an essay about natural resources

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✍️Essay on Natural Resources: Samples in 100, 150 and 200 Words 

• Updated on  
• Nov 2, 2023

Wondering about how the resources provided by our planet Earth are depleting? Well, that’s true. We have come to the stage where we should start working towards saving our planet. We humans have used our resources in a humongous quantity. Therefore, it’s time we start working towards saving our planet for our future generations. Today we will provide you with a few samples of essay on natural resources which will help you write on this topic easily. 

Table of Contents

• 1 What are Natural Resources?
• 2 Types of Natural Resources
• 3 Essay on Natural Resources in 100 Words
• 4 Essay on Natural Resources in 150 Words
• 5 Essay on Natural Resources in 200 Words

What are Natural Resources?

Natural Resources are resources which are present in nature independent of human actions. 

These are the resources that are created naturally by the environment, without any help from humans. Soil, stone, sunlight, air, plants, animals, fossil fuels, etc. are all natural resources.

In simple language, natural resources are naturally occurring materials which are useful to humankind. They can also be useful in a variety of ways such as in technological, economic or social contexts. These resources include building, clothing materials, food, water, fertilisers and geothermal energy. Natural resources were traditionally within the purview of the natural sciences.

Also Read: Essay on Save Environment: Samples in 100, 200, 300 Words

Types of Natural Resources

Speaking of the type of natural resources, there are mainly two types of natural resources. These include Renewable and Non-renewable resources. 

Renewable Resources: These are those resources which are endlessly available to humans for several uses. These resources are trees, wind, and water.

Non-Renewable Resources: These resources are available to humans in infinite quantities as they are not renewable and their supply may eventually run out. Minerals and fossil fuels are a few examples.

Also Read: Essay on the Importance of the English Language for Students

Essay on Natural Resources in 100 Words

Natural resources are parts of the natural world that are useful to humans. Renewable resources are those that can be swiftly replenished, these include soil, water, and air., Non-renewable resources are those that need time to recover, such as minerals, oil, natural gas, etc. 

One should note that the survival of all life on Earth depends on natural resources. However, the usage of natural resources in excess use can cause ecosystem disruption. Many nations are taking action these days to protect their natural resources. Natural resources shouldn’t be used for purposes outside our needs. In order to preserve non-renewable resources, we should utilise renewable resources more frequently than non-renewable ones.

Essay on Natural Resources in 150 Words

The organic aspects of nature that contribute to our way of life are known as natural resources. For survival, we rely on natural resources. Natural resources include things like air, water, soil, minerals, crops, etc. Resources like minerals, oil, and other resources are found in non-living organisms and take eons to regenerate. 

The distribution of natural resources is not even. Resources like these are also the primary driver of international trade relations for many nations. However, with time, these natural resources have now been overused by the human mankind beyond their limits. 

However, the unrestricted exploitation of natural resources is a challenge for all nations these days. To control this, a lot of nations are emphasising garbage recycling and employing more renewable resources than non-renewable ones. 

Sustainable development is the use of natural resources for current requirements without wasting them while keeping an eye on the future. It refers to the wise use of natural resources without sacrificing what coming generations will need.

Also Read: Essay on Unity in Diversity in 100 to 200 Words

Essay on Natural Resources in 200 Words

Natural resources are materials found in the environment that humans use to survive.  From the very start, humans have been dependent on these resources. While some of these resources can be restored more rapidly than others, some require more time. Resources like sunlight, water, air, and other renewable resources are readily available and have higher recovery rates than consumption rates.

On the other hand, the formation and processing of non-renewable resources, such as minerals, oil, and natural gas, take a long time. Even the usage rate of these non-renewable resources is higher as compared to the renewable resources. While some natural resources are used immediately, others must first undergo processing.

Even while renewable resources are available in huge quantities, they should also be used responsibly. Both renewable and non-renewable resources require time to be created and processed. Therefore, it is very important for humans to use these resources in a limited quantity and leave some for future generations.

With time, humans are using these resources excessively. With the ever-increasing population, humans have already created a huge impact on the environment. To begin, humans are continuously polluting the air, water and noise. Buildings are being constructed on more land. The land is becoming less valuable in this way. Humans are soon becoming the biggest reason behind depleting natural resources, such as land, water, and air. 

Therefore, we mustn’t undervalue these resources. The moment has come for us to recognise the importance of using these resources sustainably.

Related Articles

Natural Resources are substances which are naturally obtained from nature. Here are the 5 natural resources: Coal, Oil, Natural Gas, Sand, Gems, and Metals.

Renewable resources are natural resources that can be replenished or regenerated at a rate comparable to the rate at which they are consumed or harvested. For example: Solar energy, Wind energy, Biomass, Geothermal energy, etc.

Conserving and saving natural resources is essential for sustainable development and the preservation of the environment. Here are some easy tips to save natural resources: Implementing the 3Rs in daily life; Adopting energy-efficient practices such as using energy-saving appliances; Reducing water wastage by fixing leaks, using water-efficient appliances, and practising mindful water usage in daily activities, etc.

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Malvika is a content writer cum news freak who comes with a strong background in Journalism and has worked with renowned news websites such as News 9 and The Financial Express to name a few. When not writing, she can be found bringing life to the canvasses by painting on them.

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Conserving Earth

Earth’s natural resources include air, water, soil, minerals, plants, and animals. Conservation is the practice of caring for these resources so all living things can benefit from them now and in the future.

Biology, Ecology, Earth Science, Geography, Geology, Conservation

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Earth ’s natural resources include air , water , soil , minerals , fuels , plants, and animals. Conservation is the practice of caring for these resources so all living things can benefit from them now and in the future. All the things we need to survive , such as food , water, air, and shelter , come from natural resources. Some of these resources, like small plants, can be replaced quickly after they are used. Others, like large trees, take a long time to replace. These are renewable resources . Other resources, such as fossil fuels , cannot be replaced at all. Once they are used up, they are gone f orever . These are nonrenewable resources . People often waste natural resources. Animals are overhunted . Forests are cleared, exposing land to wind and water damage. Fertile soil is exhausted and lost to erosion because of poor farming practices. Fuel supplies are depleted . Water and air are polluted . If resources are carelessly managed, many will be used up. If used wisely and efficiently , however, renewable resources will last much longer. Through conservation, people can reduce waste and manage natural resources wisely. The population of human beings has grown enormously in the past two centuries. Billions of people use up resources quickly as they eat food, build houses, produce goods, and burn fuel for transportation and electricity . The continuation of life as we know it depends on the careful use of natural resources. The need to conserve resources often conflicts with other needs. For some people, a wooded area may be a good place to put a farm. A timber company may want to harvest the area’s trees for construction materials. A business may want to build a factory or shopping mall on the land. All these needs are valid, but sometimes the plants and animals that live in the area are forgotten. The benefits of development need to be weighed against the harm to animals that may be forced to find new habitats , the depletion of resources we may want in the future (such as water or timber), or damage to resources we use today. Development and conservation can coexist in harmony. When we use the environment in ways that ensure we have resources for the future, it is called sustainable development . There are many different resources we need to conserve in order to live sustainably. Forests A forest is a large area covered with trees grouped so their foliage shades the ground. Every continent except Antarctica has forests, from the evergreen -filled boreal forests of the north to mangrove forests in tropical wetlands . Forests are home to more than two-thirds of all known land species . Tropical rainforests are especially rich in biodiversity . Forests provide habitats for animals and plants. They store carbon , helping reduce global warming . They protect soil by reducing runoff . They add nutrients to the soil through leaf litter . They provide people with lumber and firewood. Deforestation is the process of clearing away forests by cutting them down or burning them. People clear forests to use the wood, or to make way for farming or development. Each year, Earth loses about 14.6 million hectares (36 million acres) of forest to deforestation—an area about the size of the U.S. state of New York. Deforestation destroys wildlife habitats and increases soil erosion. It also releases greenhouse gases into the atmosphere , contributing to global warming. Deforestation accounts for 15 percent of the world’s greenhouse gas emissions. Deforestation also harms the people who rely on forests for their survival, hunting and gathering, harvesting forest products, or using the timber for firewood. About half of all the forests on Earth are in the tropics —an area that circles the globe near the Equator . Although tropical forests cover fewer than 6 percent of the world’s land area, they are home to about 80 percent of the world’s documented species. For example, more than 500 different species of trees live in the forests on the small U.S. island of Puerto Rico in the Caribbean Sea. Tropical forests give us many valuable products, including woods like mahogany and teak , rubber , fruits, nuts, and flowers. Many of the medicines we use today come from plants found only in tropical rainforests. These include quinine , a malaria drug; curare , an anesthetic used in surgery; and rosy periwinkle , which is used to treat certain types of cancer . Sustainable forestry practices are critical for ensuring we have these resources well into the future. One of these practices is leaving some trees to die and decay naturally in the forest. This “ deadwood ” builds up soil. Other sustainable forestry methods include using low-impact logging practices, harvesting with natural regeneration in mind, and avoiding certain logging techniques , such as removing all the high-value trees or all the largest trees from a forest. Trees can also be conserved if consumers recycle . People in China and Mexico, for example, reuse much of their wastepaper, including writing paper, wrapping paper, and cardboard. If half the world’s paper were recycled, much of the worldwide demand for new paper would be fulfilled, saving many of Earth’s trees. We can also replace some wood products with alternatives like bamboo , which is actually a type of grass. Soil Soil is vital to food production. We need high-quality soil to grow the crops that we eat and feed to livestock . Soil is also important to plants that grow in the wild. Many other types of conservation efforts, such as plant conservation and animal conservation, depend on soil conservation. Poor farming methods, such as repeatedly planting the same crop in the same place, called monoculture , deplete nutrients in the soil. Soil erosion by water and wind increases when farmers plow up and down hills. One soil conservation method is called contour strip cropping . Several crops, such as corn, wheat, and clover , are planted in alternating strips across a slope or across the path of the prevailing wind . Different crops, with different root systems and leaves, help slow erosion.

Harvesting all the trees from a large area, a practice called clearcutting , increases the chances of losing productive topsoil to wind and water erosion. Selective harvesting —the practice of removing individual trees or small groups of trees—leaves other trees standing to anchor the soil. Biodiversity Biodiversity is the variety of living things that populate Earth. The products and benefits we get from nature rely on biodiversity. We need a rich mixture of living things to provide foods, building materials, and medicines, as well as to maintain a clean and healthy landscape . When a species becomes extinct , it is lost to the world forever. Scientists estimate that the current rate of extinction is 1,000 times the natural rate. Through hunting, pollution , habitat destruction, and contribution to global warming, people are speeding up the loss of biodiversity at an alarming rate. It’s hard to know how many species are going extinct because the total number of species is unknown. Scientists discover thousands of new species every year. For example, after looking at just 19 trees in Panama, scientists found 1,200 different species of beetles—80 percent of them unknown to science at the time. Based on various estimates of the number of species on Earth, we could be losing anywhere from 200 to 100,000 species each year. We need to protect biodiversity to ensure we have plentiful and varied food sources. This is true even if we don’t eat a species threatened with extinction because something we do eat may depend on that species for survival. Some predators are useful for keeping the populations of other animals at manageable levels. The extinction of a major predator might mean there are more herbivores looking for food in people’s gardens and farms. Biodiversity is important for more than just food. For instance, we use between 50,000 to 70,000 plant species for medicines worldwide. The Great Barrier Reef , a coral reef off the coast of northeastern Australia, contributes about $6 billion to the nation’s economy through commercial fishing , tourism , and other recreational activities. If the coral reef dies, many of the fish, shellfish , marine mammals , and plants will die, too. Some governments have established parks and preserves to protect wildlife and their habitats. They are also working to abolish hunting and fishing practices that may cause the extinction of some species. Fossil Fuels Fossil fuels are fuels produced from the remains of ancient plants and animals. They include coal , petroleum (oil), and natural gas . People rely on fossil fuels to power vehicles like cars and airplanes, to produce electricity, and to cook and provide heat. In addition, many of the products we use today are made from petroleum. These include plastics , synthetic rubber, fabrics like nylon , medicines, cosmetics , waxes, cleaning products, medical devices, and even bubblegum.

Fossil fuels formed over millions of years. Once we use them up, we cannot replace them. Fossil fuels are a nonrenewable resource. We need to conserve fossil fuels so we don’t run out. However, there are other good reasons to limit our fossil fuel use. These fuels pollute the air when they are burned. Burning fossil fuels also releases carbon dioxide into the atmosphere, contributing to global warming. Global warming is changing ecosystems . The oceans are becoming warmer and more acidic , which threatens sea life. Sea levels are rising, posing risks to coastal communities. Many areas are experiencing more droughts , while others suffer from flooding . Scientists are exploring alternatives to fossil fuels. They are trying to produce renewable biofuels to power cars and trucks. They are looking to produce electricity using the sun, wind, water, and geothermal energy — Earth’s natural heat. Everyone can help conserve fossil fuels by using them carefully. Turn off lights and other electronics when you are not using them. Purchase energy-efficient appliances and weatherproof your home. Walk, ride a bike, carpool , and use public transportation whenever possible. Minerals Earth’s supply of raw mineral resources is in danger. Many mineral deposits that have been located and mapped have been depleted. As the ores for minerals like aluminum and iron become harder to find and extract , their prices skyrocket . This makes tools and machinery more expensive to purchase and operate. Many mining methods, such as mountaintop removal mining (MTR) , devastate the environment. They destroy soil, plants, and animal habitats. Many mining methods also pollute water and air, as toxic chemicals leak into the surrounding ecosystem. Conservation efforts in areas like Chile and the Appalachian Mountains in the eastern United States often promote more sustainable mining methods. Less wasteful mining methods and the recycling of materials will help conserve mineral resources. In Japan, for example, car manufacturers recycle many raw materials used in making automobiles. In the United States, nearly one-third of the iron produced comes from recycled automobiles. Electronic devices present a big problem for conservation because technology changes so quickly. For example, consumers typically replace their cell phones every 18 months. Computers, televisions, and mp3 players are other products contributing to “ e-waste .” The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) estimates that Americans generated more than three million tons of e-waste in 2007. Electronic products contain minerals as well as petroleum-based plastics. Many of them also contain hazardous materials that can leach out of landfills into the soil and water supply. Many governments are passing laws requiring manufacturers to recycle used electronics. Recycling not only keeps materials out of landfills, but it also reduces the energy used to produce new products. For instance, recycling aluminum saves 90 percent of the energy that would be required to mine new aluminum.

