NATURAL RESOURCES

A natural resource is a renewable resource if it is replaced by natural processes at a rate comparable or faster than its rate of consumption by humans. Solar radiation, tides, winds and hydroelectricity are perpetual resources that are in no danger of a lack of long-term availability.

Production of wind energy

A non-renewable resource is a natural resource which cannot be produced, re-grown, regenerated, or reused on a scale which can sustain its consumption rate. These resources often exist in a fixed amount, or are consumed much faster than nature can recreate them. Fossil fuel (such as coal, petroleum and natural gas) and nuclear power are examples. In contrast, resources such as timber (when harvested sustainably) or metals (which can be recycled) are considered renewable resources

A scene from a coal mine

Forest resources

Forest Resources: It is a dense growth of trees, together with other plants, covering a large area of land. Forests are one of the most natural resources on this earth. Covering the earth like a green blanket these forests not only produce innumerable material goods, but also provide several environmental services which are essential for life.

As per the latest state of forests report of the Forest Survey of India the actual forest cover of India is 19.27% of the geographic area, corresponding to 63.3 million hectors. Use and Over Exploitation: The direct benefits from forests are: 1. Fuel Wood 2. Timber 3. Bamboos 4. Food 5. Shelter 6. Paper 7. Rayon 8. Forest Products

The ecological services provided by our forests may be summed up as follows: 1. Production of oxygen: The trees produce oxygen by photosynthesis which is so vital for life on this earth. They are rightly called as earths lungs. 2. Reducing global warming: The main greenhouse gas carbon dioxide (CO2) is absorbed by the forests as a raw material for photosynthesis. Thus forest canopy acts as a sink for CO2 thereby reducing the problem of global warming caused by greenhouse gas i.e. CO2. 3. Wild life habitat: Forests are the homes of millions of wild animals and plants. About 7 million species are found in the tropical forests alone.

4. Regulation of hydrological cycle: Forested watersheds act like giant sponges, absorbing the rainfall, slowing down the runoff and slowly releasing the water for recharge of springs. About 50-80% of the moisture in the air above tropical forests comes from their transpiration which helps in bringing rains. 5. Soil Conservation: Forests bind the soil particles tightly in their roots and prevent soil erosion. They also act as windbreaks. 6. Pollution moderators: Forests can absorb many toxic gases and can help in keeping the air pure and clean. They have also been reported to absorb noise and thus help in preventing air and noise pollution.

OVER EXPLOITATION OF FORESTS: Since time immemorial, humans have depended heavily on forests for food, medicine, shelter, wood and fuel. With growing civilization the demands for raw material like timber, pulp, minerals, fuel wood etc. shooted up resulting in large scale logging, mining, road-building and clearing of forests. Our forests contribute substantially to the national economy. The international timber trade alone is worth over US $ 40 billion per year.

Excessive use of fuel wood and charcoal, expansion of urban, agricultural and industrial areas and overgrazing have together led to over exploitation of our forests leading to their rapid degradation.

Deforestation Deforestation is the permanent destruction of indigenous forests and woodlands. The term does not include the removal of industrial forests such as plantations of gums or pines. The total forest area of the world in 1990 was estimated to be 7000 million hectares which was reduced to 2890 million hectares in 1995 and fell down to just 2300 million hectares by 2000.

Major causes of Deforestation: 1.Shifting cultivation: There are an estimated 300 million people living as shifting cultivators who practice slash and burn agriculture and are supported so clear more than 5 lakh hct. of forests for shifting cultivation annually. In India, we have this practice of North-East and to some extent in Andhra Pradesh, Bihar and M.P. which contribute to nearly half of the forest clearing annually. 2. Fuel requirements: Increasing demands for fuel wood by the growing population in India alone has shooted up to 300-500 million tons in 2001 as compared to just 65 million tons during independence, thereby increasing the pressure on forests.

