Q.22. What is natural resource? Discuss the
major reasons for depletion of natural resources. How can we achieve
sustainability in resource use?
Ans. Natural
resources occur naturally within environments that exist relatively undisturbed
by humanity, in a natural form. A natural resource is often characterized by
amounts of biodiversity and geodiversity existent in various ecosystems.
Natural resources are derived from the environment.
Some of them are essential for our survival while most are used for satisfying
our needs. Natural resources may be further classified in different ways.
Natural resources are materials and components
(something that can be used) that can be found within the environment. Every
man-made product is composed of natural resources (at its fundamental level). A
natural resource may exist as a separate entity such as fresh water, and air,
as well as a living organism such as a fish, or it may exist in an alternate
form which must be processed to obtain the resource such as metal ores, oil,
and most forms of energy.
There is much debate worldwide over natural resource
allocations, this is partly due to increasing scarcity (depletion of resources)
but also because the exportation of natural resources is the basis for many
economies (particularly for developed nations such as Australia).
Some natural resources such as sunlight and air can
be found everywhere, and are known as ubiquitous resources. However, most
resources only occur in small sporadic areas, and are referred to as localized
resources. There are very few resources that are considered inexhaustible (will
not run out in foreseeable future) – these are solar radiation, geothermal
energy, and air (though access to clean air may not be). The vast majority of
resources are exhaustible, which means they have a finite quantity, and can be
depleted if managed improperly.
In recent years, the depletion of natural resources
has become a major focus of governments and organizations such as the United
Nations (UN). This is evident in the UN's Agenda 21 Section Two, which outlines
the necessary steps to be taken by countries to sustain their natural
resources. The depletion of natural resources is considered to be a sustainable
development issue. The term sustainable development has many interpretations,
most notably the Brundtland Commission's 'to ensure that it meets the needs of
the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet
their own needs', however in broad terms it is balancing the needs of the
planet's people and species now and in the future. In regards to natural
resources, depletion is of concern for sustainable development as it has the
ability to degrade current environments and potential to impact the needs of
future generations.
Depletion of natural resources is associated with
social inequity. Considering most biodiversity are located in developing
countries, depletion of this resource could result in losses of ecosystem
services for these countries. Some view this depletion as a major source of
social unrest and conflicts in developing nations.
At present, with it being the year of the forest,
there is particular concern for rainforest regions which hold most of the
Earth's biodiversity. According to Nelson deforestation and degradation affect
8.5% of the world's forests with 30% of the Earth's surface already cropped. If
we consider that 80% of people rely on medicines obtained from plants and ¾ of
the world's prescription medicines have ingredients taken from plants, loss of
the world's rainforests could result in a loss of finding more potential life
saving medicines.
The depletion of natural resources is caused by 'direct
drivers of change' such as Mining, petroleum extraction, fishing and forestry
as well as 'indirect drivers of change' such as demography, economy, society,
politics and technology. The current practice of Agriculture is another factor
causing depletion of natural resources. For example the depletion of nutrients
in the soil due to excessive use of nitrogen and desertification The depletion
of natural resources is a continuing concern for society. This is seen in the
cited quote given by Theodore Roosevelt, a well-known conservationist and
former United States president, was opposed to unregulated natural resource
extraction.
In 1982 the UN developed the World Charter for
Nature, which recognised the need to protect nature from further depletion due
to human activity. It states that measures need to be taken at all societal
levels, from international to individual, to protect nature. It outlines the
need for sustainable use of natural resources and suggests that the protection
of resources should be incorporated into national and international systems of
law. To look at the importance of protecting natural resources further, the
World Ethic of Sustainability, developed by the IUCN, WWF and the UNEP in 1990,
set out eight values for sustainability, including the need to protect natural
resources from depletion. Since the development of these documents, many
measures have been taken to protect natural resources including establishment
of the scientific field and practice of conservation biology and habitat conservation,
respectively.
Conservation biology is the scientific study of the
nature and status of Earth's biodiversity with the aim of protecting species,
their habitats, and ecosystems from excessive rates of extinction. It is an
interdisciplinary subject drawing on science, economics and the practice of
natural resource management. The term conservation biology was introduced as
the title of a conference held at the University of California, San Diego, in
La Jolla, California, in 1978, organized by biologists Bruce A. Wilcox and
Michael E. Soulé.
Habitat conservation is a land management practice
that seeks to conserve, protect and restore, habitat areas for wild plants and
animals, especially conservation reliant species, and prevent their extinction,
fragmentation or reduction in range.