Unit 3 Natural Resources: Renewable and Non-Renewable Resources

Land resources, types and distribution and land-use change;

Land degradation, soil erosion and desertification. Deforestation: Causes and
impacts due to mining, dam building on environment, forests, biodiversity and
tribal populations.
Water: Resource types, distribution and status. Use and over-exploitation of
surface and ground water, floods, droughts, conflicts over water sharing, types
of water sharing (international & inter-state).
Energy resources: Renewable and non-renewable energy sources, use of
alternate energy sources, growing energy needs, case studies.
Natural resources:
Natural resources are resources that are drawn from nature and used with few
modifications. This includes the sources of valued characteristics such as
commercial and industrial use, aesthetic value, scientific interest and cultural value.
Natural resources are materials from the Earth that are used to support life and
meet people's needs. Any natural substance that humans use can be considered a
natural resource. Oil, coal, natural gas, metals, stone and sand are natural
resources. Other natural resources are air, sunlight, soil and water.
Land resources:
The term “land resources” encompasses the physical, biotic, environmental,
infrastructural and socio-economic components of a natural land unit, including
surface and near-surface freshwater resources important for management.
Land or natural resources are water, oil, copper, natural gas, coal, and forests.
Land resources are the raw materials in the production process. These resources
can be renewable, such as forests, or nonrenewable such as oil or natural gas.
In India, Land resources includes 43% of plains, 30 % of mountains and 27% of
plateaus.
Most of plains consist of agricultural land and industries, Mountains provides spot
for tourism and perennial flow of rivers. Plateaus are rich source of minerals, fuels
and forests.
What are types of land resources?
There are five types of land resources, which are iron, coal, diamond, and oil,
gold.
What is the distribution of land in India?
The land in government possession and land distributed is 11.7% and 9.8%,
respectively of the 51.9 million acres that should be declared surplus.
Types and distribution:
What are the different types of land in India?
Three major types of lands are found in India in respect of its relief, such
as, mountains, plateaus and plains. About 29% of our total land areas are
mountains, 28% plateaus and 43% plains.
In India, about 51.09% of the land is under cultivation, 21.81% under forest and
3.92% under pasture. Built up areas and uncultivated land occupy about 12.34%
(Kundra, 1999). About 5.17% of the total land is uncultivated waste, which can be
converted into agricultural land. The other types of land comprises up 4.67%.
Land-use change:
Land use change is a process which transforms the natural landscape by direct
human-induced land use such as settlements, commercial and economic uses and
forestry activities. It impacts the overall environment in terms of greenhouse gas
emission, land degradation and climate change.
Examples of anthropogenic changes include deforestation, reforestation and
afforestation, agriculture, and urbanization, while the indirect changes include climate
change or change in CO2 concentration that leads to change in vegetation and land use
pattern.
What are the effects of changes land use?
Effects of Land Use Changes. Land use changes occur constantly and at many scales,
and can have specific and cumulative effects on air and water quality, watershed
function, generation of waste, extent and quality of wildlife habitat, climate, and
human health.
Land degradation:
What is land degradation?
Land degradation is caused by multiple forces, including extreme weather
conditions, particularly drought. It is also caused by human activities that
pollute or degrade the quality of soils and land utility.
What is land degradation very short answer?
Land degradation is defined as the temporary or permanent decline in the
productive capacity of the land, and the diminution of the productive potential,
including its major land uses (e.g., rain-fed arable, irrigation, forests), its farming
systems (e.g., smallholder subsistence) and its value as an economic resource .
What is land degradation and its effects?
Land degradation—the deterioration or loss of the productive capacity of the
soils for present and future—is a global challenge that affects everyone through
food insecurity, higher food prices, climate change, environmental hazards, and
the loss of biodiversity and ecosystem services.
Soil erosion:
Soil erosion is a naturally occurring process that affects all landforms. In agriculture,
soil erosion refers to the wearing away of a field's topsoil by the natural physical forces of
water and wind or through forces associated with farming activities such as tillage.
Examples: 1) Sheet erosion by water; 2) Wind erosion; 3) Rill erosion – happens with
heavy rains and usually creates smalls rills over hillsides; 4) Gully erosion – when water
runoff removes soil along drainage lines.