3. Raw materials for industrial use: Wood for making boxes, furniture, railway-sleepers, plywood, match boxes, pulp for paper industry etc. have exerted tremendous pressure on forests. Plywood is in great demand for packing tea for Tea industry of Assam while fir tree wood is exploited greatly for packing apples in J & K. 4. Development projects: Massive destruction of forests occur for various development projects like hydroelectric projects, big dams, road construction, mining etc.

5. Growing food needs: In developing countries this is the main reason for deforestation. To meet the demands of rapidly growing population, agricultural lands and settlements are created permanently by clearing forests.
6. Overgrazing: The poor in the tropics mainly rely on wood as a source of fuel leading to loss of tree cover and the cleared lands are turned into the grazing lands. Overgrazing by the cattle leads to further degradation of these lands.

Effect of Deforestation Forests are closely related with climatic change, biological diversity, wild animals, crops, medicinal plants etc. 1. Habitat destruction of wild animals (tree-using animals are deprived of food and shelter.) 2. Increased soil erosion due to reduction of vegetation cover. 3. Reduction in the oxygen liberated by plants through photosynthesis. 4. Increase in pollution. 5. Decrease in availability of forest products. 6. Loss of cultural diversity 7. Loss of Biodiversity

8. Scarcity of fuel wood and deterioration in economy and quality of life of people residing near forests. 9. Lowering of the water table due to more run-off and thereby increased use of the underground water increases the frequency of droughts. 10.Rise in Carbon dioxide level has resulted in increased thermal level of earth which in turn results in melting of ice caps and glaciers and consequent flooding of coastal areas.

Timber Extraction One of the forest products most important to human economies has always been woodlignified plant material. Lumber or timber is wood that is used in any of its stages from felling through readiness for use as structural material for construction, or wood pulp for paper production.

Impact of Timber Extraction Loss of Cultural Diversity: The worlds forests, particularly the tropical rainforests, are home to over 10 million members of the last surviving intimately resource-based cultures. Forest dwellers around the world have lived with this resource for millennia, yet today it is often literally stolen from them by governments and industries intent on turning natural capital into hard currency. Loss of Biodiversity Biodiversity is the level of difference among living things. It is important to the biological health of the planet and therefore, to the human race because diversity contributes to resiliency.

Mining is defined in the Macquarie Dictionary as the action, process, or industry of extracting ores, etc., from mines.

Mining is the extraction of valuable minerals or other geological materials from the earth, usually from an ore body, vein or (coal) seam. Materials recovered by mining include base metals, precious metals, iron, uranium, coal, diamonds, limestone, oil shale, rock salt and potash. Any material that cannot be grown through agricultural processes, or created artificially in a laboratory or factory, is usually mined.

Impact of Mining on Environment:

It destroys forest and wetlands. It may mean that you have to cut down lots of trees just to get to the spot that has all the gold or iron ore.
Many mine require tailings dams to prevent waste being washed into the rivers. Unethical miners can dispense with the dams, to save costs, resulting in massive pollution downstream. In other cases, the tailings dam can overflow, and even breach, during periods of heavy rain.

 Underground coal mining can require the removal of almost an entire layer of material deep under the surface. When the timber supports collapse, this can lead to subsidence. The subsidence can mean economic loss to people above or damage to natural areas. It can even cause cracks in river beds, leading to loss of river flow. Some mining involves the inadvertent dispersal of heavy metals, such as lead, into the atmosphere. This can have serious health effects, including mental retardation in children. Asbestos mining causes the dispersal of asbestos into the environment. This will cause deaths among local residents and workers, often several decades later. Fortunately, the mining and use of asbestos are banned in most parts of the world.

Mining should be ban!

There is no reason for a blanket ban on mining. However, the environmental impact of each proposed mine should be analysed before permission to proceed is granted. Mining operators must be aware of the potential impacts of their operations and ensure minimum risk to the environment.

