Resources
Resource: Anything which has some utility for us is
called a resource.
Some resources have economic value, while some do not. For
example; milk has economic value, but a beautiful landscape has no economic
value. But both are important because both satisfy some human needs.
Time and technology are two
important factors which can change a substance into resources. For example;
petroleum was not a resource before people learnt to use it.
Types of
Resources:
Resources are usually
classified into three types, viz. natural, human made and human resources.
Natural Resources: Resources which are obtained from nature
are called natural resources. Some of the natural resources can be used
directly, while for using some others we need the help of some technologies.
Types of Natural
Resources:
Natural resources can be
classified on the basis of their level of development and use, origin, stock
and distribution.
Classification of natural
resources on the basis of development and use:
- Actual
Resources: Resources whose
quantity is known and which are being used at present are called actual
resources, e.g. coal and petroleum.
- Potential
Resources: Resources whose
entire quantity may not be known and which are not being used at present
are called potential resources. Potential resources can be used in future
once technology for that is properly developed. For example; uranium
reserves in Ladakh.
Classification of natural
resources on the basis of origin:
- Abiotic
Resources: Resources which
come from non-living sources are called abiotic resources, e.g. soil,
rocks and minerals.
- Biotic
Resources: Resources which
come from living beings are called biotic resource, e.g. milk, leather,
timber, etc.
Classification of natural
resources on the basis of their exhaustibility:
- Renewable
Resources: Resources which
can be quickly replenished are called renewable resources, e.g. wind
energy, hydel energy, solar energy, etc.
- Non-renewable
Resources: Resources which
cannot be replenished in the near future are called non-renewable
resources, e.g. coal and petroleum. It takes millions of years for the
formation of coal and petroleum and hence they cannot be replenished in
our lifetime.
Classification of natural
resources on the basis of distribution:
- Ubiquitous
Resources: Resources which
are available everywhere on the earth are called ubiquitous resources,
e.g. air and water.
- Localised Resources:
Resources which are available at select locations on the earth are called
localized resources, e.g. coal mines in Jharkhand. Topography, climate and
altitude are the major factors which affect the distribution of natural
resources.
Human Made
Resources
When a natural resource
undergoes drastic change by human intervention, it becomes human-made resource.
For example; iron ore is processed to make steel and hence steel is a man-made
resource. Buildings, bridges, railways, machines, etc. are examples of
human-made resources. Technology is also a human-made resource.
Human Resources
People are the human
resources. Education and health improve the quality of human resources.
Improving the quality of people’s skills to enable them to create more
resources is called human resource development.
CONSERVING RESOURCES
Most of the natural resources
are limited in stock. Even some of the renewable resources can become scarce if
they are not used judiciously. We are already facing shortage of water at many
places because of excessive exploitation of water. Scientists predict that coal
and petroleum are going to be exhausted in the near future. Hence, it is
important to conserve the natural resources. Conservation not only secures our
life but also the life of future generations. Making a balance between our need
and conservation of resources is called sustainable development. We should
follow the three Rs of conservation for sustainable development.
Reduce: We should reduce consumption.
Reuse: We should reuse as many items as
possible.
Recycle: We should recycle discarded items wherever
possible.
Some Principles of Sustainable
Development
- Respect and care for all forms of life.
- Improve the quality of human life.
- Conserve the earth’s vitality and diversity.
- Minimize the depletion of natural resources.
- Change personal attitude and practices toward the environment.
- Enable communities to care for their own environment.
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