The Big Questions
- 1. How do we categorise natural resources?
Natural resources are categorised based on their uses (essential for life, source for materials, sources for energy) and whether they are renewable or non-renewable.
- 2. What is the connection between the distribution of natural resources and different aspects of life?
The uneven distribution of natural resources shapes human settlements, trade patterns, international relations, and conflicts. Industries located near natural resources create employment opportunities for the local people and help expand economic opportunities and modern facilities.
- 3. What are the implications of unsustainable use / over exploitation of natural resources?
The irresponsible and unsustainable use of natural resources has led to pollution, biodiversity loss, and climate change. Overexploitation pushes resources beyond their capacity to regenerate, causing severe issues like the depletion of groundwater and the degradation of soil health.
DON'T MISS OUT
- Do you know of practices that reflect this? (Nature as a nurturer and nourisher)
Yes, practices like worshipping sacred groves, planting trees for shade and fruits, protecting specific animals, and performing Tulasi puja for wellbeing reflect the tradition of treating Nature as a nurturer.
THINK ABOUT IT
- Take a pause. Look at yourself and the things around you. What is the origin of each of them?
The origin of all things around us ultimately leads back to Nature. Even manufactured items, like a plastic button on a shirt, are derived from natural resources.
- What might be the different criteria we can use to categorise natural resources?
We can categorise natural resources based on the uses we put them to (essential for our life, source for materials, and sources for energy) and based on whether they are renewable or non-renewable.
DON'T MISS OUT
- Do you know of other traditional practices that help the ecosystem to stay in balance?
Other traditional practices include mixed cropping, using natural organic manures like cow dung, conserving rainwater in stepwells or traditional tanks, and protecting specific trees and animals due to cultural beliefs.
LET'S REMEMBER
- Identify human actions in your surroundings that result in Nature losing her ability to restore and regenerate. What types of interventions can be undertaken to restore Nature's cycle?
Human actions like cutting down forests for housing, over-extracting groundwater, discharging untreated industrial waste into rivers, and the improper use of chemical fertilisers result in Nature losing her restorative ability. Interventions to restore Nature's cycle include adopting organic farming, implementing water harvesting, treating industrial waste before disposal, and planting trees to replenish lost forests.
LET'S EXPLORE
- Take up a small research study to assess the types of renewable resources in your region; you may discuss with your teacher the geographical area of your study and sources to access information that you may need. What has been the change in their status over time?
In our region, renewable resources include solar energy, groundwater, and forest cover. Over time, the groundwater level has depleted due to over-extraction for agriculture and urban use. Forest cover has decreased due to expanding settlements. However, the utilization of solar energy has increased with the installation of new solar panels on buildings.
LET'S EXPLORE
- What are the non-renewable resources that you use daily, directly or indirectly? What are the possible renewable substitutes? What are some of the steps we can take to transition to renewables?
Non-renewable resources used daily include petroleum (used for transportation) and coal (used indirectly for generating electricity). Possible renewable substitutes include solar energy, wind energy, and energy from flowing water. Steps to transition include using public transport or electric vehicles powered by renewable energy, installing solar panels, and reducing overall power consumption.
LET'S EXPLORE
- Observe the map in Fig.1.11. Notice the uneven distribution of important minerals. What types of resources are available in your region? How are they distributed?
Based on the map, southern India has resources like Iron Ore (found in Ballari, Tumkur, Chitradurga, Chikkamagaluru) and Bauxite (found in Koraput). The distribution is highly uneven and concentrated only in specific geographical pockets.
LET'S EXPLORE
- Select any two natural resources. Gather information about their availability across different parts of India. Mark them on a map. What do you observe about their distribution? What are the types of economic activities connected with them?
Taking Coal and Iron Ore as examples: Coal is mainly found in eastern and central India, in places like Jharia, Bokaro, Raniganj, and Korba. Iron ore is found in states like Odisha, Jharkhand, and Karnataka (Mayurbhanj, Keonjhar, Ballari). The distribution is highly uneven. Economic activities connected with these resources include mining, steel manufacturing, thermal power generation, and related trade.