A barrier or structure across a stream, river, or waterway for the purpose of confining and controlling the flow of water. A dam is a barrier that impounds water or underground streams. Dams generally serve the primary purpose of retaining water, while other structures such as floodgates or levees (also known as dikes) are used to manage or prevent water flow into specific land regions.

Dams look beautiful if correctly built but they can mess up the environment Rise in sea level (could flood lower elevation areas) Shift of climatic zones to the poles Unmanaged ecosystems may face new climate based stresses Effect on water resources as precipitation and evaporation may change In far too many cases, dam-building has resulted in widespread human rights violations. As most of us would, local peoples have persistently resisted the destruction of their homelands and their forced resettlement. As a result, they have had to face different types of repression, ranging from physical and legal threats to mass murders.

Dams- Benefits and Problems:

Dams provide a range of economic, environmental, and social benefits, including recreation, flood control, water supply, hydroelectric power, waste management, river navigation, and wildlife habitat.

Recreation Dams provide prime recreational facilities throughout the United States. Boating, skiing, camping, picnic areas, and boat launch facilities are all supported by dams.

Flood Control In addition to helping farmers, dams help prevent the loss of life and property caused by flooding. Flood control dams impound floodwaters and then either release them under control to the river below the dam or store or divert the water for other uses. For centuries, people have built dams to help control devastating floods.
Water Storage Dams create reservoirs throughout the United States that supply water for many uses, including industrial, municipal, and agricultural.

Irrigation Ten percent of American cropland is irrigated using water stored behind dams. Thousands of jobs are tied to producing crops grown with irrigated water. Mine Tailings There are more than 1,300 mine tailings impoundments in the United States that allow the mining and processing of coal and other vital minerals while protecting the environment.

Electrical Generation The United States is one of the largest producers of hydropower in the world, second only to Canada. Dams produce over 103,800 megawatts of renewable electricity and meet 8 to 12 percent of the Nation's power needs. Hydropower is considered clean because it does not contribute to global warming, air pollution, acid rain, or ozone depletion. Debris Control In some instances, dams provide enhanced environmental protection, such as the retention of hazardous materials and detrimental sedimentation.

Navigation Dams and locks provide for a stable system of inland river transportation throughout the heartland of the Nation.

Disadvantages Dams are extremely expensive to build and must be built to a very high standard. The high cost of dam construction means that they must operate for many decades to become profitable. The flooding of large areas of land means that the natural environment is destroyed. People living in villages and towns that are in the valley to be flooded, must move out. This means that they lose their farms and businesses. In some countries, people are forcibly removed so that hydropower schemes can go ahead.

The building of large dams can cause serious geological damage. For example, the building of the Hoover Dam in the USA triggered a number of earth quakes and has depressed the earth's surface at its location.
Although modern planning and design of dams is good, in the past old dams have been known to be breached (the dam gives under the weight of water in the lake). This has led to deaths and flooding.

Dams built blocking the progress of a river in one country usually means that the water supply from the same river in the following country is out of their control. This can lead to serious problems between neighboring countries.
Building a large dam alters the natural water table level. For example, the building of the Aswan Dam in Egypt has altered the level of the water table. This is slowly leading to damage of many of its ancient monuments as salts and destructive minerals are deposited in the stone work from 'rising damp' caused by the changing water table level.

Hydro power dams can damage the surrounding environment and alter the quality of the water by creating low dissolved oxygen levels, which impacts fish and the surrounding ecosystems. They also take up a great deal of space and can impose on animal, plant, and even human environments.

By 2020, it is projected that the percentage of power obtained from hydro power dams will decrease to around four percent because no new plants are in the works, and because more money is being invested in other alternative energy sources such as solar power and wind power.

The Silent valley hydroelectric project was one of the first such projects situated in the tropical rain forest area of Western Ghats which attracted much concern of the people.
The crusade against the ecological damage and deforestation caused due to Tehri dam was led by Shri.Sunder lal Bahaguna, the leader of Chipko Movement. The cause of Sardar Sarovar Dam related issues have been taken up by the environmental activitist Medha Patkar, joined by Arundhati Ray and Baba Amte.