Water Water is a renewable resource. We will not run out of water the way we might run out of fossil fuels. The amount of water on Earth always remains the same. However, most of the planet’s water is unavailable for human use. While more than 70 percent of Earth’s surface is covered by water, only 2.5 percent of it is freshwater . Out of that freshwater, almost 70 percent is permanently frozen in the ice caps covering Antarctica and Greenland. Only about 1 percent of the freshwater on Earth is available for people to use for drinking, bathing, and irrigating crops. People in many regions of the world suffer water shortages . These are caused by depletion of underground water sources known as aquifers , a lack of rainfall due to drought, or pollution of water supplies. The World Health Organization (WHO) estimates that 2.6 billion people lack adequate water sanitation . More than five million people die each year from diseases caused by using polluted water for drinking, cooking, or washing. About one-third of Earth’s population lives in areas that are experiencing water stress . Most of these areas are in developing countries. Polluted water hurts the environment as well as people. For instance, agricultural runoff—the water that runs off of farmland—can contain fertilizers and pesticides . When this water gets into streams , rivers , and oceans, it can harm the organisms that live in or drink from those water sources. People can conserve and protect water supplies in many ways. Individuals can limit water use by fixing leaky faucets, taking shorter showers, planting drought-resistant plants, and buying low-water-use appliances. Governments, businesses, and nonprofit organizations can help developing countries build sanitation facilities. Farmers can change some of their practices to reduce polluted runoff. This includes limiting overgrazing , avoiding over-irrigation, and using alternatives to chemical pesticides whenever possible. Conservation Groups Businesses, international organizations , and some governments are involved in conservation efforts. The United Nations (UN) encourages the creation of national parks around the world. The UN also established World Water Day, an event to raise awareness and promote water conservation. Governments enact laws defining how land should be used and which areas should be set aside as parks and wildlife preserves. Governments also enforce laws designed to protect the environment from pollution, such as requiring factories to install pollution-control devices. Finally, governments often provide incentives for conserving resources, using clean technologies, and recycling used goods. Many international organizations are dedicated to conservation. Members support causes such as saving rain forests, protecting threatened animals, and cleaning up the air. The International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN) is an alliance of governments and private groups founded in 1948. The IUCN works to protect wildlife and habitats. In 1980, the group proposed a world conservation strategy . Many governments have used the IUCN model to develop their own conservation plans. In addition, the IUCN monitors the status of endangered wildlife, threatened national parks and preserves, and other environments around the world. Zoos and botanical gardens also work to protect wildlife. Many zoos raise and breed endangered animals to increase their populations. They conduct research and help educate the public about endangered species . For instance, the San Diego Zoo in the U.S. state of California runs a variety of research programs on topics ranging from disease control in amphibians to heart-healthy diets for gorillas. Scientists at the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, in London, England, work to protect plant life around the world. Kew’s Millennium Seed Bank , for example, works with partners in 54 countries to protect biodiversity through seed collection. Kew researchers are also exploring how DNA technology can help restore damaged habitats. Individuals can do many things to help conserve resources. Turning off lights, repairing leaky faucets, and recycling paper, aluminum cans, glass, and plastic are just a few examples. Riding bikes, walking, carpooling, and using public transportation all help conserve fuel and reduce the amount of pollutants released into the environment. Individuals can plant trees to create homes for birds and squirrels. At grocery stores, people can bring their own reusable bags. And people can carry reusable water bottles and coffee mugs rather than using disposable containers. If each of us would conserve in small ways, the result would be a major conservation effort.

Tree Huggers The Chipko Movement, which is dedicated to saving trees, was started by villagers in Uttar Pradesh, India. Chipko means hold fast or embrace. The villagers flung their arms around trees to keep loggers from cutting them down. The villagers won, and Uttar Pradesh banned the felling of trees in the Himalayan foothills. The movement has since expanded to other parts of India.

Thirsty Food People require about 2 to 4 liters of drinking water each day. However, a day's worth of food requires 2,000 to 5,000 liters of water to produce. It takes more water to produce meat than to produce plant-based foods.

Tiger, Tiger Tigers are dangerous animals, but they have more to fear from us than we have to fear from them. Today there are only about 3,200 tigers living in the wild. Three tiger subspecies the Bali, Caspian, and Javan tigers have gone extinct in the past century. Many organizations are working hard to protect the remaining tigers from illegal hunting and habitat loss.

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Middle school Earth and space science - NGSS

Course: middle school earth and space science - ngss   >   unit 5, natural resources.

• Understand: natural resources
• A natural resource is anything found in nature that can be used by humans.
• There are two types of natural resources: renewable and nonrenewable. Renewable resources can be replaced over human lifetimes. Nonrenewable resources cannot.
• Renewable resources are unevenly distributed around Earth. For example, some areas on Earth are windier than others. As a result, these areas are able to generate wind energy more easily.
• Nonrenewable resources are also unevenly distributed. This is because these resources are formed by geologic processes, which occur in specific places on Earth.
• Human activity can change the distribution of certain resources. For example, building a dam can increase the amount of fresh water in one region and decrease it in another.

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What Are Natural Resources?

• First Online: 15 November 2023

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• Mohd Akhter Ali   ORCID: orcid.org/0000-0001-5575-1416 5 &
• M. Kamraju   ORCID: orcid.org/0000-0002-1343-7725 6  

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Natural resources are the materials and substances that occur in nature and are valuable to humans for various purposes. They form the foundation of human societies, supporting our survival, economic activities, and overall well-being. Understanding the concept of natural resources is essential for recognizing their importance, managing them sustainably, and addressing the challenges associated with their use.

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CBD (Convention on Biological Diversity) (1992) Convention on biological diversity. Retrieved from https://www.cbd.int/

FAO (Food and Agriculture Organization) (2012) State of the world’s land and water resources for food and agriculture (SOLAW)—managing systems at risk. Retrieved from http://www.fao.org/3/a-i1688e.pdf

FAO (Food and Agriculture Organization) (2020) State of the World’s Forests 2020. Retrieved from http://www.fao.org/state-of-forests/en/

IEA (International Energy Agency) (2020) World energy outlook 2020. Retrieved from https://www.iea.org/reports/world-energy-outlook-2020

Ramsar Convention (1971) Ramsar convention on wetlands. Retrieved from https://www.ramsar.org/

UNEP (United Nations Environment Programme) (2011) Towards a green economy: pathways to sustainable development and poverty eradication. Retrieved from https://www.unep.org/resources/report/towards-green-economy-pathways-sustainable-development-and-poverty-eradication

UNEP (United Nations Environment Programme) (2016) The importance of natural resources: the environment for development. Retrieved from https://www.unep.org/resources/report/importance-natural-resources-environment-development

UNEP (United Nations Environment Programme) (2019) global environment outlook—GEO-6: healthy planet, healthy people. Retrieved from https://www.geeksforgeeks.org/natural-resources-definition-types-and-examples/

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Ali, M.A., Kamraju, M. (2023). What Are Natural Resources?. In: Natural Resources and Society: Understanding the Complex Relationship Between Humans and the Environment. Earth and Environmental Sciences Library. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-46720-2_1

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Short Essay: Natural Resources

A couple of short essay examples about natural resources.

Table of Contents

Natural Resources Essay Example 1

Natural resources are an essential part of our world. They are materials or substances that occur in nature and can be used for economic gain. Natural resources are vital for the development of any economy, and they play a significant role in environmental conservation. In this essay, we will discuss the importance of natural resources and how they are managed sustainably. We will examine examples of natural resources, including minerals, fossil fuels, forests, water, and wildlife.

Minerals are one of the most crucial natural resources. They are found in rocks, soil, and other geological formations. The extraction of minerals is critical for the production of a wide range of goods, including electronics, construction materials, and vehicles. Minerals such as iron, copper, and gold are in high demand, and their value has been increasing over the years. However, the extraction of minerals can have significant environmental impacts. Mining activities can lead to soil erosion, water pollution, and habitat destruction. Therefore, it is essential to manage mineral resources sustainably.

Fossil fuels are also significant natural resources. They include coal, oil, and natural gas. Fossil fuels are used to generate electricity, power transportation, and heat buildings. However, the combustion of fossil fuels leads to the emission of greenhouse gases, which contribute to climate change. Therefore, there is a need to reduce our reliance on fossil fuels and transition to renewable energy sources. Renewable energy sources, such as solar and wind power, are sustainable and have a lower environmental impact.

Forests, water, and wildlife are also essential natural resources. Forests are vital for biodiversity, carbon storage, and climate regulation. They also provide timber, fuelwood, and non-timber forest products. However, deforestation and forest degradation are major environmental issues. Sustainable forest management practices are necessary to ensure the long-term viability of forests. Water is another critical natural resource. It is essential for human survival, agriculture, and industrial activities. However, water scarcity is a global issue, and it is essential to manage water resources sustainably. Finally, wildlife is essential for biodiversity, tourism, and cultural values. However, habitat loss, poaching, and climate change are major threats to wildlife. Sustainable management practices, such as protected areas and wildlife conservation programs, are crucial for preserving wildlife.

In conclusion, natural resources are crucial for economic development and environmental conservation. Minerals, fossil fuels, forests, water, and wildlife are some of the essential natural resources. However, the sustainable management of natural resources is necessary to ensure their long-term viability. It is essential to balance economic development with environmental conservation, and sustainable management practices are crucial for achieving this balance. We must take urgent action to manage natural resources sustainably and ensure a better future for generations to come.

Natural Resources Essay Example 2

Natural resources are a vital aspect of human existence, providing the foundation for our survival and the basis for our economic and social development. These resources refer to materials or substances that occur naturally in the environment and are used by humans for production or consumption. They can be found in various forms, from minerals and water to air and timber. This essay will explore the concept of natural resources, their types, and their significance to human life.

One of the fundamental aspects of natural resources is their definition as materials or substances that occur naturally in the environment. These resources can be used for various purposes, ranging from production to consumption, and provide the basis for human survival. For example, water is essential for human life and is used for drinking, irrigation, and sanitation, among other things. Similarly, minerals such as iron, copper, and gold are used in the production of various commodities, from electronics to construction materials. In addition, soil is used for agriculture, while timber is used for construction and furniture making.

Natural resources can be classified into two main categories: renewable and non-renewable resources. Renewable resources are those that can be replenished or regenerated over time, such as solar energy, wind energy, and timber. These resources are considered sustainable as they can be used without depleting them entirely. On the other hand, non-renewable resources are those that cannot be replenished or regenerated, such as fossil fuels (coal, oil, and gas) and some minerals (gold, silver, and diamonds). These resources are finite and will eventually become depleted, making them unsustainable.

The significance of natural resources to human life cannot be overstated, as they provide the foundation for our economic and social development. For example, the extraction and use of natural resources have contributed significantly to economic growth and development in many countries. The use of timber, minerals, and oil has led to the creation of industries and jobs, while the use of water and soil has facilitated agriculture and food production. However, the exploitation of natural resources also has negative consequences, including environmental degradation, pollution, and climate change. Therefore, the sustainable management of natural resources is essential to ensure their preservation and the well-being of future generations.

In conclusion, natural resources are materials or substances that occur naturally in the environment and are used by humans for production or consumption. These resources are essential to human life and provide the foundation for our economic and social development. Natural resources can be renewable or non-renewable, and their exploitation has both positive and negative consequences. Therefore, the sustainable management of natural resources is crucial to ensure their preservation and the well-being of future generations.

Natural Resources Essay Example 3

Natural resources are the foundation of our planet’s environment and the backbone of human society. They are materials that exist in the natural world, including water, air, minerals, forests, and wildlife. These resources are crucial to our survival and economic prosperity. However, overuse and pollution of these resources can have negative environmental and social impacts. In this essay, I will delve into the importance of natural resources, their impact on our lives, and the consequences of their depletion.

Natural resources are the basis of our existence, and they are essential for human survival. One of the most important natural resources is water, without which life on earth would not be possible. Water is used for a wide range of activities, such as drinking, agriculture, and industrial processes. The air we breathe is another crucial resource that we often take for granted. The air we breathe contains oxygen, which is essential for our survival. The earth’s minerals, such as iron, copper, and gold, are also essential resources used in various industries. Forests and wildlife are also vital resources that provide food, shelter, and other necessities to human beings.

Natural resources are essential for economic development, and they are used to create products and services that improve our quality of life. For example, minerals are used in the construction of buildings, roads, and other infrastructure. Fossil fuels, such as coal, oil, and gas, are used to generate electricity, power vehicles, and heat homes. These resources have played a significant role in the growth of the global economy. However, the overuse and exploitation of these resources have led to environmental degradation and social inequality.