Effects include land degradation, soil erosion and sterility, and a loss of biodiversity,
with huge economic costs for nations
Soil desertification:
Desertification is the degradation process by which a fertile land changes itself into a
desert by losing its flora and fauna, this can be caused by drought, deforestation,
climate change, human activities or improper agriculture.
What is soil degradation?
Soil degradation is the decline in soil condition caused by its improper use or poor
management, usually for agricultural, industrial or urban purposes. It is a serious
environmental problem.
Deforestation: (clearing of forests)
Definition of deforestation
The action or process of clearing
of forests also : the state of having
been cleared of forests.
What is the main cause of
deforestation in India?
Deforestation in India is the
widespread destruction of major
forests in India.
It is mainly caused by
environmental degradation by
stakeholders such as farmers,
ranches(one who owns),
loggers(A person fells tree for
timber) and plantation
corporations.
Impacts due to mining:
The extraction of minerals from nature often creates imbalances, which adversely affect
the environment. The key environmental impacts of mining are on wildlife and fishery
habitats, the water balance, local climates & the pattern of rain fall, sedimentation,
the depletion of forests and the disruption of the ecology.
How does mining destroy forests? OR What are 4 impacts of mining?
Mining is one of the main causes of deforestation. The environmental impact of mining
includes soil erosion, formation of sinkholes, loss of biodiversity, and contamination
of soil, groundwater and surface water by chemicals from mining processes.
These processes also affect the atmosphere from the emissions of carbon which have an
effect on the quality of human health and biodiversity.
Dam building on environment:
Large dams have led to the extinction of many fish and other aquatic species, the
disappearance of birds in floodplains, huge losses of forest, wetland and farmland, erosion
of coastal deltas, and many other unmitigable impacts.
Greenhouse gases: The flooding of surrounding habitat around dams kills trees and
other plant life that then decomposes and releases large amounts of carbon into the
atmosphere. Because the river is no longer flowing freely, the water becomes stagnant
and the bottom of the reservoir becomes becomes depleted of oxygen.
Dam building on Forests:
Dam constructions force the peoples to leave their homes, which lives in the
forests. It also affects the wildlife habitat and due to the dam constructions,
animals migrate to another place. It also interferes with the natural flow of water
which affects the growth of plants as well as animals.
Dam building on biodiversity:
Dam construction could affect the biodiversity of microorganisms, benthos,
plankton, fish (including aquatic mammals), botany and birds. Dam
construction decreased the water fungal biomass and richness in reservoirs
and downstream reaches, but increased the soil microorganisms in
downstream lake wetlands.
Dam building on Tribal populations:
The impact of large dams on forests and on the lifestyle and identity of tribal
people is extremely high. Almost 40 % of those displaced by dams belong to
scheduled tribes and 20 % to schedule castes. Only 25 % of the displaced
people have been rehabilitated so far.
Dams and their Effects on Forests and Tribal People!
When asked to name different causes of deforestation, few people will
mention hydroelectric dams as being one of them. Even fewer will
include them as a cause of human rights violations. However, dams
constitute a major direct and indirect cause of forest loss and most of
them have resulted in widespread human rights abuses.
This lack of awareness can be explained by the fact that for many
years large hydroelectric dams have been portrayed as synonymous
with development. Another reason can be that most users of hydro-
electricity live far away from the impacted areas and that the sites
selected for dam building have been often those inhabited by
indigenous peoples, tribal people, ethnic minorities and poor
communities having little capacity of being heard by the wider
national community.
• The fact is that more than 40,000 large dams — those that measure more
than 15 meters in height — are currently obstructing the world’s rivers,
whose reservoirs cover more than 400,000 square kilometers of land.
These reservoirs have inundated millions of hectares of forests —
particularly in the tropics — many of which were not even logged and
trees were left to slowly rot.
• They have also resulted in deforestation elsewhere, as farmers displaced
by the dams have had to clear forests in other areas in order to grow their
crops and build their homes. Additionally, dams imply road building, thus
allowing access to previously remote areas by loggers and “developers”,
resulting in further deforestation processes.
• However, the dams’ effects have included much more than forest loss and
the major environmental changes have impacted on local people, at both
the dam site and in the entire river basin. Not only are the best
agricultural soils flooded by the reservoir, but major changes occur in the
environment, where the river’s flora and fauna begins to disappear, with
strong impacts on people dependent on those resources.