- Discuss the implications of extracting the natural resources in those parts for current and future generations. Suggest ways in which we can use Nature's gifts in responsible ways.
Extracting resources creates local employment and townships, but it can also displace people, threaten sacred places, and cause long-term environmental damage. To use Nature's gifts responsibly, we should minimize waste, recycle used resources, switch to renewable energy alternatives, and manage resources so that restoration and regeneration are possible.
LET'S EXPLORE
- Find out about such a conflict in the international context. Discuss your findings in the class.
An example of an international conflict over natural resources is the dispute regarding the sharing of the Nile River waters among Egypt, Sudan, and Ethiopia. This tension primarily revolves around the construction of dams which affects downstream water availability.
LET'S EXPLORE
- What do you think are the different inputs required to enable the use of the natural resources available in different geographical areas?
The inputs required to enable the use of natural resources include human knowledge, skills, good governance, strategic planning, modern extraction technology, financial investment, and transportation infrastructure.
QUESTIONS, ACTIVITIES AND PROJECTS
- 1. Which of the following practices best reflect holistic soil management that prevents soil degradation?
Answer: D) Both (b) and (c)
- 2. Assertion (A): Uneven distribution of resources influences human settlements, trade patterns, international relations, and conflicts
Reason (R): Natural resources are not evenly distributed across the world.Answer: i. Both A and R are true, and R is the correct explanation of A. - 3. What can make what is today a renewable resource nonrenewable tomorrow? Describe some actions that can prevent this from happening.
A renewable resource can become non-renewable if it is pushed beyond its capacity to regenerate, such as harvesting timber faster than the forest can grow or extracting groundwater faster than it is replenished. To prevent this, we should adopt practices like water harvesting, rejuvenating ponds, cutting down on wasteful consumption, and allowing ecosystems time to heal.
- 4. Name five ecosystem functions that serve humans.
Five ecosystem functions that serve humans (ecosystem services) are: trees naturally producing oxygen, forests filtering water, forests preventing soil erosion, forests providing habitat for animals, and natural processes pollinating crops.
- 5. What are renewable resources? How are they different from non-renewable ones? What can people do to ensure that renewable resources continue to be available for our use and that of future generations? Give two examples.
Renewable resources are those that Nature can restore and regenerate over time, like solar energy and timber. They are different from non-renewable resources (like coal and petroleum) which take millions of years to form and cannot be replenished at the rate we use them. To ensure their availability, people must manage them sustainably without disturbing Nature's rhythm of restoration. Examples of actions include practicing traditional water harvesting to replenish groundwater and adopting organic farming methods to rejuvenate soil.
- 6. Why is it important to conserve non-renewable resources?
It is important to conserve non-renewable resources because they cannot be replenished at the rate we use them. We need to ensure that we stretch their use for a longer period until humanity can find and transition to more sustainable, renewable alternatives.
- 7. Identify cultural practices in your home and neighbourhood that point to mindfulness in the use of natural resources.
Cultural practices that show mindfulness include offering water to the sun (Arghyam) in gratitude, performing Tulasi puja, valuing trees in sacred groves, and using traditional practices to harvest rainwater or manage soil holistically with cow dung.
- 8. What are some considerations to keep in mind in the production of goods for our current use?
When producing goods, we must ensure the production process is less polluting, uses non-renewable resources judiciously, prevents industrial waste from poisoning water bodies, and explores sustainable alternative materials that can be restored and regenerated.
- 9. To what extent do human actions lead to the 'Natural Resource Curse'?
The 'Natural Resource Curse' happens when regions rich in resources experience slower economic growth due to the inability to develop industries that add value to these resources. Human actions, such as lack of investment in skills, poor governance, and failure to build human knowledge and strategic planning, contribute heavily to this curse.
- 10. Frame slogans that spread awareness about saving the environment.
1. Protect Nature today for a thriving tomorrow!
2. Replenish and renew: It's what we must do!
3. Save our soil, save our water, save our future!