The overuse and pollution of natural resources can have negative environmental and social impacts. For example, water pollution from industrial and agricultural activities can lead to health problems and the destruction of aquatic ecosystems. Overfishing and deforestation can lead to the extinction of species and the loss of biodiversity. Climate change caused by the burning of fossil fuels is a significant threat to the environment and human society. The depletion of natural resources can also lead to social inequality, as marginalized communities are often the most affected by environmental degradation.

In conclusion, natural resources are essential for our survival and economic development. However, their overuse and depletion can have negative environmental and social impacts. It is crucial that we use these resources sustainably and reduce our reliance on non-renewable resources such as fossil fuels. By protecting and conserving natural resources, we can ensure a healthy planet and a better future for ourselves and future generations.

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The Sustainable Use of Natural Resources: The Governance Challenge

Still Only One Earth: Lessons from 50 years of UN sustainable development policy

Over-exploitation of natural resources harms the health of ecosystems and the wellbeing of people. In the face of environmental crises and growing inequality, we need to act, including developing extended producer responsibility and supply chain legislation, guaranteeing green public procurement, supporting technical innovation to enhance resource circularity, and adopting decision-making processes that include and respect women, Indigenous Peoples, and local communities. ( Download PDF ) ( See all policy briefs ) ( Subscribe to ENB )

Natural resources are central to human wellbeing. We cannot live without the clean air we breathe, the plants we eat, or the water we drink. We need natural resources to put roofs over our heads and heat our homes. We need them to survive and to thrive.

The concept of natural resources refers to naturally occurring living and non-living elements of the Earth system, including plants, fish, and fungi, but also water, soil, and minerals. A prominent way to think about natural resources is to look at them in terms of depletion risk: do they regenerate, and, if so, at what pace? Some resources, such as trees and plants, are renewable because they regenerate relatively quickly. Others, such as copper and oil, take much longer to form and are considered non-renewable. Together, natural resources make up a dense web of interdependence, forming ecosystems that also include humans. As such, the distribution of resources shapes the face of our planet and the local distinctiveness of our environments. People have formed different types of cultural, spiritual, and subsistence-based relationships with the natural environment, adopting value-systems that go beyond economic framings.

Nature makes human development possible but our relentless demand for the earth’s resources is accelerating extinction rates and devastating the world’s ecosystems. Joyce Msuya , Deputy Executive Director, United Nations Environment Programme

The use of natural resources has long been considered an element of both human rights and economic development, leading the United Nations, amid its work on advancing decolonization in the 1960s, to declare that “[t]he right of peoples and nations to permanent sovereignty over their natural wealth and resources must be exercised in the interest of their national development and of the well-being of the people of the State concerned” ( UN General Assembly Resolution 1803 (XVII) ).

Natural resources are often viewed as key assets driving development and wealth creation. Over time and with progressive industrialization, resource use increased. In some cases, exploitation levels came to exceed resources’ natural regeneration rates. Such overexploitation ultimately threatens the livelihoods and wellbeing of people who depend on these resources, and jeopardizes the health of ecosystems. This risk of resource depletion, notably manifesting in the form of fishery collapses, demonstrates the need to regulate natural resource use to better preserve resources and their ecosystems. The very first UN conference on environmental issues, the 1972 UN Conference on the Human Environment held in Stockholm, Sweden, adopted fundamental principles in this regard.

Stockholm Declaration

• Principle 2: “The natural resources of the earth, including the air, water, land, flora and fauna and especially representative samples of natural ecosystems, must be safeguarded for the benefit of present and future generations through careful planning or management, as appropriate.”
• Principle 3: “The capacity of the earth to produce vital renewable resources must be maintained and, wherever practicable, restored or improved.”
• Principle 5: “The non-renewable resources of the earth must be employed in such a way as to guard against the danger of their future exhaustion and to ensure that benefits from such employment are shared by all mankind.”

The Stockholm Declaration not only addressed resource depletion, but also benefit sharing: the objective to ensure that natural resource use not only benefits the few, but the many, both within and across countries. It also speaks to the principle of inter-generational equity: ensuring that today’s resource use does not compromise the availability of natural resources for future generations. In fact, natural resource use relates to all three dimensions of sustainability: social justice, environmental health, and economic development. The sustainable use of natural resources strives for balance between these dimensions: maintaining the long-term use of resources while maximizing social benefits and minimizing environmental impacts.

Natural Resource Use Has More than Tripled since 1970

Although the 1972 Stockholm Declaration laid out the fundamental principles for sustainable resource governance, the state of play half a century later is sobering. The International Resource Panel (IRP), launched by the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), found that the global average of material demand per capita grew from 7.4 tons in 1970 to 12.2 tons in 2017, with significant adverse impacts on the environment, notably increased greenhouse gas emissions.

The IRP also showed that “the use of natural resources and the related benefits and environmental impacts are unevenly distributed across countries and regions” (IRP, 2019, p. 27). For one, the per capita material footprint in high-income countries is thirteen times more than in low-income countries: 27 tons and 2 tons per capita, respectively. As WWF notes , “If everyone lived like an average resident of the USA, a total of four Earths would be required to regenerate humanity’s annual demand on nature.” What’s more, since they generally rely on resource extraction in other countries, high income countries outsource part of the environmental and social impacts of their consumption. At the same time, the IRP has reported that “the value created through these traded materials in the countries of origin is relatively low” (IRP, 2019, p. 65). This imbalance highlights the global discrepancies in the distribution of benefits and negative impacts stemming from resource use, with countries “rich” in valuable resources not always benefitting from their extraction, distribution, and use, yet suffering the most environmental harm.

Human actions threaten more species with global extinction now than ever before. Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services 2019 Global Assessment Report on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services

Fostering Sustainable Resource Governance

A vast array of norms, institutions, and actors influence decisions on natural resources, which is why we speak of natural resource governance. A plethora of national legislation, intergovernmental agreements, regional organizations, certification mechanisms, corporate codes of conduct, and multi-stakeholder partnerships create a complex web of rules affecting how natural resources are used and benefits thereof are distributed.

Since Stockholm, numerous multilateral agreements have developed a range of operational guidelines, targets, and standards. Some intergovernmental frameworks, such as the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) are broad in focus, while others are resource-specific ( Minamata Convention on Mercury ) or relate to a specific geographical area ( Convention on the Conservation of Antarctic Marine Living Resources ). Industry initiatives and multi-stakeholder partnerships often focus on specific resources or sectors. Examples of such initiatives include the Forest Stewardship Council , the Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil , the Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative , and the Better Cotton Initiative .

Citizens also have agency over natural resource use: through the representatives we elect to government, our activist engagement, and our consumption and transport choices. For instance, carefully considering food production cycles—what we eat, where and how it is grown, and how it arrives on our plate—can go towards addressing the impact that agricultural expansion has on forests, wetlands, and grassland ecosystems (FAO, 2018; IPBES, 2019). However, this needs to be coupled with systemic change across governance structures.

These mechanisms and institutions are not always complementary; in fact, at times they stand in conflict with one another. Consider, for instance, an energy corporation invoking the Energy Charter Treaty to file arbitration claims against a country’s decision to phase-out coal—a decision taken in accordance with its obligations under the Paris Agreement on Climate Change .

Balancing Rights and Interests over Natural Resources

Determining how people can—and should— access, benefit from, participate in decision-making on, and have responsibility over natural resources has been shaped by concepts such as property and rights . 

On the one hand, property rights divide lands and territories into: private property, where rights are held by individuals or companies; common property, where rights are shared by a community; public property, where rights are held by government; and open access areas, where no specific rights are assigned (Aggrawal & Elbow, 2006). Property rights are closely tied to rights over natural resources, which include the right to use a resource, such as hunting in a forest; or management rights that grant authority to decide on use, for example imposing seasonal hunting restrictions. In terms of governance, different types of ownership and access rights can be held simultaneously by several actors: a wetland can be owned by the state, managed by a local council, and used as fishing grounds by communities. 

The notion of tenure security indicates that an individual’s rights over natural resources and specific lands are recognized and enforceable. These rights are key to avoiding conflict and fostering social security as well as long-term sustainable resource use.

On the other hand, there are individual and collective rights regarding quality of life. The United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Peasants and Other People Working in Rural Areas ( UNDROP ), for example, stipulates that “[p]easants and other people working in rural areas have the right to have access to and to use in a sustainable manner the natural resources present in their communities that are required to enjoy adequate living conditions” and that they “have the right to participate in the management of these resources” (Article 5). UNDROP highlights the importance of small-scale sustainable practices, and the need to strengthen the protection and recognition of groups who have experienced historical marginalization and violent conflict over resource use. 

Similarly, the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples ( UNDRIP ) and International Labour Organization (ILO) Convention 169 ( ILO 169 ) protect the individual and collective rights of Indigenous Peoples. UNDRIP Article 8(2b) stipulates that states shall prevent and provide redress for “any action which has the aim or effect of dispossessing them of their lands, territories or resources.” Both texts also speak to the importance of ensuring the free, prior, and informed consent (FPIC) of Indigenous Peoples in relation to the use of their lands, with UNDRIP Articles 11(2) and 28 underscoring Indigenous Peoples’ right to redress for past FPIC infringements.

There is also the right to a healthy environment, enshrined in regional treaties, including procedural rights on access to information and decision-making processes, as well as the right to clean air, a safe climate, healthy food, safe water, a safe environment for work and play, and healthy ecosystems (UN Human Rights Council, 2019). Ultimately, the effectiveness of these advances in international law depends upon national governments’ readiness to implement them. To date, only 23 countries have ratified ILO 169, and many countries around the world have yet to adopt appropriate legislation to protect the rights enshrined in UNDRIP. To do so, and to protect associated rights under UNDROP and the right to a healthy environment, governments must adopt robust reforms across national policies, laws, programmes, and institutions that prompt shifts in country priorities and ensure the mainstreaming of environmental and social concerns across sectors, focusing especially on empowering marginalized groups. To ensure that decisions across society better address ecological and social wellbeing, prominent actors, including the UN Special Rapporteur on Human Rights and the Environment, are calling for human rights-based approaches to natural resource governance.

Overall, this constitutes a complex architecture, one that is dynamic in nature, often builds on customary practices, and requires balancing “competing” rights and interests through law and policy. Structures are seldom straightforward: there are often overlapping or even conflicting systems in place, and this influences the sustainability of resource governance.

States play a central role in balancing rights and interests. Regulations addressing the extractive sector determine how a corporation’s exclusive user rights may impact the general population’s right to a safe and healthy environment. Approaches to this balancing act, and the distribution, recognition, and safeguarding of rights, and the implementation of associated responsibilities, vary across states and change over time.

At times, this balance of interests favors more powerful actors. Stemming from historical legacies and trajectories in decision-making, structural inequalities exist across resource access, ownership, and tenure security (Oxfam, 2014). These issues disproportionately impact women , rural communities, and Indigenous Peoples, who are often cast as passive recipients to policy change, as opposed to rights holders and key actors in the sustainable management of natural resources. 

Women have faced historical exclusion from decision-making processes related to land and resources (UN Women, 2020). Due to enduring patriarchal gender norms across the world, they hold less control than men over the lands and resources they traditionally use and rely on for their livelihoods and wellbeing. Based on an analysis of 180 countries, the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) found that out of the 164 countries that explicitly recognize women’s rights to own, use, and make decisions regarding land on par with men, only 52 countries guarantee these rights in both law and practice (OECD, 2019). As such, it is important that states ensure that women’s rights over natural resources are realized and protected through appropriate mechanisms. 

Indigenous Peoples also struggle to have their rights recognized. For instance, in Finland, Sweden, and Canada, legal disputes have arisen over the challenge of balancing between states’ sovereign right to govern and exploit natural resources, and Indigenous Peoples’ rights to self-determination over traditional territories and customary resource use. Globally, conflicts have also emerged over specific policy approaches, such as conservation methods relying on models of strictly protected areas, or the expansion of large infrastructure, such as the installation of hydraulic dams, which contribute to the displacement of Indigenous and rural peoples. 

The expansion of international investment treaties further aggravates existing power differentials. In fostering the commercialization and privatization of land and resources, and by often prioritizing investors’ rights and interests over those held by local peoples, they risk restricting public-interest policies and undermine the public’s access to remedial action (Cotula, 2015, 2016).

The Need for Inclusive Governance 

Activists and practitioners working to safeguard rights linked to natural resources and secure tenure have been lobbying for strengthened empowerment and participation of local groups, arguing that this fosters more sustainable and equitable resource governance. Alliances between women, youth, Indigenous Peoples, and local community groups have emerged, connecting local-to-global efforts, and bringing international attention to injustices. This includes grassroots alliances such as La Vía Campesina , which has lobbied to protect farmers’ and peasants’ rights since the 1990s and was instrumental in the creation and adoption of UNDROP. 

Inclusive decision making is key for sustainable resource governance. Just as gender norms have influenced structures for access and use, they have also shaped our behaviors and the knowledge we acquire, with women holding unique agroecological expertise linked to crop resilience and nutrition (UN Women, 2018). So, unless decision-making processes are gender-responsive and inclusive, they risk overlooking women’s specific needs and roles, and will fail to ensure the inclusion of ecological knowledge important for enabling sustainable practices. 

The same can be said for including Indigenous Peoples and local communities in resource governance. The second edition of the CBD’s Local Biodiversity Outlooks illustrates their significant contributions to the safeguarding and sustainable use of natural resources and biodiversity. Important benefits come with inclusive and community-led governance structures and decision-making processes, which, in addition to protecting and enabling sustainable use of resources, can strengthen community support systems and local economies, as well as revitalize Indigenous and local knowledges and languages.

