Overgrazing of pasture land results in the problems like soil, landslides, deforestation etc.
Floods, Landslides and Soil Erosion
The activities of man cause floods, landslides and soil erosion. Destruction of forest, excess use of land, cultivation of sloppy land, excess grazing, etc. have supported flood, landslides and soil erosion. Destruction of forest, excess use of land, landslides and soil erosion. It causes imbalance in the environment of hills and Terai.
8. Declining of ecosystem
A functional system operating in the environment by the interaction of living beings with their non-living environment is called ecosystem. When the resources like air, water and land get polluted then it affects the survival of plants and animals.
Human beings are the most prominent utilize and destroyer of natural resources. At the same time, he is the most thoughtful among the living beings. Therefore, it is their duty and responsibility to manage and conserve natural resources.
Conservation programmers
Forest conservation soil conservation, wildlife conservation, watershed conservation and solid waste management are the examples of natural resource conservation. Various national and international agencies have involved in such activities
Government agency
Different ministries of the Government of Nepal like, the ministry of forest and soil conservation, ministry of science and environment, ministry of Water resource, ministry of education and sports and the program under-taken by different agencies under it, have helped in the conservation, community forest program, reserve protected area, etc. are established under the ministry of forest and soil conservation, which also helps in the conservation of natural resources.
National and International Agencies
Different national and international agencies have been working for the conservation of natural resources. Nepal Nature Conservation Fund has conducted various programmes like environment education, sustainable development program, resource conservation etc in the Annapurna conservation area.
Non-government agencies
Various programmes for conservation and protection of natural resources and environment on national and local level are carried out by the non-government agencies.
Educational Institutions
Various aspects of natural resource conservation and environmental management have been included in the curricula of school education. Environment education is imparted through informal educational programmes.
Inclusion in world heritage list
Chitwan National Park and Sagarmatha National Park are including in the list of World Heritage. National Parks are making effort for protection and promotion especially.
Legal Provision
Various acts, directives and guidelines have been effective in the conservation and management of natural resources. The forest act 2049 B.S National Park and Wildlife Conservation Act 2029 B.S, land and Watershed conservation Act 2053 B.S., has been highly effective to control pollution and integrate environment conservation programme in development activities.