Management of Natural Resources

Management of Natural Resources relates to a course of action linked to renewable and non-renewable energy. Various factors like global warming, overpopulation, industrial growth, and other similar factors have a drastic impact on natural resources such as land, soil, water, plants and animals.

What is the Management of Natural Resources?

Management of Natural resources is how communities manage the supply or access to the natural resources they depend on for their survival and growth. We human beings are essentially dependent on natural resources. To maintain stable access to or a continuous supply of natural resources has always been central to the organization of civilizations and has historically been managed through several schemes of varying degrees of formality and participation from the central authority.

Impact and Issues of Not Managing Natural Resources

In sectors such as agriculture, forestry and fisheries, resource management focuses on preventing over-exploitation of resources. For example, as farms have grown and farming practices have shifted from manual labour to mechanics, and as the use of pesticides has increased, agricultural practices have become more harmful to the environment.

Natural resource management requires forethought and planning, and a few efforts are more effective than others. An example of a resource strategy that has gone wrong has taken place in Brazil, where selective logging of rainforests has been encouraged for constructing public roads in the rainforest.

The management strategy aimed at reducing the environmental impact of Clear-Cutting has had the opposite effect. A survey of the region conducted in 2006 found that selective logging contributed to more widespread clearing because the roads offered access to previously pristine areas. It resulted in the loss of rainforest that is twice as fast as previously expected.

Why is Management of Natural Resources Important?

The reasons why the management of natural resources is necessary are:

• To maintain the stability of the ecosystem.
• To prevent further damage to the environment.
• Avoiding over-consumption of natural resources.

Why do we need to Manage Natural Resources?

Following are the reasons why we need to manage natural resources.

• Everything we use today – food, clothing, home, automobiles, electricity, books, furniture, cooking gas, utensils, toys, roads, etc. – are acquired from earth’s natural resources.
• A large amount of the energy we consume today comes from non-renewable sources. Which means they are irreplaceable after usage. Fossil fuels, which have taken millions of years to form, are the most significant source of non-renewable energy used widely.
• Managing resources will not only guarantee its rational usage. It would also limit the degradation it causes to the environment. For example, the use of resources in various ways produces a lot of waste, which, is being disposed into the water bodies. Which, in fact, pollutes rivers and lakes. Limiting use would also reduce waste generation and pollution.

What are the 3 R’s of Waste Management?

The three R’s of waste management that helps in managing natural resources are:

1. Reduce
2. Reuse
3. Recycle

Reduce

Reduce refers to the rational purchase of products. The easiest way to minimize waste is not to generate waste. Given below, are the ways to reduce:

• Instead of using disposable products such as paper cups and plates, the straws turn to recycled products.
• Check the durability of the goods.
• Avoid asking carry bags at supermarkets, instead, carry cloth bags from your homes.

Reuse

Reuse refers to the use of goods that are both economical and environmentally sustainable. Here are some ways to reuse:

• Donate or sell old clothes, electrical equipment, furniture, etc.
• Reuse things like paper and plastic bags.

Recycle

Recycle refers to the re-usage of goods for creative and by-products. Here are a few ways to recycle:

• Recycling used paper to produce paper bags and straws.
• Purchasing various items that are recycled, and those which can be recycled.

Terms to know about Natural Resources Management

Clear-Cutting

Clearcutting or clear-cut harvesting is a forestry method in which most or all trees in the region are cut uniformly for economic growth.

Erosion

Erosion is the activity of surface processes (like water or wind) which remove soil, rock or dissolved materials from one location on the earth’s surface and then transport it to another location.

Greenhouse Gas

Gas, whose concentration increases heat retention in the atmosphere.

Non-Renewable Resources

Any resource that is renewed or replaced quickly (as of human historical time scales) by natural or controlled processes is called non-renewable resources.

RunOff

Water drops as precipitation and then spreads across the surface of land rather than sinking into the earth.

Sustainability

The Practices that ensure a balance between human needs and the environment and in between current and future generation requirements.

FAQs about Management of Natural Resources

Q1. What changes can you make in your habits to become more environmentally friendly?

Answer. We can make the following changes:

• Don’t dump trash on the roadside or water bodies.
• Turn off the lights, fans, TV when not required.
• Using less water for bathing or other washing jobs.
• Using jute bags instead of plastic bags.

Q2. What are the examples of non-renewable resources?

Answer. Oil, natural gas, coal, and nuclear energy are a few examples of non-renewable resources.