The Need for Transformative Change

Despite efforts since the 1970s, current trends in natural resource use are unsustainable, with potentially devastating results. The 2019 IPBES Global Assessment Report underscored that transformative change is necessary to protect the resources upon which human life and wellbeing depends. The Report also acknowledges that, by its very nature, transformative change is often opposed by those with interests vested in the status quo. Civil society actors therefore underscore the importance for governments to address vested interests and foster inclusive decision making, along with a re-balancing of priorities with regards to rights and interests in order to ensure ecological integrity and social justice (Allan, et.al., 2019). The Local Biodiversity Outlooks mentioned earlier offer important examples of bottom-up approaches to resource governance that can foster sustainability while also addressing historical inequalities.

Bearing in mind global and local inequalities in the distribution of resource use and benefits, achieving transformative change requires bold governmental action, both domestically and in international fora. We need fundamental shifts in production and consumptions patterns, careful attention to value and supply chains, and the fostering of circular resource use and circular economies. Resource circularity breaks with the linear model of “extract-use-discard” towards a “waste-as-a-resource” model that fosters a reduced need for resource extraction, as well as encourages increased reuse, repair and recycling. These objectives are already enshrined in the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development , with governments aiming to achieve the sustainable management and efficient use of natural resources by 2030 . While implementation has been too slow (IPBES, 2019), there is increased attention to fostering resource circularity, hand in hand with efforts to promote secure labor standards and reduce environmental impacts of resource exploitation. Most notable in this regard are legislative initiatives that increase producers’ responsibility for the impacts of their products throughout their lifecycle. Placing responsibility for post-use disposal on manufacturers significantly increases the material recovery rate and incentivizes less wasteful product design (OECD, 2016).

To better balance the three dimensions of sustainable resources governance—social justice, environmental health, and economic development—we must rethink our economic, social, political, and technological systems that currently enable damaging production practices and wasteful resource consumption. Other ways of living are possible, from the ways we structure our societies and economies, the relationships we form with each other and with our ecosystems, to ensuring that the priorities of our leaders align with the interests of the many rather than the few. To realize these shifts, governments should develop extended producer responsibilities and supply chain legislation to enhance fairer distribution of benefits and harms stemming from resource use and promote the protection of human rights in ways that ensure ecological wellbeing and social justice. 

Decision making must be inclusive and account for the needs, rights, and knowledges of historically marginalized communities and groups. Governance structures must recognize and support pre-existing sustainable practices at local and regional levels, as well as nourish the emergence of more sustainable patterns of resource use and management. This will require strengthening tenure rights and re-distributing power across all stages of decision-making. 

Works Consulted

Aggarwal, S. & Elbow, K. (2016). The role of property rights in natural resource management, good governance and empowerment of the rural poor. USAID. https://www.land-links.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/09/USAID_Land_Tenure_Property_Rights_and_NRM_Report.pdf

Allan, J.I., Antonich, B., Bansard, J.S., Luomi, M., & Soubry, B. (2019). Summary of the Chile/Madrid Climate Change Conference: 2-15 December 2019. Earth Negotiations Bulletin , 12(775). https://enb.iisd.org/download/pdf/enb12775e.pdf

Cotula, L. (2015). Land rights and investment treaties. IIED. https://pubs.iied.org/sites/default/files/pdfs/migrate/12578IIED.pdf

Cotula, L. (2016). Rethinking investment treaties to advance human rights. IIED Briefing. https://pubs.iied.org/sites/default/files/pdfs/migrate/17376IIED.pdf

Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations. (2018). Sustainable food systems: Concept and framework. http://www.fao.org/3/ca2079en/CA2079EN.pdf

Forest Peoples Programme, International Indigenous Forum on Biodiversity, Indigenous Women’s Biodiversity Network, Centres of Distinction on Indigenous and Local Knowledge, & Secretariat of the Convention on Biological Diversity. (2020). Local biodiversity outlooks 2 . https://www.cbd.int/gbo/gbo5/publication/lbo-2-en.pdf

Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services. (2019). Global assessment report on biodiversity and ecosystem services. https://www.ipbes.net/global-assessment

International Resource Panel. (2019). Global resources outlook 2019: Natural resources for the future we want. UN Environment Programme. https://www.resourcepanel.org/reports/global-resources-outlook

Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development. (2016). Extended producer responsibility: Updated guidance for efficient waste management. https://doi.org/10.1787/9789264256385-en

Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development. (2019). Social institutions and gender index 2019 global report: Transforming challenges into opportunities. https://doi.org/10.1787/bc56d212-en

Oxfam. (2014). Even it up: Time to end extreme inequality. https://www-cdn.oxfam.org/s3fs-public/file_attachments/cr-even-it-up-extreme-inequality-291014-en.pdf

UN Human Rights Council. (2019). Report by the Special Rapporteur on the issue of human rights obligations relating to the enjoyment of a safe, clean, healthy and sustainable environment. A/HRC/43/53. https://undocs.org/A/HRC/43/53

UN Women (2018). Towards a gender-responsive implementation of the Convention on Biological Diversity. https://www.unwomen.org/en/digital-library/publications/2018/11/towards-a-gender-responsive-implementation-of-the-convention-on-biological-diversity

UN Women (2020). Realizing women’s rights to land and other productive resources. 2nd ed. https://www.unwomen.org/en/digital-library/publications/2020/10/realizing-womens-rights-to-land-and-other-productive-resources-2nd-edition  

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Home — Essay Samples — Environment — Earth & Nature — Natural Resources

Essays on Natural Resources

Dive into the essence of our planet's wealth with our comprehensive essays on natural resources. These resources, from the air we breathe to the minerals beneath the earth's surface, are the bedrock of our existence and the foundation of human civilization.

The Significance of Natural Resources in Modern Society

Our collection of natural resources essays delves into the pivotal role these resources play in shaping economies, societies, and the environment. From renewable energies like wind and solar to non-renewable resources such as oil and coal, understand the balance, exploitation, and conservation efforts that define our relationship with the earth.

Sustainability and Conservation: A Crucial Dialogue

Amidst growing concerns over climate change and environmental degradation, our essays on natural resources underscore the urgent need for sustainable management. Explore comprehensive discussions on how to balance human needs with environmental stewardship to ensure the longevity of our planet's gifts.

The Intersection of Technology and Natural Resources

Discover essays that examine the innovative technologies revolutionizing how we harness, utilize, and protect natural resources. From advancements in renewable energy to cutting-edge conservation strategies, see how technology offers hope for a sustainable future.

A Call to Action for Future Generations

Through critical analysis and insightful research, our natural resources essays serve as a call to action. They highlight the importance of informed policies, responsible consumption, and active participation in conservation efforts to safeguard our natural heritage for future generations.

How Does Physical Geography Affect Us

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Satellite Data Based Natural Resources Mapping of Banni Grassland, Kachchh District, Gujarat, India.

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• Conservation of Natural Resources Essay

Essay On Conservation of Natural Resource

Natural resources are the resources that occur naturally on Earth. It is an indispensable part of our lives. Natural resources consist of air, water, sunlight, coal, petroleum, natural gas, fossil fuels, oil, etc. However, humans have exploited these resources for their economic gains. Over usage of natural resources has caused depletion resulting in a huge impending threat to the existence of the human race. Conservation of nature means taking care and protecting these resources like forests, water bodies, natural gases, minerals, and fuels so that they continue to be available in abundance.

Long Essay On Conservation of Natural Resource

Conservation of nature means taking care and protecting these resources like forests, water bodies, natural gases, minerals, and fuels so that they continue to be available in abundance. Conservation refers to saving the resources for the use of the upcoming generation. There are enough natural resources which nature has provided to us. It is our duty to save them for our successors. For saving these natural resources we have to gain enough knowledge about that and should work in that direction. 

Natural resources are categorized into renewable and non-renewable. Renewable resources can be replenished naturally. These include air, water, and sunlight. Non-renewable resources consist of coal, natural gas, and oil. These resources cannot be replenished by natural resources easily to keep up with consumption. It takes hundreds of years to recycle these resources. The usage of natural resources has been pivotal for the evolution of mankind. But his progress and development have led to the exploitation of these natural resources. This demands a responsible behavior of conserving the resources to ensure sustainability .If we do not use these resources judiciously then it can create an imbalance in the environment. Global warming, floods, climate change, famine, and drought are some of the consequences we will have to face in the future. So, conservation of natural resources has become the need of the hour. 

Water is the most important and valuable natural resource on Earth. It sustains all life. We use water for drinking, generating electricity, in agriculture for irrigation of crops, in many industries for manufacturing processes. Scarcity of water would cause loss of vegetation and to all plant life, erosion of soil. Forests determine natural vegetation for mankind. It is the major natural resource that helps in economic development. Their use in fuel, timber, and industrial raw material cannot be undermined. Moreover, forests help in the control of soil erosion and control floods

Fossil fuel is the most important natural commodity for everyday activities. Coal, oil, and natural gas produce a lot of energy. Governments and agencies of various countries are employing different measures to conserve nature. Children should be educated about the implications of the exploitation of the environment. Recycling and reusing of water will help reduce the rate of depletion of freshwater from the planet. Farmers must use modern techniques in agriculture like sprinkler irrigation, drip irrigation, dry farming, and rotational grazing, to save water. They should start the practice of rainwater harvesting. Conservation of natural resources is the need of the present and it is our duty to conserve them.

Alternative resources or renewable resources like solar energy or water energy should be used. Saving electricity can be a step to conserve natural resources such as water, coal, natural gases, and biomass. Basic practices like switching off fans, lights, geysers, and air conditioners must become a habit. The use of solar-powered lights and cars, using public transport, and regular car-pooling will reduce the depletion of coal, oil, and gas. Increase the use of biogas and biofuels. Paper is made from wood, which is a renewable natural source. Trees are being cut at a very high speed but take time to grow. To reduce the usage of paper, modern technology must be used. This will help in reducing the carbon footprint in the atmosphere. We must plant more and more trees to prevent deforestation. 

Dumping of industrial wastes into water bodies must be prevented to protect marine life. The practice of crop rotation techniques can be implemented to increase soil fertility. Burning fossil fuel emits a large amount of carbon dioxide that is responsible for the greenhouse effect. This must be controlled. It is important to realize that natural resources are limited and it is our social responsibility to protect and take care of nature. We need to rationally use these natural resources to maintain the environment and secure our future. Farmers must use modern techniques in agriculture like sprinkler irrigation, drip irrigation, dry farming, and rotational grazing, to save water. They should start the practice of rainwater harvesting.

What is Biodiversity Conservation?

Biodiversity refers generally to the richness of organisms. It can be defined as the variability of the species in a particular area. The conservation of biodiversity is essential for the balance of nature. We can divide conservation into two types based on their site of conservation.

These types are :

In situ Conservation

Ex-situ conservation

There are different types of conservation in environmental science. These are classified under two categories which are mentioned here. In- situ is generally a Latin word. In means inside and ex means outside. In situ is a type of conservation in which we conserve any of the species in its home itself. While ex situ refers to the type of conservation in which we conserve any of the species out of its residence.

In-Situ Conservation 

In in-situ conservation, we conserve any of the particular species in their natural habitat. It can also be called on-site conservation of genetic resources. It has various advantages over ex-situ conservation. It does not require any advanced technology for conservation. As we are storing any of the species into its natural habitat, it is also cost-effective. Moreover, scientific research is also possible in an in-situ environment. It is also easily adaptable. Wildlife sanctuaries and national parks are some examples of in-situ conservation. 

Ex-Situ Conservation

Ex-situ conservation is when we conserve any of the species out of the site of his residence. In other terms, it is the mode of conservation in which we conserve any particular species out of its habitat.  It helps to rescue the threatened species. In an ex-situ conservation, we can send a particular species to that area where proper natural resources are available for its conservation. Zoo, aquarium, zoological gardens, and botanical gardens are some examples of ex-situ conservation.

The advantages of ex-situ conversions is that it is an efficient way to increase the reproduction of threatened species and requires low maintenance.

Conservation of natural resources is the need of the future generation. It is our duty to conserve them for the future. Conservation of biodiversity is the most essential for the upcoming generations.  It is important to conserve natural resources to maintain the ecosystem and sustainability of these resources for our future generation.  Sustainable development is a theory which states that we should use our resources in such a way that it can also be conserved for our successors.

FAQs on Conservation of Natural Resources Essay

1. What are the types of Natural Resources?

There are two types of natural resources - Renewable resources and non-renewable resources. Renewable sources of energy are those which are inexhaustible in nature and keep producing more and more. Renewable sources of energy are present in nature with enough concentration . Other than renewable resources, non renewable sources of energy are present in limited quantities in nature and can end up due to their overuse.

2. Why is it important to conserve natural resources?

It is important to conserve natural resources to maintain the ecosystem and sustainability of these resources for our future generation. The concept of sustainable development is that we use our resources taking care of future generations. Using the resources in a sustainable manner can conserve the resources for our upcoming generations. For ecological balance , it is necessary that we keep balance in the nature of resources. As the natural resources are present in nature in limited quantities, their conservation is necessary. 

3. How do we reduce the consumption of fuel?

Use of solar powered cars, public transport, car-pooling, maintenance of vehicles periodically can reduce the consumption of fuel. We can also try non- conventional sources of energy. For example, we can produce electricity by hydropower plants and wind energy plants. Using non conventional sources of energy will reduce our dependence on fossil- fuels. Now, most of the countries are committing zero carbon emission and so implementation of new techniques for energy production becomes necessary in today's world. 