Water Resources

Water resources are sources of water that are useful or potentially useful to humans. Uses of water include agricultural, industrial, household, recreational and environmental activities. Virtually all of these human uses require fresh water.
At global scale, about 71% of earth surface is covered with water. 97% of water on the Earth is salt water, leaving only 3% as fresh water of which slightly over two thirds is frozen in glaciers and polar ice caps. The remaining unfrozen freshwater is mainly found as groundwater, with only a small fraction present above ground or in the air (1%)

Use of Water resources:

Agricultural It is estimated that 69% of worldwide water use is for irrigation, with 15-35% of irrigation withdrawals being unsustainable.

Industrial It is estimated that 15% of worldwide water use is industrial. Major industrial users include power plants, which use water for cooling or as a power source (i.e. hydroelectric plants), ore and oil refineries, which use water in chemical processes, and manufacturing plants, which use water as a solvent.

The portion of industrial water usage that is consumptive varies widely, but as a whole is lower than agricultural use.

Household It is estimated that 15% of worldwide water use is for household purposes. These include drinking water, bathing, cooking, sanitation, and gardening.

Recreation Recreational water use is usually a very small but growing percentage of total water use. Recreational water use is mostly tied to reservoirs. If a reservoir is kept fuller than it would otherwise be for recreation, then the water retained could be categorized as recreational usage. Release of water from a few reservoirs is also timed to enhance whitewater boating, which also could be considered a recreational usage. Other examples are anglers, water skiers, nature enthusiasts and swimmers.

Types of Water Sources: Saltwater Resources Saltwater is abundant in the world. However, saltwater is not useful when it comes to potable water supplies. Desalination plants, while they do exist, are scarce because the energy required for desalination makes the process extremely expensive. However, there are saltwater resources from which we benefit. Saltwater fish are a staple in much of the world's diet, but overfishing has put much of the fishing population at risk. Furthermore, tidal waters are being used as a source of hydroelectric energy. So, while saltwater is not helpful in dealing with scarce water supplies, it's inherent resources are being used.

Groundwater Resources Groundwater is the most plentiful of all freshwater resources. As water soaks into the ground, some of it adheres to clay and soil to provide water to the plants. This water is in the unsaturated. Most of the pores in the unsaturated zone are filled with air, rather than water. Gravity continues to move the water down through the ground. Eventually, the water reaches the saturated zone, where all the pores are filled with water.

Surface Water Surface water is the water that exists in streams and lakes. This water is used for potable water supply, recreation, irrigation, industry , livestock, transportation and hydroelectric energy. Over 63 percent of the public water supply is withdrawn from surface water. Irrigation gets 58% of its water supply from surface water. Industry gets almost 98 percent of its water from surface water systems. Therefore, surface water conservation and quality is of utmost importance.

Drought
A drought is an extended period of months or years when a region notes a deficiency in its water supply.

Types of drought Meteorological drought is brought about when there is a prolonged period with less than average precipitation. Meteorological drought usually precedes the other kinds of drought.
Agricultural droughts are droughts that affect crop production or the ecology of the range. This condition can also arise independently from any change in precipitation levels when soil conditions and erosion triggered by poorly planned agricultural endeavors cause a shortfall in water available to the crops. However, in a traditional drought, it is caused by an extended period of below average precipitation.

Causes of drought:
Generally, rainfall is related to the amount of water vapor in the atmosphere, combined with the upward forcing of the air mass containing that water vapor. If either of these are reduced, the result is a drought. This can be triggered by an above average prevalence of high pressure systems, winds carrying continental, rather than oceanic air masses (ie. reduced water content), and ridges of high pressure areas form with behaviors which prevent or restrict the developing of thunderstorm activity or rainfall over one certain region.