Sustainability & Environmental

Studies
Unit 1 - NATURAL RESOURCES AND THEIR CONSERVATION
Vinayak R. Gaikwad
Assistant Professor
School of Smart and Sustainability Studies
Symbiosis Skills and Professional University, Pune
Contents of Unit 2
What are Natural Resources?
• Natural resources are available readily in nature. These resources are present on earth ever since
life originated.
• Non-renewable resources, however, need to be carefully used as they get exhausted. For
instance, fossil fuels need a million years to form. Various methods have been devised to save
these natural resources under natural resource management organizations.
Why should we save these natural resources?
• After all, they are not man-made and available in nature freely. Some resources are available in
nature, while some others are produced by us using these natural resources as raw materials.
Hence there is a need to plan and use these resources carefully for us and our generations to
come.
Importance of Natural Resources
• They are crucial in maintaining a balance in our ecosystem
• To be able to cater to the needs of the ever-growing population
• Resources serve as raw material for large-scale industries and commercial purposes
• Wise consumption of non-renewable resources such as coal and petroleum
• The availability of freshwater is decreasing by the day, so it is important to use water carefully
• Water is used to produce electricity in dams and reservoirs
• Wind energy is also used in turbines and to produce electricity
• Helps in the socio-economic development of a country
• Solar energy is directly being used in home appliances such as solar water heaters, solar-powered
ventilation fans, batteries that are charged using solar power etc.
• Every material in our culture ultimately comes from our natural resources. Ex. Coal, oil, soil minerals,
timber, forest etc.
• The role natural resources has on earth is imperative indeed.
Need for Conservation of Natural Resources
• Nature helps to maintain the ecological balance and satisfy the needs to the fullest.
• Wide range of industrial material and biological material from plant and animal used in production and
manufacturing.
• Resource and known to be capital converted to commodity inputs to infrastructural capital processes.
• Resources are important for the development of any country. For example, to generate energy, one need
fossil fuels; and for industrial development, we require mineral resources.
• Irrational consumption and over utilization of resources has led to socio-economic and environmental
problems.
• Play vital role in economic development of the country by enriching agriculture, trade, imports and exports
etc.
Classification Of Resources
Water Resources
• Water is a vital elixir for all living beings.
• Although it is a renewable resource, scarcity of quality water is felt in many parts of the world.
• We need water to grow food, keep clean, generate electricity, control fire,
• And last but not the least, we need it to stay alive.
Types of Water Resources
Freshwater resources - Ponds, lakes, and big rivers are examples of freshwater resources. It is recyclable. It is
necessary for human life and the survival of a significant number of terrestrial organisms. Freshwater is majorly
obtained from natural sources like rainwater, surface water, and groundwater
Saltwater resources - They have a high quantity of dissolved salt making it unsuitable for consumption. Oceans,
seas, and other bodies of water are examples of saltwater resources.
Groundwater Resources - Of all the freshwater resources, groundwater in the water natural resources is
perhaps the most abundant. Part of the water that filters down into the soil via layers of dirt, clay, and rock
stacks to the uppermost layers, providing water to the plants. This water is in the vadose region, which means
it is unsaturated. Instead of water, almost all of the pores in the vadose zone are filled with air.
Water Resources
Some Reports….
• India has four per cent of the world’s water resources, but in 2011, it moved to be water-stressed.
• A 2019 NITI Aayog report said that India is suffering from the worst water crisis in its history, and
almost 600 million of its population is water-deprived.
• The report goes on to add that 21 cities — including Bangalore, Delhi, Hyderabad and Chennai —
probably exhausted their groundwater resources in 2021
Water is Resource…..Not a commodity
• Water is resource, not commodity
• In India, water resources are treated as commons. It is not treated as an economic resource that
has monetary value and a price to pay for its consumption.
• We also consume rapaciously in the false belief that rain will replenish our water stock.
• On a per capita basis, water availability has been declining — from 1,816 cubic meters in 2001
and 1,546 in 2011 to 1,367 cubic meters in 2021.
Overutilization Of Surface And Ground Water
• Water scarcity has become a burning global issue. The UN has held several conventions on water
in recent decades. Continuous overutilization of surface and ground water has led to virtual water
scarcity in the world today.
• The depleting sources for high growth in human population over the centuries and increased
man-induced water pollution across the world have created unforeseen water scarcity around the
globe.
• As a result, there has been continuous overutilization of the existing water sources due to
mammoth growth in world population.
Consequences Of Overutilization
• Water scarcity now becomes an important topic in international diplomacy. From village to the United Nations,
• Nearly three billion people in the world suffer from water scarcity. International, intrastate and regional rivalries on water
are not new to world.
• The ongoing Jordan River conflict, Nile River conflict, and Aral Sea conflict are cases in point. The intra-state issues such as
Cauvery Water dispute in South India.
• According to World Health Organization (WHO) sources, a combination of rising global population, economic growth and
climate change means that by 2050 five billion (52%) of the world’s projected 9.7 billion people will live in areas where
fresh water supply is under pressure.
• Researchers expect about 1 billion more people to be living in areas where water demand exceeds surface-water supply.
Consequences Of Overutilization
• Excessive pumping of ground water causes porous formations to collapse resulting in subsidence
• Heavy pumping can lower water table and cause shallow wells to dry-up
• Overuse of freshwater reservoirs along coast lines allows salt water to move into reservoirs
degrading the water quality and making it unsuitable for domestic, industrial or agricultural
purposes. Decrease in flow of water in rivers
• Drying of ponds and lakes specially during summers
• Reduction in wetlands and green lands
• Migration of public due to scarcity of water
 Hydrological Cycle
• The water cycle, also known as the hydrologic cycle or the hydrological cycle, describes the
continuous movement of water on, above and below the surface of the Earth.
• Of the many processes involved in the water cycle, the most important
are evaporation, transpiration, condensation, precipitation, and runoff.
Dams – Benefits
• Dams can store huge amount of water. Hence reduce the danger of flooding.
• Generate electricity.
• Supply water for irrigation.
• Provide drinking water.
• Their reservoirs are a source of income for many and can also be used for swimming, fishing,
boating, etc.
• They fulfill the demand for water and power shortage.
Dams – Problems
• Displacement of indigenous tribal communities.
• Loss of non-forest land
• Loss of forests, flora and fauna
• Landslides, sedimentation and siltation occurs
• Stagnation and waterlogging around takes place around dams
• Breeding of mosquitoes etc. and spread of vector borne diseases like malaria
• Reduced water flow and silt deposition in rivers
• Salt intrusion at river mouth
• Since the sediments carrying nutrients gets deposited in the reservoir, the fertility of the land along the river
gets reduced
• Due to structural defects or faulty design of the dam may cause sudden dam failure leading to collapse and
destruction to life and property.
• Micro-climatic changes take place.
• Destruction of fertile agricultural land.
• They are very costly. Construction of the Tehri dam incurred costs as high as 3000 crores.
• Rehabilitation requires a lot of financial help as well as thousands of hectares of land for settlement of the
displaced communities.
• They affect the migration and spawning of fishes.
 Impacts