• Major examples are the Narmada Bachao Andolan movement in India, the
Bio Bio Action Group in Chile, the Coalition of Concerned NGOs on Bakun
in Malaysia, the People Affected by Dams movement in Brazil among many
others. It has now become possible to stop large hydro dams. They are
definitely not a symbol of development but one of economic and political
power resulting in social and environmental degradation.
What are the impact of dam building on Environment forest and
biodiversity?
Dams have a multi-pronged impact on biodiversity by submerging forests,
changing the natural hydro graph of a river, reducing sediment discharge in
rivers, affecting groundwater recharge, increasing salinity, increasing
pollution concentration, etc.,.
How construction of dams are affect tribal people?
The impact of large dams on forests and on the lifestyle and identity of tribal
people is extremely high. Almost 40 per cent of those displaced by dams
belong to scheduled tribes and 20 % to schedule castes. Only 25 % of the
displaced people have been rehabilitated so far.
In India, at least 40% of people displaced by dams and other development projects
are tribal, though they make up just 8% of the country's population. Almost all of the large
dams built or proposed in the Philippines have been on the land of the country's
indigenous people.
How do dams affect tribal people?
However, these dams are also responsible for the destruction of forests. They are
responsible for degradation of catchment areas, loss of flora and fauna, increase of
water borne diseases, disturbance in forest ecosystems, rehabilitation and
resettlement of tribal peoples.
Resources:
Resources obtained from nature, i.e. from the earth are called natural resources.
These resources occur naturally, and humans cannot make them. The raw materials used
in artificial or man-made resources are natural resources.
Resource types:
Resources are characterized as renewable or nonrenewable; a renewable resource can
replenish itself at the rate it is used, while a nonrenewable resource has a limited supply.
Renewable resources include timber, wind, and solar while nonrenewable resources
include coal and natural gas.
Water:
Use and over-exploitation of surface and ground water, floods,
droughts, conflicts over water (international & inter- state).
WATER RESOURCES:
Water is the most abundant, inexhaustible renewable resource. It
covers 70% of the globe in the form of oceans, rivers, lakes, etc.
What are the effects of over-exploitation of surface &
groundwater?
The present environmental impact of over-exploitation on groundwater
manifests as drops in ground- water level, reduction in or cessation
of spring discharge, saltwater intrusion, and overall deterioration
of water quality. The socio-economic impacts are the result of reduced
water quality and quantity.
Distribution of resources:
Resources are distributed in different ways and in different amounts
throughout the world. Often the result of past geologic processes such as
volcanic activity or tectonic movement, this unequal distribution means that various
quantities of certain resources are only available to some people.
Distribution of natural resources in India:
Among mineral resources, iron ore (generally of high quality) and ferroalloys—
notably manganese and chromite—are particularly abundant, and all are
widely distributed over peninsular India. Other exploitable metallic minerals
include copper, bauxite (the principal ore of aluminum), zinc, lead, gold, and silver.
Status of resources:
A set of information that defines the status of resources allocated to a
process of process description. A process description is a set of information that
describes the characteristics of a process in terms that will enable its effective
installation, commissioning, operation, control and maintenance.
WATER RESOURCES: Water is the most abundant, inexhaustible
renewable resource. It covers 70% of the globe in the form of oceans,
rivers, lakes, etc.
Use and over-exploitation of surface and ground water:
Water: Use and over-exploitation of surface and ground water, floods,
droughts, conflicts over water (international & inter- state).
Over Exploitation of Surface Water:
Surface water is mainly misuse, due to which its quality and quantity both
degrades. Since lakes, ponds, rivers, sea are used for dumping industrial
and sewage wastes, dead bodies, solid wastes etc.
What are the causes of overexploitation of water?
Overexploitation occurs if a water resource, such as the Ogallala
Aquifer, is mined or extracted at a rate that exceeds the recharge rate,
that is, at a rate that exceeds the practical sustained yield. Recharge
usually comes from area streams, rivers and lakes.
What causes drought?
Lack of rainfall (or precipitation): Droughts can occur when there is the lack of ‘expected’
precipitation (rain and snow). Note that we say ‘expected’ because the lack of rain alone
does not mean a drought Some regions can go for months without any rain, and that
would be ‘normal’ for them. Farmers plant in anticipation of rains and so when the rains
do not come, and irrigation infrastructure is absent, agricultural drought occur.
