Natural Resources and Their Use Class 8 PPT Free Download

1. How do we categorise natural resources?
2. What is the connection between the distribution of natural resources and different aspects of life?
3. What are the implications of unsustainable use and over-exploitation of natural resources?

• Nature is the totality of life and non-life forms not created by humans
• When humans use natural things for sustenance or production, they become a resource. Trees exist independently of humans, but when wood is converted into furniture the tree becomes a resource
• Natural resources are materials and substances that occur in nature and are valuable to humans

Look at yourself and the things around you: what is the origin of each? At some point everything leads back to nature. Even the plastic button on your shirt ultimately comes from petroleum, and the cotton comes from a plant grown in soil with water and sunlight. Nothing we use is truly created by humans; we only transform nature’s gifts.

• In many indigenous traditions worldwide, nature is considered sacred, seen as a nurturer and nourisher, not just a resource
• Sacred groves are forests protected by communities as spiritually significant, and Tulasi puja is an example of reverence for plant life in the Indian tradition
• This worldview encourages responsible and mindful use of nature’s gifts

A second way to categorise is as renewable and non-renewable.

• Life: life cannot exist on Earth without air, water and food. We cannot make the air we breathe or the drinking water, and we cannot create the soil that gives us food
• Materials: humans create physical objects from nature’s gifts, for utility and beauty. A piece of wood can become a chair or a carved statuette, and these resources become valuable when combined with human skill and knowledge
• Energy: energy is the cornerstone of modern living, needed for buildings, transportation and all types of production. Coal is burned to generate electricity in thermal power plants, and flowing water drives turbines in hydroelectric dams

• Nature functions in a restorative and regenerative way. Restoration is returning something to its original healthy state, and regeneration is nature’s ability to create new life and conditions for thriving
• Example: a cut on the skin heals, and a forest recovers after a wildfire
• Nature works in cycles: a fallen tree feeds the soil, and the soil grows new trees

• Solar energy, wind energy, river water and timber are renewable. Rivers are fed by rain and melting glaciers, forests renew themselves and soil replenishes itself through natural processes
• But they are renewable only if managed sustainably: the natural rhythm must not be disturbed. If we harvest timber faster than forests grow, we deplete the forest

• Fossil-fuel industrialisation and deforestation have disturbed nature’s cycles
• Rising temperatures are melting Himalayan glaciers faster than rain can replace them, which threatens water security for millions in the plains
• Over-fishing of tuna has caused a rapid decline in ocean populations. Traditional communities regulated fishing in the spawning season, but commercialisation ended this
• Industries produce wastes frequently discharged into rivers. These wastes cannot decay or become food for life forms, so they disturb nature’s cycle of restoration and regeneration, and rivers become poisonous and cannot support life

• Non-renewable resources were formed over millions of years and cannot be replenished at the rate we use them. Examples: coal, petroleum, iron ore, copper and gold
• India has significant coal reserves, but they are not unlimited, and electricity demand increases as population and development grow, so we must use non-renewable resources judiciously
• They must last long enough for humanity to find sustainable alternatives. We must switch to renewable energy for as many purposes as possible: electric vehicles, solar power and wind energy are substitutes for fossil fuels

• Natural resources are not evenly distributed across the planet or within countries
• Uneven distribution shapes human settlements, trade patterns and international relations. Many wars have been fought to gain control over natural resources
• Industries near resources create employment and townships, but the benefits are often accompanied by displacement of local communities

The map marks the main coal, oil, iron ore and bauxite areas of India, for example Jharia and Bokaro (Jharkhand), Singareni (Telangana), Korba (Chhattisgarh), Mumbai High (Arabian Sea), Digboi (Assam), Kudremukh (Karnataka) and Koraput (Odisha).

• Nature does not pay attention to political boundaries, which leads to tensions about sharing natural resources
• Kaveri river water is shared among Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Kerala and Puducherry
• The Brahmaputra flows through three countries (China/Tibet, India and Bangladesh), and upstream-downstream water sharing creates tensions
• Trade fuelled the development of large empires: Wootz steel is an example. National and international trade depend on the geographical location of resources

• Abundant resources do not guarantee economic prosperity. The resource curse (also called the paradox of plenty) means resource-rich regions may experience slower growth, because economies may fail to develop industries that add higher value to resources
• India avoided this curse by investing in technology and skilled industries

• Access to resources, even basic ones like water and clean air, is often unfair. In cities, many areas do not receive adequate and regular drinking water, and air pollution from industries and fossil fuels affects those who cannot protect themselves
• We must act as stewards and ensure equitable access to nature’s resources for all. Lokasangraha means transcending personal desires and acting for the wellbeing of all

• Sustaining life requires respecting nature and enabling its restoration. Irresponsible use has led to pollution, biodiversity loss (the decline in the variety of life forms on Earth) and climate change
• We must act as stewards: protect, restore and use wisely. Lokasangraha is acting for the wellbeing of all, not just personal gain

• Farmers extract groundwater for irrigation, and the extraction rate exceeds replenishment. Many growing cities will run out of groundwater soon
• Initiatives: water harvesting and rejuvenation of ponds and tanks
• Chemical fertilisers and pesticides cause soil degradation. Traditional practices help: cow dung fertiliser, mulching and multi-cropping

• Punjab, home of the Green Revolution, now faces severe groundwater depletion
• In the 1960s the shift to high-yielding wheat and paddy required far more water, and a free power supply led to over-pumping of groundwater
• Chemical pesticides dissolved in groundwater cause health hazards. According to the slide, about 80% of Punjab is classified as over-exploited for groundwater

• Cement is essential: it is used in houses, schools, hospitals, bridges and roads. But cement production is one of the most polluting industries
• Fine dust enters lungs, settles on plant leaves and reduces crop yields, and it causes soil and water pollution
• Alternative materials: stone, mud, bamboo, plant-based materials and recycled waste plastic. The Jaisalmer fort in Rajasthan is a mud structure from the 12th century, refurbished with sandstone, and Auroville in Tamil Nadu has modern community buildings made of mud using special techniques. Traditional plus modern technology means sustainable, locally sourced, climate-appropriate materials

• Vrikshayurveda is an ancient Indian botanical science of the study and care of plants and trees (vriksha = tree, ayurveda = science of life and health), formalised by Surapala around the 10th century CE
• It recommends crop rotation, mixed cropping and natural pest management, and promotes gentle ploughing to retain soil moisture and protect soil organisms

Pema’s farm had declining yields and mounting debts from chemical inputs. She switched to compost, neem-garlic repellents and multi-cropping, and after five years sold cardamom, ginger and traditional vegetables at premium prices. In 2016 Sikkim became 100% organic: all farmland was certified organic, and biodiversity flourished.

• India and France launched the International Solar Alliance (ISA) in 2015, a coalition of sunshine-rich countries committed to harnessing solar power
• Bhadla Solar Park in Rajasthan is one of the largest solar parks in the world
• We must switch to renewable energy for as many purposes as possible

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