▪ Reduction in Famines
▪ Prevention of Floods
▪ Promotion of Productivity in Lower areas
Internal Structure of Earth
Aquifers: Rock bearing strata which is porous and able to retain water. An aquifer is an underground layer of
porous rocks or permeable rocks that store and retain groundwater levels in the soil.
Two types of Aquifers:

• Unconfined Aquifer - An unconfined aquifer is a section of rock bed or sand not covered by a confining layer. An
unconfined aquifer is always shallow in-depth, and its top consists of the water table. It acts like a sponge where the
water level fluctuates depending on the outflow and inflow of water.
• Confined Aquifer - A confined aquifer is a part of a rock bed or sand covered by a clay confining layer and prevents the
groundwater from moving from one aquifer to another.
Saline water Intrusion
• Saline water intrusion is the movement of saline water into freshwater aquifers, which can lead to
groundwater quality degradation, including drinking water sources, and other consequences.
• Saltwater intrusion can naturally occur in coastal aquifers, owing to the hydraulic connection
between groundwater and seawater. Because saline water has a higher mineral content than freshwater, it is
denser and has a higher water pressure. As a result, saltwater can push inland beneath the freshwater.
Floods
• A flood is an overflow of water, whenever the magnitude of flow of water exceeds the carrying
capacity of the channel within its banks.
Causes Of Floods
• Heavy rainfall or sudden release of water from dams often causes floods in the low lying areas along rivers or coastal
areas.
• Prolonged heavy rainfall can also cause the overflowing of lakes and rivers resulting in floods
• Reduction in carrying capacity of river channels due to accumulation of sediments or obstructions built on flood ways.
• Deforestation, overgrazing, mining increases the run-off from rains causing floods.
• Removal of dense forest cover over the hilly area leads to occurrence of floods
Effects Of Floods
• Water spreads in the low lying areas around the rivers and planes and submerges them
• Plain surfaces get eroded and silted with mud and sand thereby affecting cultivable land areas.
• Destruction of society in some coastal areas also occurs
Floods
Droughts
• Drought is scarcity of water. Drought occurs due to:
• Inadequate rainfall
• Late arrival of rains and excessive withdrawal of groundwater
• Scarcity of water for normal needs of agriculture, livestock, industry or human population may be
termed as drought.
• Drought is understood from dry weather which persists long enough to produce a serious
hydrological imbalance, leading to damage of plants, animals and human life.
Mineral Extraction
• Environmental impact of mining can occur at local, regional, and global scales through direct and
indirect mining practices.
• Mining can cause erosion, sinkholes, loss of biodiversity, or the contamination of soil, groundwater,
and surface water by chemicals emitted from mining processes.
• These processes also affect the atmosphere through carbon emissions which contributes to climate change.
• Some mining methods may have such significant environmental and public health effects that mining
companies in some countries are required to follow strict environmental and rehabilitation codes to ensure
that the mined area returns to its original state.
Impacts of Mining