Natural Resources and Their Use
Class 08 Social ScienceNature is the totality of life and non-life forms that are part of our environment but have not been created by humans. When humans use these for their sustenance, or create new things from them for consumption, these elements of Nature become resources.
For example, trees are part of the environment. When we cut them and convert their wood into furniture, we see the trees as a resource.
For an entity to be called a resource, it should be technologically accessible, and its exploitation should be economically feasible and culturally acceptable.
Categories of Natural Resources
One of the ways we could categorise natural resources is based on the uses we put them to - essential for our life, source for materials and sources for energy.
Resources Essential for Life
Life could not exist on Earth without the air we breathe, the water we drink and the food we eat. We take these from the atmosphere, the rivers and ponds, and through the cultivation of soil or other living things. We cannot make the air we breathe, the water we drink, or the soil which gives us food.
Resources for Materials
Human beings create physical objects out of Nature's gifts. We make them for our utility or to create things of beauty that enrich our lives and those of others - a piece of wood can be transformed into a chair and also carved into a statuette. India’s geographical diversity provides us with a wide variety of natural resources, from wood to marble, and coal to gold.
Resources for Energy
Energy is a cornerstone of modern living - electricity for our buildings, transportation, and all types of production processes. This energy can come from diverse natural sources: coal, water, petroleum, natural gas, sunlight, wind, etc.
Renewable and Non-Renewable Resources
A second way of categorising natural resources could be based on whether they are renewable or not. A general principle of Nature is that it functions in a restorative and regenerative way. Restoration is the process of returning something to its original healthy state if it has been degraded or damaged. Nature heals, renews and maintains herself over time. Regeneration goes beyond restoration. It is about Nature’s ability to create new life and the conditions for thriving.
Renewable Resources
Solar energy, wind energy, energy from flowing water, timber from forests are renewable resources as long as we are able to manage them in a sustainable manner. However, for them to remain renewable there is a condition - the natural rhythm of restoration and regeneration must not be disturbed. If we harvest timber faster than the forest can grow trees, we will eventually deplete the forest.
Non-renewable Resources
Non-renewable resources are created over long periods. They cannot be replenished at the rate we use them. For example, fossil fuels (coal and petroleum), and minerals and metals like iron, copper and gold, are non-renewable resources.
Distribution of Natural Resources
Natural resources are not evenly distributed across our planet or even within countries. This uneven distribution shapes human settlements, trade patterns, international relations, and conflicts too. Many wars have been fought, and continue to be fought, to gain control over natural resources.
Industries located near natural resources create employment opportunities for the local people. Townships grow around them and expand economic opportunities for others, too. More modern facilities that improve the quality of life become accessible. However, these benefits are often accompanied by costs, in the short term as well as in the long term.
National and international trade depend on the geographical location of natural resources. Combined with human knowledge and skills, these can create unique products like the Wootz steel.