4. What modern techniques should farmers adopt to save water?

To save water, farmers should practice modern techniques like sprinkler irrigation, drip irrigation, rotational grazing, dry farming and rain water harvesting. These techniques not only reduce the water consumption but also are more effective for farming. Water harvesting is also one of the most effective techniques for saving water. It also fulfills our goal to attain sustainable development. Especially, in the areas of water shortage, water harvesting techniques can be very useful for farmers to grow the crop of their choice.

5. What are differences between in-situ and ex-situ conservation ?

In - situ conservation refers to the conservation of various species inside their own natural habitat. While , ex situ conservation involves the conservation of species outside of their habitat. In situ conservation requires less technological advancements and is more effective in increasing population of species. While, ex situ conservation involves less maintenance. Wildlife sanctuaries and national parks are examples of in-situ conservation, while aquarium and zoological parks are examples of ex-situ conservation. 

You can read on various topics about environmental science on Vedantu platform and also can download PDF. 

Essay on Natural Resources For Students and Children in 1000 Words

In this article you will read an essay on natural resources for students and children in 1000 words. It includes types, classification, importance, effects and conservation of natural reaources.

Table of Contents

Introduction to Natural Resources

Do we all care about our natural resources? The answer is no. As long as pollution and other environmental problems don’t get worse, these things might run out.

We must realise the importance of these natural resources before it is too late. In this article, we will look at some important aspects of natural resources.

What are Natural Resources?

Natural resources are resources that have been available in nature since the beginning of time. These resources do enable life on earth. 

Without things like air, sunlight, and water, life on our planet would be impossible.Other natural resources are just as important and have become an important part of our lives, too.

These resources have been used for various applications. While natural resources meet the basic needs of humans and other living beings on earth, they also form the basis for deriving multiple things. These things make life easier and more comfortable. 

Types of Natural resources

Classification of natural resources is done into two types:

1. Renewable natural resources

Renewable resources are those that are regularly available, regardless of their use. They can be recovered or replaced after use. Examples include vegetation, water, and air. 

An animal is a renewable natural resource, too, because it can be bred and bred so that it can be replaced by a new animal when it gets older.

Because these resources are renewable, it can take tens to hundreds of years to replace them. Renewable raw materials that come from live animals, namely animals and trees, are referred to as organic, renewable resources. 

Those that come from inanimate things, such as the sun, water, and wind, are referred to as inorganic renewable resources.

2. Non-renewable natural resources

Non-renewable resources are those that cannot be replaced or recovered after they have been used or destroyed. Examples of such natural resources include minerals and fossil fuels.

Minerals are classified as non-renewable because, although they are naturally formed in the rock cycle, the periods of their formation last for thousands of years. It’s the same with some animals, mostly endangered species, because they’re close to extinction and can’t be replaced.

3. Natural resources as stock

Inventory natural resources are those that are present in the environment but lack the necessary expertise or technology to exploit them. Hydrogen is an example of a natural stock resource. 

Today, most men cannot imagine life without most of them. Here is a focus on the various ways to use it:

Sunlight: It is used to generate solar energy that is used in multiple devices. Sunlight also enables photosynthesis, through which the survival and growth of plants occur.

Air: Air is used to generate wind energy. Windmills are used to make them and apply them for a variety of purposes, such as pumping water, grinding grain, etc.

Water: it is used to generate hydroelectric energy. It can also be used for cleaning and cooking.

Minerals: Minerals are used to generate several items that are used in our daily lives. Wires, aluminium cans, and car parts are some of the things made of different types of minerals. Minerals such as silver and gold are used to make jewellery.

Natural gases: These natural gases are used to generate electricity and in kitchens for cooking.

Coal: This is another natural resource used to generate electricity.

Plants: Plants offer a range of natural resources such as wood, fruit, and vegetables. While fruits and vegetables are important for living things, wood is used to make furniture, paper, and other things.

Animals: Animals also provide numerous natural resources. They produce milk that is used to make cottage, cheese, butter, and many other dairy products. 

Animal fur and skin are further used to get different clothes and other necessary things. Wool sweaters, hats, leather belts, bags, and bedding, are some of the items made from natural animal resources.

Importance of Natural Resources

Everyone should be given an equal opportunity to use resources for the benefit of humanity. You should not spend available resources selfishly without considering your fellow people.

There is no limit to the spending of natural resources if they are available. But at the same time, you should be aware that natural resources are non-renewable sources. The future also depends on such resources.

Every person should think of themselves as world citizens. Think of themselves as world citizens. The whole world is a family, and everyone is dependent on each other for a better life.

Mother Earth gives enough for everyone to meet their minimal needs, but not enough to use. Every person has a role in protecting natural resources, e.g., in the consumption of water, electricity, wood, food, etc.

Water is life , and every drop is valuable in a similar way. Wood should be used so as not to damage the forest’s resources more than needed. Sustainable lifestyles should be the goal of resource balance.

Everyone has the right to live and use natural resources in this world. All living creatures belong to mother earth, and all have access to its resources.

All of these resources, such as land, energy, food, minerals, water, forest, and so on, must be spread out fairly so that all creatures can live a healthy life.

Responsibility rests more with the human population because they have the power of thought and wisdom to judge the good, and man should realise that he is not alone in this world. Other users are also available. 

As a result, responsibility for the fair use of natural resources for the sustainable lifestyle of all on this mother earth should rest with the entire human race.

Effects of development on the ecosystem

The disease spreads through the environment. Human activity has weakened the protective ozone layer. Overuse of natural resources such as land, water, minerals, coal, oil, etc., has reduced them.

This led to a global wa r ning . Toxic pollution is adding to the environment. It has caused a loss of biodiversity, or genetic erosion.

Conservation of Natural Resources

The consumption of natural resources is increasing, and their quantity is decreasing. Deforestation has caused a loss of energy resources.

Regional and international resource conservation capabilities are not correctly organised. They must have a common conservation strategy.

Maintaining basic ecological processes, i.e., recycling the food chain of mineral resources, etc. Life support systems (soil, air, water, ponds, plants, animals, etc.). Ensuring the availability and sustainability of resources means that all species are healthy and safe.

To protect water. Keep the taps closed when not in use. Use less water-consuming toilets. watering plants to do during evening trips. Use of drip irrigation systems and sprinkler irrigation, etc.

Water treatment for irrigation. Water should be used carefully and economically for domestic, household, and industrial use.

Saving energy

The use of an alternative energy source and the development of renewable energy sources, such as solar energy, seawater energy, wind energy, tidal energy, nuclear energy, etc. for our energy needs. 

Caution in using fuel

We must be cautious in using fuels to get energy. Fossil fuels should only be used when no other alternative source is available to us. Fossil fuel should be saved as much as possible. We should avoid the wastage of energy.

Prevent misuse

We should use the most efficient fuels available. Most heating devices, such as stoves, clothes, etc., should be used.

Protecting the Soil

• Through green management
• By biological nitrogen fixation
• Together, they provide minerals through decomposition and animal droppings.

Soil erosion prevention:

• By crop rotation
• As plants develop, such as grasses, legumes, groundnuts, etc.
• By creating appropriate outlet channels for draining floodwater
• By renting on the slopes to reduce water speed to control soil erosion.

In short, these natural resources are significant for our existence as well as for the development of the country. Maintaining these resources will help open up new opportunities that are necessary for the country’s economic growth. 

As with development, the degree of pollution has also increased significantly. These pollutants are harmful to all depleted and inexhaustible natural resources.

The reduction of these natural resources will gradually make our planet unbearable for all living things. So these are not only useful in raw form, but are also helpful when used to generate other things. People should use these resources in the best possible way to make life better.

I hope you like this informative essay on natural resources for students and children. 

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Essay on Natural Resources

Natural resources and its importance for human life is an important issue for people on earth. Now it is necessary to have knowledge about the need and importance of natural resources as well as spread complete awareness by focusing on its hazardous effects due to the unavailability of these resources. We have provided here some essays on natural resources with detailed knowledgeable information. Essays are divided in two categories; long and short essay on natural resources.

Sample Essay on Natural Resources for Students

Essay 1 (400 words).

Natural resources are those precious gifts for us that are much important for living on this earth. These are air, water, land, trees, wood, soil, minerals, petroleum, metals and sunshine. These resources cannot be created or produced by human being but just can be modified in different manner so that we can use it in better way.

Types of Resources:

Natural resources are mainly divided in two types of categories, these are: Renewal Resources and Non Renewal resources

• Renewal Resources: Renewal resources are those resources which can be regained and reformed after consumption like water, air, sunlight, land, wood, soil, plants and animals. Some are limited in quantity; these are water, plants, animals and fresh air. Without making managed system of consuming these renewal resources we would not be able to get it back in future for the use of our coming generations.
• Non renewal resources: Natural resources that cannot be reproduced and are available in fixed amount on earth are referred as Non Renewal resources. On the earth, they are found below the land like minerals, metals, petroleum and coal. All these are in limited stock and very useful and important for living life.

Different resources are used for different purposes:

• Air is used for wind energy.
• Water is used for drinking and producing hydroelectric energy.
• Plants and trees give us vegetables, fruits, cotton, wood and by using wood we can make paper, furniture and house too.
• Animals give us milk and their skin is used for making lather clothes, shoes, purses, belts, etc.
• Sunlight is used for making us warm and produces solar energy.
• Oil is used as fuel for transportation and electricity.
• Minerals and metals are used for making coins, steel, and jewelry.
• Coal is used to make electricity.

Conclusion:

Natural resources are too much essential for survival on this earth. Without them we cannot imagine our human life. All resources are either directly or indirectly connected with others.

Some resources are produced from other resources for example oxygen and wood are produced by plants and trees; energy can be produced from wind, water and sunlight in different forms. Various secrets of natural resources are still hidden behind the nature and the earth. No one can get the actual source of it. We should follow preservation method for using these resources in such manner that they could always be available for us in future for many centuries coming ahead.

Essay 2 (600 words)

Introduction

Resources obtained from nature are called natural resources and are very essential for survival on earth for human being. Natural resources are air, water, sunlight, forest, land, rock, soil, petroleum, metal and minerals. Land, sunlight, wind and rock have unlimited availability on the earth.

Apart from these resources, other natural resources are divided in two categories:

• Renewal Resources: Renewal resources are those which can be reproduced and regenerated by the efforts of people and some kind of extra care. These resources are plants, fresh air, water, land and animals.
• Non Renewal Resources: Non renewal resources are those which are limited in quantity and never be regained either from earth or by human efforts. These resources are petroleum, coal, minerals and metals.

Apart from these two categories of natural resources, other categories are also defined to differentiate Natural Resources:

Biotic and abiotic resources:

• Biotic resources : These resources are those natural resources which are obtained from global system and have life-like plants, trees and animals.
• Abiotic resources : These resources are those natural resources which are non living like, air, water, land, soil, minerals and metals.

This whole world or universe depends on natural resources in different manner. A human life cannot be imagined or possible without these resources. Different resources have their individual importance in a human life like we need oxygen in air for taking breath and only trees produce oxygen by taking carbon dioxide from air. Sunlight gives us heat that is must for our daily requirements.

Plants require land, soil and water to grow and changes in form of fruitful trees. Tree gives us fresh air, fruits, vegetables, wood, etc. By using wood we make paper and different types of furniture. Water is most essential resource after oxygen for human being. Water animals like fish is used to fulfil starvation of many people and other big water animals.

Other natural resources like petroleum, minerals, coal, etc are used for different types of purposes. Different types of energy can be produced by different resources like solar energy can be produced by sun light, hydro electric energy is produced by using water, wind energy is produced by wind, electricity is produced by coal and water is boiled by burning coal to produce electricity.

Minerals and metals are found deep under the ground and used to make coins, gold, steel and many other things that are needed for our daily routine life. Petroleum, the essential resource given by nature is refined and converted into fuel for transportation.

Availability of Natural resources:

Some of these resources are available on the earth since ancient time even from starting of the civilization like air, water, sunlight, land, plants and animals. Rest resources like metals, minerals, coal and petroleum are found due to the efforts of human after civilization. Different types of energy, wood, cotton cloths, leather materials and expensive ornaments were developed using technologies by human as per the need.

Some non renewal resources are very limited and rarely found on this earth like petroleum and metals, some specific places are reserved on earth from where these resources are obtained. In India, around hundred types of minerals are produced at different places which are very important for financial profits at national level, as we export these minerals to other countries and import some other minerals which are not found in India. In case of petroleum, each country has its different percentage of production of petroleum and do import or export of petroleum according to their consumption need.

Effects of destroying natural resources:

Resources that are found in a natural form and are not produced by human being are natural resources. Use and consumption of these resources matters a lot for future of human life. In current situation forest are left in very few quantities because of the increased population (people cut trees to get wood, paper and land for making building over there).

Animals are also killed for the personal need of human-like enjoying food and making leather goods from skin of different animals. If we still do not understand the importance of forests and animals, result will be hazardous for all. Without fresh air and water, human life will be impossible in future. Thus, to avoid this critical situation, we need to grow plants and limit our consumption of resources like water, electricity, oil, etc.

Related Information:

10 Lines on Natural Resources

More Information:

10 Lines on Conservation of Natural Resources

10 Lines on Natural Resource Depletion

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Natural Resources, Types, Examples and its Importance

Natural resources are materials or substances that occur in nature and are useful to human beings. Know all about Natural Resources Types, Examples and Importance in this article for the UPSC exam.

Table of Contents

Natural Resources

Natural Resources are the resources that are created naturally from materials found in the environment. Air, water, sunlight, soil , rock , plants, animals, and fossil fuels are examples of natural resources. Natural resources are materials that come from the earth, including food, textiles, metals, water, fertilisers, and geothermal energy. Natural resources are things that happen naturally and are beneficial to people or might be useful in the future under possible social, economic, or technological conditions. The natural sciences have historically had a monopoly on the study of natural resources.