Surface water flow, Human factors, Global Warming.
Effects of Drought: Economic: Environment:, People and animals,
1.Dust bowls, themselves a sign of erosion, which further erode the landscape. 2.
Dust storms, when drought hits an area suffering from desertification & erosion.
3. Famine due to lack of water for irrigation.
4. Habitat damage, affecting both terrestrial and aquatic wildlife
5. Hunger, drought provides too little water to support food crops.
6. Malnutrition, dehydration and related diseases.
7. Mass migration, resulting in internal displacement and international refugees.
8. Social unrest. 9. War over natural resources, including water and food.
10. Wildfires are more common during times of drought and even death of people.
FLOOD
What is flooding: Flooding is an overflowing of water onto land that is normally dry. Floods
can happen during heavy rains, when ocean waves come on shore, when snow melts too
fast, or when dams or levees break. Flooding may happen with only a few inches of water,
or it may cover a house to the rooftop.
Reasons of Flood :
Rains, River overflow, Strong winds in coastal areas, Dam breaking,Snow-melts:
Effects of Floods:
Economic:, Environment, People and animals
Prevention of Flood:
Retaining walls, Town planning, Vegetation, Education
What is water sharing?
A water sharing plan: provides water for the environment by protecting a
proportion of the water available for fundamental ecosystem health and/or
including specific environmental rules – this is called planned environmental
water.
Conflicts over water Sharing (international & inter-state).
Conflict through pollution: Rivers are also used for industrial purposes. They
act as reservoirs for supply of fresh water and also a receptor of waste water
and rubbish from the industry. Water crossing borders that has been polluted
by wastes from one country develops into an international conflict.
Management of water conflicts
1.Concerted efforts are required to enforce laws that check these practices to
control water pollution
2. In order to overcome the problem of sharing river water in a country, the
concept of interlinking of rivers has been suggested
3. Rivers should be nationalized, the National Water Authority and River
Basin Authority should be given powers to ensure equitable distribution of
basin water.
Energy resources:
Energy is the capacity to do work and is
required for life processes.
An energy resource is something that can
produce heat, power life, move objects, or
produce electricity. Matter that stores
energy is called a fuel.
World energy resources are the estimated
maximum capacity for energy production
given all available resources on Earth.
They can be divided by type into fossil fuel,
nuclear fuel and renewable resources.
Is water a non renewable resources?
Compared to other resources that are used to
produce energy and power, water is
considered renewable as well as having the
least solid waste during energy production.
use of alternate energy sources:
Alternative energy is energy that does not come from fossil fuels, and thus
produces little to no greenhouse gases like carbon dioxide (CO2). This
means that energy produced from alternative sources does not contribute
to the greenhouse effect that causes climate change.
What are the use of alternative energy sources?
Generating energy that produces no greenhouse gas emissions from
fossil fuels and reduces some types of air pollution. Diversifying energy
supply and reducing dependence on imported fuels. Creating economic
development and jobs in manufacturing, installation, and more.
What is the importance of energy sources?
Energy is essential to life and all living organisms. The sun, directly or
indirectly, is the source of all the energy available on Earth. Our energy
choices and decisions impact Earth's natural systems in ways we may not be
aware of, so it is essential that we choose our energy sources carefully.
What is the growing energy needs?
Global energy needs are expected to grow, with fossil fuels remaining the
dominant source. Between 2005 and 2030, energy needs are projected to expand
by 55 per cent, with demand increasing from 11.4 billion tons of oil equivalent to
17.7 billion.
What are the growing energy needs in India?
India's oil demand is seen rising by rise by 74 per cent to 8.7 million barrels per
day by 2040 under the existing policies scenario. The natural gas requirement is
projected to more than triple to 201 billion cubic meters and coal demand is
seen rising to 772 million tones in 2040 from the current 590.
Indian Scenario:
The share of various energy sources in the commercial consumption of energy is
mostly from coal (56%) and petroleum (32%), the other sources being nuclear
natural gas and water. Apart from commercial energy, a large amount of tradi-
tional energy sources in the form of fuel wood, agriculture waste and animal
residue are used.
Thank You