Natural resources are things that occur naturally and are essential for human survival and development. The natural sciences have long dealt with natural resources. These are naturally discovered or created environmental resources. Natural resources include, among other things, air, sunlight, water, soil, rock, plants, animals, and fossil fuels. You will learn about India’s natural resources in this article, which will help you with your geography study for the UPSC Civil Service exam.

What are Natural Resources?

Resources classified as natural exist when no human activity is present. This includes sources of value like utility for business and industry, aesthetic value, scientific interest, and cultural value.

It includes everything on Earth, including the sun, the atmosphere, the oceans, the land, and all the minerals, plants, and animals. Natural resources are things that happen to exist and are regarded as valuable in their original form. The amount available and the demand for it determine its value.

Natural Resources Types

Depending on their place of origin, natural resources can be grouped in many different ways.

• Biotic Resources
• Abiotic Resources

A biotic resource is any biological component of the environment. Forests and forest products, crops, birds, animals, fish, and other marine life are examples of biotic resources. These resources are renewable because they replenish and reproduce themselves. Although they are biological resources, coal and mineral oil cannot be replenished.

Abiotic resources are any environmental components that are not biological. Land, water, air, and minerals like iron, copper, gold, and silver are examples of abiotic resources. They are limited and non-renewable since they cannot be reproduced or regenerated. Based on their rate of recovery, natural resources can be divided into the following groups:

• Non-Conventional
• Conventional

There are two categories of natural resources depending on availability:

• Renewable resources are those that are perpetually available and can be utilised in a variety of ways. Examples include a forest, wind, and water.
• Non-renewable resources are those whose supply is finite owing to their non-renewable nature and whose availability might diminish in the future. Minerals and fossil fuels are a few examples.

Natural Resources Examples

The following are the Top 5 Natural Resources such as:

Natural Resources List

Natural resources are materials or substances that occur naturally in the environment and can be used for economic gain. Here is a list of some common natural resources:

Natural Resources Importance

Natural resources are of great importance to human societies for many reasons. Here are some key reasons why natural resources are important:

• Economic Importance: Many natural resources are essential for economic development. For example, minerals and fossil fuels are crucial for industry and transportation, and timber is important for the construction of buildings and furniture. Agriculture is also dependent on natural resources, such as water and fertile soil, which are used to grow crops.
• Energy Production: Natural resources are also used to generate energy. Fossil fuels, for example, are burned to produce electricity, while wind and solar energy are harnessed to generate clean energy.
• Environmental Importance: Natural resources are important for maintaining the balance of ecosystems and providing habitats for wildlife. Forests, for example, are home to many plant and animal species, and they also help to prevent soil erosion and regulate the climate.
• Social Importance: Natural resources can provide a source of livelihood for many people. For example, fishing and forestry provide jobs and income for many communities around the world.
• Cultural Importance: Natural resources also have cultural significance for many societies. For example, indigenous cultures often have a deep connection to the land and rely on natural resources for their traditional way of life.

Natural Resources UPSC

Natural resources are things that occur naturally and are essential for human survival and development. The natural sciences have long dealt with natural resources. These are environmental resources that have been found or developed naturally. Natural resources include, among other things, air, sunlight, water, soil, rock, plants, animals, and fossil fuels. You will learn about India’s natural resources in this article, which will help you study geography for the UPSC Civil Service exam.

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Natural Resources FAQs

What are the 10 natural resources.

Stone, sand, metals, oil, coal, and natural gas are examples of natural resources. Air, sunlight, soil, and water are examples of other natural resources. Plants, fish, birds, and animals are all examples of natural resources. Food, fuel, and raw materials for the manufacture of commodities are all made with the help of natural resources.

What natural resources mean?

We employ natural resources as our primary energy and raw material sources. Natural resources include petroleum, metals, sand, soil, wind, water, and everything else.

What are the 5 types of natural resources?

Natural resources include things like stone, sand, metals, coal, oil, and natural gas.

What is the most important natural resource?

One of the most significant natural resources that emerge from forests is water. Natural land regions benefit from the nutrients, water, oxygen, and heat provided by the soil. The third essential resource for people, animals, plants, and all other living things in a natural environment is air.

Why natural resources are important?

Human welfare depends heavily on natural resources. Without the clean air we breathe, the vegetation we eat, or the freshwater we drink, we cannot survive. We need natural resources in order to construct homes with heat and roofs over our heads. For us to live and prosper, they are essential.

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36.1: Introduction to Natural Resource Economics

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Types of Natural Resources

• Natural resource economics focuses on the supply, demand, and allocation of the Earth’s natural resources.

learning objectives

• Analyze natural resource economics and explain the types of natural resources that exist.

Natural Resource Economics

Natural resource economics focuses on the supply, demand, and allocation of the Earth’s natural resources. It’s goal is to gain a better understanding of the role of natural resources in the economy. Learning about the role of natural resources allows for the development of more sustainable methods to manage resources and make sure that they are maintained for future generations.The goal of natural resource economics is to develop an efficient economy that is sustainable in the long-run.

Importance of the Environment : This diagram illustrates how society and the economy are subsets of the environment. It is not possible for societal and economic systems to exist independently from the environment. For this reason, natural resource economics focuses on understanding the role of natural resources in the economy in order to develop a sufficient and sustainable economy that protects natural resources.

Natural resources are derived from the environment. Some of the resources are essential to survival, while others merely satisfy societal wants. Every man-made product in an economy is composed of natural resources to some degree.

There are numerous ways to classify the types of natural resources, they include the source of origin, the state of development, and the renewability of the resources.

In terms of the source of origin, natural resources can be divided into the following types:

• Biotic: these resources come from living and organic material, such as forests and animals, and include the materials that can be obtained them. Biotic natural resources also include fossil fuels such as coal and petroleum which are formed from organic matter that has decayed.
• Abiotic: these resources come from non-living and non-organic material. Examples of these resources include land, fresh water, air, and heavy metals (gold, iron, copper, silver, etc.).

Natural resources can also be categorized based on their stage of development including:

• Potential resources: these are resources that exist in a region and may be used in the future. For example, if a country has petroleum in sedimentary rocks, it is a potential resource until it is actually drilled out of the rock and put to use.
• Actual resources: these are resources that have been surveyed, their quantity and quality has been determined, and they are currently being used. The development of actual resources is dependent on technology.
• Reserve resources: this is the part of an actual resource that can be developed profitably in the future.
• Stock resources: these are resources that have been surveyed, but cannot be used due a lack of technology. An example of a stock resource is hydrogen.

Natural resources are also classified based on their renewability:

• Renewable natural resources: these are resources that can be replenished. Examples of renewable resources include sunlight, air, and wind. They are available continuously and their quantity is not noticeably affected by human consumption. However, renewable resources do not have a rapid recovery rate and are susceptible to depletion if they are overused.
• Non-renewable natural resources: these resources form extremely slow and do not naturally form in the environment. A resource is considered to be non-renewable when their rate of consumption exceeds the rate of recovery. Examples of non-renewable natural resources are minerals and fossil fuels.

There is constant worldwide debate regarding the allocation of natural resources. The discussions are centered around the issues of increased scarcity (resource depletion) and the exportation of natural resources as a basis for many economies (especially developed nations). The vast majority of natural resources are exhaustible which means they are available in a limited quantity and can be used up if they are not managed correctly. Natural resource economics aims to study resources in order to prevent depletion.

Natural resource utilization is regulated through the use of taxes and permits. The government and individual states determine how resources must be used and they monitor the availability and status of the resources. An example of natural resource protection is the Clean Air Act. The act was designed in 1963 to control air pollution on a national level. Regulations were established to protect the public from airborne contaminants that are hazardous to human health. The act has been revised over the years to continue to protect the quality of the air and health of the public in the United States.

Wind : Wind is an example of a renewable natural resource. It occurs naturally in the environment and has the ability to replenish itself. It has also been used as a form of energy development through wind turbines.

Basic Economics of Natural Resources

Natural resource economics focuses on the supply, demand, and allocation of the Earth’s natural resources to create a more efficient economy.

• Explain basic natural resource economics

Natural resource economics focuses on the supply, demand, and allocation of the Earth’s natural resources. The main objective of natural resource economics is to gain a better understanding of the role of natural resources in the economy. By studying natural resources, economists learn how to develop more sustainable methods of managing resources to ensure that they are maintained for future generations. Economists study how economic and natural systems interact in order to develop an efficient economy.

As a field of academic research, natural resource economics addresses the connections and interdependence between human economies and natural ecosystems. The focus is how to operate an economy within the ecological constraints of the earth’s natural resources.

Natural Resource Economics : This diagram illustrates that society and the economy are subsets of the environment. It is not possible for social and economic systems to exist independently from the environment. Natural resource economics focuses on the demand, supply, and allocation of natural resources to increase sustainability.

Areas of Study

Economists study the commercial and recreational use and exploitation of resources. Traditionally, natural resource economics focused on fishery, forestry, and mineral models. However, in recent years many more topics have become increasingly important, including air, water, and the global climate. Natural resource economics is studied on an academic level, and the findings are used to shape and direct policy-making for environmental issues.

Examples of areas of study in natural resource economics include:

• welfare theory
• pollution control
• resource exhaustibility
• environmental management
• resource extraction
• non-market valuation
• environmental policy

Additionally, research topics of natural resource economists can include topics such as the environmental impacts of agriculture, transportation and urbanization, land use in poor and industrialized countries, international trade and the environment, and climate change.

Impact of Natural Resource Economics

The findings of natural resource economists are used by governments and organizations to better understand how to efficiently use and sustain natural resources. The findings are used to gain insight into the following environmental areas:

• Extraction: the process of withdrawing resources from nature. Extractive industries are a basis for the primary sector of the economy. The extraction of natural resources substantially increases a country’s wealth. Economists study extraction rates to make sure that resources are not depleted. Also, if resources are extracted too quickly, the sudden inflow of money can cause inflation. Economists seek to maintain a sense of balance within extraction industries.
• Depletion: the using up of natural resources, which is considered to be a global sustainable development issue. Many governments and organizations have become increasingly involved in preserving natural resources. Economists provide data to determine how to balance the needs of societies now and preserve resources for the future.
• Protection: the preservation of natural resources for the future. The findings of economists help governments and organization develop measures of protection to sustain natural resources. Protection policies state the necessary actions internationally, nationally, and individually that must take place to control natural resource depletion that is a result of human activity.
• Management: the use of natural resources taking into account economic, environmental, and social concerns. This process deals with managing natural resources such as land, water, soil, plants, and animals. Particular focus is placed on how the preservation of natural resources impacts the quality of life now and for future generations.

Externalities and Impacts on Resource Allocation

Production and use of resources can have a positive or negative effect on the allocation of the natural resources.

• Examine externalities and how they the impact resource allocation of natural resources.

Resource Allocation

Resource allocation is division of goods for the use of production within the economy. The needs and wants of society as well as industries impact what is produced. Suppliers focus on producing the varieties of goods and services that will yield the greatest satisfaction to consumers. In the long run, externalities directly impact resource allocation. It must be determined whether the production, as well as the process of production, creates more benefits that costs for the producers, consumers, and society as a whole.

Externalities

An externality is a cost or benefit that affects a party who did not choose to incur the cost or benefit. In regards to natural resources, production and use of resources can have a positive or negative effect on the allocation of the resources.

External Costs

A negative externality, also called the external cost, imposes a negative effect on a third party to an economic transaction. Many negative externalities impact natural resources negatively because of the environmental consequences of production and use. For example, air pollution from factories and vehicles can cause damage to crops. Likewise, water pollution has a negative impact of plants and animals.

Negative externality : Air pollution from vehicles is an example of a negative externality. It affects other than those who drive the vehicle and those who sell the gas.

In the case of negative externalities, the marginal private cost of consuming a good is less than the marginal social or public cost. The marginal social benefit should equal the marginal social cost (i.e. production should only be increased when the marginal social benefit exceeds the marginal social cost). When external costs are present, the use of natural resources is inefficient because the social benefit is less than the social cost. In other words, society and the natural resources involved would have been better off if the natural resources had not been used at all.

Developed countries use more natural resources and must enact sustainable development plan for the use of resources. Human needs must be met, but the environment and natural resources must be preserved. Examples of resource depletion include mining, petroleum extraction, fishing, forestry, and agriculture.

External Benefits

Positive externalities, also referred to as external benefits, impose a positive effect on a third party. An example of a positive externality is when crops are pollinated by bees from a neighboring bee farm. In order to achieve the socially optimal equilibrium, the marginal social benefit should equal the marginal social cost (i.e. production should be increased as long as the marginal social benefit exceeds the marginal social cost). Assuming that natural resources are used and also sustained, the external benefits of goods produced by natural resources impacts the majority of the public in a positive way.

• Every man-made product in an economy is composed of natural resources to some degree.
• Natural resources can be classified as potential, actual, reserve, or stock resources based on their stage of development.
• Natural resources are either renewable or non-renewable depending on whether or not they replenish naturally.
• Natural resource utilization is regulated through the use of taxes and permits. The government and individual states determine how resources must be used and they monitor the availability and status of the resources.
• As a field of academic research, natural resource economics addresses the connections and interdependence between human economies and natural ecosystems.
• By studying natural resources, economists learn how to develop more sustainable methods of managing resources to ensure that they are maintained for future generations.
• Natural resource economics is studied on an academic level, and the findings are used to shape and direct policy-making for environmental issues. These issues include resource extraction, depletion, protection, and management.
• Natural resource economics findings impact policies for environmental work including issues such as extraction, depletion, protection, and management.
• An externality is a cost or benefit that affects a party who did not choose to incur the cost or benefit.
• A negative externality, also called the external cost, imposes a negative effect on a third party.
• When external costs are present, the market equilibrium use of natural resources is inefficient because the social benefit is less than the social cost. In other words, society would have been better off if fewer natural resources had been used.
• Positive externalities, also referred to as external benefits, imposes a positive effect on a third party.
• Assuming that natural resources are used and also sustained, the external benefits of goods produced by natural resources impacts the majority of the public in a positive way.
• natural resource : Any source of wealth that occurs naturally, especially minerals, fossil fuels, timber, etc.
• Renewable : Sustainable; able to be regrown or renewed; having an ongoing or continuous source of supply; not finite.
• depletion : The consumption of a resource faster than it can be replenished.
• sustainable : Able to be sustained for an indefinite period without damaging the environment, or without depleting a resource.
• externality : An impact, positive or negative, on any party not involved in a given economic transaction or act.

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Essay on Natural Resources in Nepal: An Overview

Introduction to Natural Resources in Nepal

Nepal is a land-locked country situated in the Himalayas between India and Tibet. The country is known for its stunning natural beauty, with majestic mountain ranges, pristine forests, and rolling hills. Natural resources are an integral part of the economy and culture of Nepal, providing both livelihoods and recreational opportunities for its citizens. From forests and water to minerals and wildlife, Nepal is blessed with a rich abundance of resources that have the potential to contribute significantly to its development.

Table of Contents

In this essay, we will take a closer look at the natural resources in Nepal, including their types, distribution, and importance. We will also examine the challenges that Nepal faces in managing these resources effectively and the efforts being made to conserve them. This essay aims to provide a comprehensive overview of the natural resources in Nepal and their role in the country’s economy and environment.

Importance of Natural Resources for Nepal’s Economy

Nepal is a country that is rich in natural resources, including water, forests, minerals, and fertile land. These resources are vital to the economic development of the country and play a crucial role in the lives of millions of people. In this article, we will discuss the importance of natural resources for Nepal’s economy.

Forests and Natural Beauty: Nepal is home to a diverse range of forest types and vegetation, making it a popular tourist destination. The country’s forests provide vital ecosystem services, including watershed protection, carbon sequestration, and habitat for wildlife. In addition, the natural beauty of the forests is a major draw for tourists, generating significant revenue for the country.

Agriculture : Agriculture is the backbone of Nepal’s economy and a significant source of livelihood for millions of people. The country’s fertile land, abundant water resources, and favorable climate conditions make it ideal for agriculture. Agriculture contributes to the country’s GDP, providing food, fiber, and other essential products.

Hydropower: Nepal is known for its abundant water resources and has the potential to generate substantial amounts of hydropower. Hydropower is a clean and renewable source of energy that can contribute to economic growth and reduce dependence on imported fuels. The development of hydropower projects has the potential to create jobs, attract investment, and improve energy security.

Minerals: Nepal is rich in minerals, including iron ore, coal, limestone, and other minerals. The exploitation of these minerals can provide a significant boost to the country’s economy, creating jobs, increasing government revenue, and attracting investment. However, it is important to ensure that mining activities are carried out in an environmentally sustainable manner.

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In conclusion, natural resources play a crucial role in Nepal’s economy. The country’s forests, fertile land, water resources, and minerals provide vital ecosystem services and support the livelihoods of millions of people. By leveraging these resources, the country has the potential to achieve sustainable economic growth and improve the quality of life for its citizens.

Types of Natural Resources in Nepal

Water Resources: Nepal is known for its abundant water resources with numerous rivers, lakes and glaciers. Some of the major rivers in Nepal include the Ganges, Indus, and Brahmaputra, which are crucial for agriculture, fishing, and hydropower generation.

Forest Resources: Forests cover about 30% of the total land area of Nepal and provide a wide range of benefits to the country, including fuelwood, timber, medicinal plants, and wildlife habitat.

Mineral Resources: Nepal is rich in minerals such as limestone, iron ore, coal, magnesium, and gold. These resources are essential for the construction, manufacturing, and energy industries.

Agricultural Resources: Nepal is a predominantly agricultural country, with over 80% of its population relying on agriculture for their livelihood. Rice, wheat, maize, and millet are some of the major crops grown in the country.

Wildlife Resources: Nepal is home to a diverse range of wildlife species, including tigers, rhinos, elephants, and monkeys. These resources are crucial for ecotourism, which provides a significant source of income for local communities.

Hydro Power Resources: Nepal has significant potential for hydropower generation, with numerous rivers and streams flowing through the country. This renewable energy source provides a sustainable alternative to fossil fuels and is an important contributor to the country’s economy.

Cultural and Heritage Resources: Nepal is famous for its rich cultural and heritage resources, including monuments, temples, and palaces. These resources are valuable for tourism and play an important role in preserving the country’s cultural identity.

Challenges faced by Nepal in Managing its Natural Resources

Nepal is a landlocked country in South Asia, rich in diverse and abundant natural resources. However, despite having a plethora of natural resources, Nepal faces numerous challenges in managing them effectively. Some of the major challenges faced by Nepal in managing its natural resources are discussed below.

• Limited Awareness: Nepal has a large rural population, where most people are illiterate and lack awareness about the importance of natural resources. This leads to over-exploitation and destruction of natural resources, which affects the country’s overall development.
• Lack of Government Support: The government of Nepal lacks adequate financial and technical resources to effectively manage natural resources. There is also a lack of political will to implement conservation and sustainable management programs, which results in the mismanagement of natural resources.
• Corruption: Corruption is a major challenge in Nepal, and this also extends to the management of natural resources. Lack of transparency in the allocation and management of resources often leads to their exploitation and destruction, leading to an imbalance in the ecosystem.
• Unplanned Development: Unplanned development activities such as deforestation, illegal logging, mining, and other commercial activities often cause severe damage to the environment and natural resources. This results in degradation of the environment, reducing the capacity of natural resources to provide benefits to the local communities.
• Climate Change: Climate change is a major challenge to the management of natural resources in Nepal. Changes in the pattern of rainfall and temperature affect agriculture, forestry, water resources, and other ecosystem services, which impacts the livelihoods of local communities.
• Geographical Challenges: Nepal’s mountainous geography poses a significant challenge to the management of natural resources. The country’s inaccessible terrain makes it difficult for the government to monitor and enforce conservation and sustainable management programs.

In conclusion, Nepal faces numerous challenges in managing its natural resources, but with effective government support, increased awareness, and the implementation of sustainable management programs, these challenges can be overcome. Effective natural resource management is crucial for the country’s overall development and the well-being of its people.

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Role of Government in Preserving Natural Resources in Nepal

The government of Nepal plays a crucial role in preserving the country’s natural resources, which are essential for the sustainable development and well-being of its people. Natural resources in Nepal include forests, water, minerals, and wildlife, among others. These resources provide numerous benefits, such as providing livelihoods, maintaining ecological balance, and conserving biodiversity.

Forests : Forests cover approximately 37% of Nepal’s land area and are crucial for maintaining the country’s ecological balance. The government has implemented various measures to protect forests and prevent deforestation. For example, the Forest Act of 1993 prohibits the unauthorized felling of trees, and the government has established protected areas, such as national parks and wildlife reserves, to conserve wildlife and forests. Additionally, the government has launched programs to promote sustainable forest management, such as community forestry, where local communities are involved in the management and conservation of forests.

Water: Nepal has abundant water resources, including rivers, lakes, and glaciers, which are essential for agriculture, industry, and drinking water. The government has implemented various measures to conserve and manage water resources, such as the Water Resource Act of 1992 and the National Water Plan of 1992. These laws and policies aim to ensure equitable access to water and prevent water pollution.

Minerals: Nepal has rich deposits of minerals, such as limestone, quartz, and iron ore, which are essential for various industries, including construction, manufacturing, and energy. The government has implemented various measures to manage mineral resources, such as the Mines and Minerals Act of 1992, which regulates the exploration, exploitation, and conservation of minerals. Additionally, the government has established the Department of Mines and Geology to oversee the management of mineral resources and ensure sustainable and responsible mining practices.

Wildlife: Nepal is home to a rich diversity of wildlife, including rare and endangered species, such as the Bengal tiger and the one-horned rhinoceros. The government has established various protected areas, such as national parks and wildlife reserves, to conserve wildlife and prevent illegal hunting and poaching. Additionally, the government has launched programs to conserve wildlife, such as ecotourism, which generates income for local communities and supports conservation efforts.

In conclusion, the government of Nepal plays a critical role in preserving the country’s natural resources, which are essential for the sustainable development and well-being of its people. The government has implemented various measures, such as laws and policies, protected areas, and programs to promote sustainable management and conservation of natural resources. The government’s role in preserving natural resources is crucial for ensuring their long-term sustainability and the well-being of future generations.

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Community-Based Natural Resource Management in Nepal

Community-based Natural Resource Management (CBNRM) is a critical approach to the sustainable management of natural resources in Nepal. This method of resource management is based on the principle of empowering local communities to participate in the management and decision-making process of the natural resources that affect their lives. The aim of CBNRM is to balance the interests of the local communities, governments, and businesses to ensure that the resources are used for the benefit of all stakeholders.

In Nepal, CBNRM has been implemented in various forms to conserve and manage the country’s vast natural resources, including forests, wildlife, water resources, and land. CBNRM is based on the idea of decentralizing the management of natural resources to the local communities. This approach has been successful in conserving and sustaining the resources while promoting the economic development of the communities.

The government of Nepal has been promoting CBNRM as a means of achieving sustainable development. The government has established various laws, policies, and institutions to support the implementation of CBNRM. For example, the Forest Act 1993 and the Community Forest Management Regulation of 1995 provide the legal framework for the management of community forests.

In addition, the government has established the Community-based Natural Resource Management Program (CBNRMP) to provide technical and financial support to communities in their efforts to manage natural resources. The program has been successful in creating a collaborative relationship between the communities, the government, and the private sector to conserve and manage the resources.

The success of CBNRM in Nepal is evident from the increase in the number of community-based organizations (CBOs) that are engaged in the management of natural resources. CBOs have been established in various regions of the country, and they play a critical role in the management of resources, including the protection of forests, wildlife, and water resources.

In conclusion, CBNRM is a critical approach to the sustainable management of natural resources in Nepal. The government, local communities, and the private sector must work together to ensure the successful implementation of CBNRM. This will ensure that the resources are used for the benefit of all stakeholders, including the preservation of the environment and the promotion of economic development.

Opportunities for Sustainable Development through Natural Resources in Nepal

Nepal is a country rich in natural resources and has the potential to become a leader in sustainable development. From forests to mineral resources, water resources to wildlife, Nepal has the potential to provide a high quality of life to its citizens while also preserving the environment for future generations.

One of the most significant opportunities for sustainable development in Nepal is the exploitation of its forests. With over 60% of its land area covered by forests, Nepal is one of the most forested countries in the world. These forests provide a vital source of livelihood for millions of people and are also a critical carbon sink. By promoting sustainable forestry practices and utilizing forest products, Nepal can protect its forests while also generating income and creating jobs.

Another opportunity for sustainable development in Nepal is the utilization of its abundant water resources. With numerous rivers and lakes, Nepal has the potential to become a leader in hydroelectric power production. This not only provides a clean and renewable source of energy, but also creates jobs and drives economic growth.

Mineral resources, such as iron, copper, gold and mica, are also abundant in Nepal. The development of these resources can provide a significant boost to the economy and provide employment opportunities. However, it is important to ensure that this development is sustainable and does not harm the environment.

Nepal’s wildlife is also a major opportunity for sustainable development. With a wide range of flora and fauna, Nepal is home to many species that are found nowhere else in the world. By promoting sustainable wildlife tourism, Nepal can protect its unique wildlife while also generating income.

In conclusion, Nepal has numerous opportunities for sustainable development through the use of its natural resources. From forests to water resources to mineral resources, Nepal has the potential to provide a high quality of life for its citizens while also preserving the environment for future generations. By promoting sustainable practices and utilizing these resources wisely, Nepal can become a leader in sustainable development.

Conclusion and Recommendations for Sustainable Use of Natural Resources in Nepal.

In conclusion, Nepal is a country rich in natural resources, including forests, water resources, minerals, and wildlife. The sustainable use of these resources is crucial for the long-term economic and ecological health of the country. However, the current methods of resource extraction and use are unsustainable, and have led to environmental degradation, loss of biodiversity, and increased poverty.

To ensure the sustainable use of natural resources in Nepal, the following recommendations should be implemented:

• Development of sustainable resource management policies: Nepal should establish and enforce policies that promote sustainable resource management practices, including limiting over-extraction, reducing waste, and promoting efficient use.
• Promotion of eco-friendly technologies: Encouraging the use of environmentally friendly technologies and practices can help reduce the impact of resource extraction and use on the environment.
• Community involvement: Engaging local communities in the management and protection of natural resources can help ensure that resources are used sustainably, and that the benefits of resource use are shared fairly.
• Education and awareness: Raising awareness about the importance of sustainable resource use among the general public is crucial to ensure that people understand the impact of their actions on the environment.
• Investment in renewable energy: Investing in renewable energy sources such as solar and wind power can help reduce the dependence on non-renewable resources, while promoting sustainable development.

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In conclusion, the sustainable use of natural resources is essential for the long-term prosperity and well-being of Nepal and its people. By implementing these recommendations, Nepal can ensure that its rich natural resources are used in a responsible and sustainable manner, for the benefit of present and future generations.

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Why we all need to commit to action for environmental efforts to succeed

The global community is placing more emphasis on waste reduction and a smaller carbon footprint. But what does it really mean to take care of the Earth? Even more, whose responsibility is it?

Indigenous cultures have a longstanding history of celebrating the Earth and fighting to preserve natural resources. While tribes native to America have a complex relationship with the land, protecting our natural resources has always been at the heart of our heritage.

This deep commitment to preservation drives many tribes today to continually work to set the standard for sustainability efforts. For other organizations interested in making positive environmental change, learning from tribes is a good place to start.

For example, Citizen Potawatomi Nation (CPN) launched its own recycling program six years ago to benefit both the environment and the tribe. Each year, the program diverts about 140,000 pounds of recyclable materials from landfills. This allows for perfectly usable materials to be recirculated, in addition to reducing costs to the tribe by decreasing the number of solid waste pickups.

Leadership buy-in is an important key to any organization’s sustainability efforts. This makes investing in environmentally friendly infrastructure, like community gardens, solar panels and other sources of renewable energy, more attainable.

CPN’s administration has shown tremendous support for the tribe’s efforts by making recycling more accessible across its facilities and approving funds to purchase new equipment. Engaged leaders understand what’s good for the planet is also good for the bottom line.

More: Atoka gains a new business, but is 'black mass' it produces at recycling plant safe?

What we have found is that when our leaders champion sustainability efforts, our people are more likely to do the same. On an individual level, tribal members are encouraged to make small changes, which can generate a big impact. This is applicable regardless of tribal affiliation.

First, if you’re not already in the habit of recycling, now is the time to start. If your neighborhood doesn’t offer recycling services, consider making a monthly trip to your local recycling center. Not all materials can be salvaged, though, so research what can be saved and what to throw away.

Additionally, don’t underestimate the power of reusing. Inexpensive single-use items, such as plastic cups and containers, can be replaced with reusable versions that last longer and are more reliable. Reusable shopping bags also continue to grow in popularity, and they help eliminate unnecessary waste during trips to the grocery store. Purchase a few of these bags to keep in the car, and you’ll always be ready for impromptu trips to the store.

For environmental efforts to succeed, we all need to commit to action. This means making positive changes in our personal lives and to our businesses, taking the planet into consideration with each step.

Bryce O’Connor is an environmental specialist in Citizen Potawatomi Nation’s Department of Environmental Protection who oversees the tribe’s recycling program.

Why restoring natural capital is good for business

From regular water shortages in California to a nitrogen crisis in the Netherlands, the deterioration of natural capital has had tangible consequences—and has given rise to a reckoning within business and government. In this episode of The McKinsey Podcast , McKinsey associate partner Caroline De Vit and partner Josh Katz talk with global editorial director Lucia Rahilly about a recently published special report  on natural capital: what it is, why it matters, and how Fortune 500 companies are moving now to create opportunities and mitigate rising risks.

After, K–12 teachers in the United States are leaving their jobs in unprecedented numbers. McKinsey partner Jake Bryant shares what teachers need to stay.

The McKinsey Podcast is cohosted by Roberta Fusaro and Lucia Rahilly.

This transcript has been edited for clarity and length.

What is natural capital?

Lucia Rahilly: There’s this thing called natural capital, and it’s the subject of a recently published McKinsey report. McKinsey partner Josh Katz helps us make sense of what it is.

Josh Katz: A scientist would tell you that it’s things like air, water, or soil: living organisms.

Lucia Rahilly: OK, that’s the “natural.” But what about the “capital”? Well, think of it like a balance sheet that reports a company’s assets and liabilities—planet Earth’s balance sheet. One of its liabilities is soil pollution.

What risks are CEOs facing?

Josh Katz: Fifty percent of our habitable land is dedicated to agriculture, and our plants that grow on that land are dependent on the soil. So, if we deplete the health of that soil, it’s like depleting our balance sheet or undermining the strength of our assets.

Caroline De Vit: It can potentially decrease land productivity by 12 percent and increase food prices by 30 percent over the next 20, 30 years.

Lucia Rahilly: That’s McKinsey associate partner Caroline De Vit, showing the societal impact of one kind of diminished natural capital. Beyond soil degradation, depletion of natural capital includes . . .

Josh Katz: We’ve seen species collapse or are at risk of certain species collapse, biodiversity loss, freshwater consumption, our levels of chemical and plastic pollution, nutrient pollution, and others.

Lucia Rahilly: Continued deterioration of natural capital, according to the report, “could trigger extreme changes to the planet, undermining the conditions on which society and the economy have come to rely. For instance, if rainfall patterns and temperatures change so much that existing agricultural lands become unproductive, or cities lose access to water, scientific research suggests the result could be mass migration and humanitarian disaster.”

This is The McKinsey Podcast , where we help you make sense of the world’s toughest business challenges. I’m your host for today, Lucia Rahilly. What’s at stake for the C-suite if they don’t take action now?

Caroline De Vit: First of all, the business license to operate, be it the social license or the regulatory license, is at risk here. The competitive advantage of that company may also be at risk if nothing is done to address nature. And finally, even the business of the company may be at risk of what we call physical or transition risks.

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Lucia Rahilly: Take Europe, for example. Recently, the EU parliament discussed the possibility that companies demonstrate the products they export to the EU are not contributing to deforestation.

Caroline De Vit: Which is extremely complicated to do, because you have to look at the entire value chain. But that could be potentially a risk for business.

Lucia Rahilly: While not a business, the Netherlands exposed itself to risk—and had to take drastic steps to comply with European legislation—on the reduction of nitrogen. The excess nitrogen it created killed marine life and drove biodiversity declines, affecting insects and birds. Consequences are that licenses for nitrogen-emitting activities such as construction are harder to obtain, causing project delays. Speed limits on Dutch roads were reduced to help ease short-term emissions of nitrogen. And some areas in the Netherlands are considering reducing livestock numbers by 30 percent.

These actions have triggered widespread protests. Sharp course corrections can come with large societal costs. Taking action proactively to preserve natural capital can prevent such shocks.

What can be done?

Lucia Rahilly: And some companies are heeding the call.

Caroline De Vit: Working a lot with investors, I’ve seen over the past months and even the past year there is definitely an appetite and a view that by investing in nature, you could achieve both environmental and financial returns.

There is definitely an appetite and a view that by investing in nature, you could achieve both environmental and financial returns. Caroline De Vit

Josh Katz: The vast majority of Fortune 500 companies have recognized climate change in their disclosures or set near net-zero targets. Being early can present opportunities.

Lucia Rahilly: Opportunity like, if your company is the first to create projects that will generate . . .

Josh Katz: . . . what may become biodiversity credits someday, or if you’re very early in addressing the risks that are in your supply chain because of nature, I think that will prove a competitive advantage in the medium term, maybe even sooner.

Lucia Rahilly: Another competitive advantage is tech innovation. There’s lots of it happening in agriculture.

Josh Katz: We’ve seen even in the past few years the ability to more specifically apply nutrients and more specifically place seeds, and what we call precision, or smart, agriculture. Policy makers have recognized the power of that, too. So, doing that should enable us to have even greater yields, for example, with even fewer resources or different types of resources.

We’ve even seen that methane reduction from using direct-seeded rice versus flood-irrigated rice is significant. We have hundreds of millions of farmers around the world, many of whom don’t have access yet to some of these technologies but will as we get there. I think that’s very exciting.

Lucia Rahilly: Also exciting? Tackling the risk around plastic.

Caroline De Vit: Actually, 85 percent of the ocean waste today is coming from plastic.

Lucia Rahilly: And some companies are seizing the opportunity to mitigate that kind of waste.

Josh Katz: We’ve seen many actions like changing the packaging, reducing the quantity of plastic in the packaging, finding ways to increase recycling rates of the collection and recycling rates of the packaging.

Lucia Rahilly: Other promising actions have to do with shrinking food loss.

Caroline De Vit: Reducing food loss at the manufacturing stage and then food waste at the end of the value chain is a big, big lever here if you want to decrease natural-capital depletion. It could be done with improved inventory management practices and some advanced analytics.

Lucia Rahilly: What about the approach to test and learn? Is that appropriate in this context?

Josh Katz: I think we absolutely will have to test and learn. We are going to have to recognize that we don’t have the perfect solution, but that doesn’t mean we can sit and wait for the perfect solution.

Lucia Rahilly: Thanks so much for joining today.

Josh Katz: It was a pleasure. Thank you.

Caroline De Vit: Merci.

Inspiring K–12 teachers to not quit

Lucia Rahilly: We can’t sit and wait for the perfect solution to a human capital problem either. In the United States, there’s a record number of K–12 teachers who are leaving their jobs. What could make them stay? McKinsey partner Jake Bryant has answers.

Jake, what does K–12 education mean to you personally? Have you had exposure to the classroom beyond being in the classroom yourself growing up?

Jake Bryant: I have. I was a middle-school teacher early in my career, and I had the opportunity to teach in a low-income school that, against the odds, was one of the highest performing in California at that time. I was a solid novice teacher, but it was amazing to be around peers there who loved their students but also loved the craft of teaching and were relentless about getting better and helping each other get better. I benefited a lot from their coaching.

Lucia Rahilly: Talk to us about turnover among K–12 teachers in the United States. What does the research tell us about what attrition looks like?

Jake Bryant: Turnover has reached all-time highs. We’ve gotten some new data back as to what exactly happened last summer, and it’s not good. So, you had a cadre of a hundred teachers and now you only have something like 85 coming into the school year.

Lucia Rahilly: What’s driving teachers out the door?

Jake Bryant: When you’re with your class and it’s going well and things are coming together, it’s absolutely one of the most thrilling and joyful and life-giving experiences possible.

But then there’s so much more, and most of it’s quite challenging. You have undue administrative burden. Maybe your school has enough teachers for now, but you don’t have enough cafeteria workers or aides, and you have to take time away from your preparation to go meet the bus or oversee recess. Or maybe your school doesn’t actually have quite enough teachers, and the time you were intending to prepare your lesson instead must be put toward covering a class where your colleague is absent or that position hasn’t been filled. So I think it’s a little disorienting.

Also, the experience of teaching is often quite isolating. In a school, there’s maybe 25, 50, a hundred other teachers there depending on how big it is, but you don’t actually interact with each other as professionals too often. So, you’re not getting feedback and ideas. You’re not getting to workshop your lessons with a colleague, as you might in other “white collar” professions. My last thought, though, is there’s that phrase: the future’s already here. It’s just not evenly distributed.

Lucia Rahilly: The talent gap in general in the United States has been a headline topic for some time now. How does the talent market look for teachers in particular? There must be lots of openings. Is that changing dynamics for teachers who do decide to look for new opportunities?

Jake Bryant: I think it is. I think if you’re a high-quality teacher, trained and experienced, it’s a bit of a seller’s market for your labor, and that’s great. We want teachers to feel valued, recruited, like star athletes or investment bankers or whoever. The tricky thing, though, is that the districts don’t have much flexibility, typically, to do things differently.

It’s hard to hire as far ahead in the school in the calendar year as you would like to be. In some districts, there now are hiring bonuses, but that’s the minority of places. So I do think there’s a lot more competition to hire teachers, but on average, there’s not a lot of flexibility to do things differently than you’ve done before.

Lucia Rahilly: And how big a role do factors like geography, school type, and tenure play in how teachers interpret their professional experience?

Jake Bryant: I think they play a pretty significant factor. Just in the data, the differences between higher-income and lower-income schools in terms of turnover are pretty stark. A second phenomenon that we observe is teachers leaving lower-income schools and migrating to higher-income ones over the course of their careers.

Certainly, there are needs in higher-income schools. There’s impact to be had. We don’t begrudge that. But structurally, it’s unfortunate and it’s also preventable. A lot of teachers get into teaching because they want to have that social impact to serve the students who need them most. Then, because those schools aren’t well resourced or other factors around it, as they come up in their mid-20s, three or four years into their profession, they look around and say, “I like this job, but it could be a lot easier in the suburb down the road.”

Lucia Rahilly: What can be done to motivate teachers to stay in their jobs and to be happier and more engaged? And to improve the quality of their professional life and their longevity in the profession?

Jake Bryant: The first answer is obvious, which is that we just need to pay teachers more. They shouldn’t be below par on white-collar professions. They should be above, maybe well above. There are countries where someone will think seriously, I’m good at math. Should I be an engineer or a teacher? And there’s not a compensation differential, or even compensation as a teacher might be slightly preferable. We’re nowhere close to that. I think there’s a lot of opportunity to encourage teachers both to join the profession and to stay even beyond compensation. And obviously compensation is one of the harder levers to pull.

There are a couple of ideas beyond compensation. One is just in the recruitment itself. There’s a lot of opportunity for school recruiters to build a little bit of that foot-forward buzz, brand, and proactivity. That’s rarely the case today on how we get folks to stay.

We just need to pay teachers more. They shouldn’t be below par on white-collar professions. They should be above, maybe well above. Jake Bryant

There’s quite a bit of opportunity there, too. The big-picture hope would be that we can design the role itself to be more sustainable, more life giving to move some of the administrative burdens off of teachers, just to reengineer some of those working conditions so that they’re more collaborative with colleagues, that they’re getting more feedback and growth, and the drudgery of it goes away.

The reality is teaching is likely to remain difficult. It’s not going to be an easy day any day. Anybody with kids—one kid, let alone 25 in front of them—will attest to that. There are some inherent challenges to it. So maybe we give teachers sabbaticals; we give them opportunities to shift toward more of a curriculum-oriented role or more of a coaching role.

All this to make it more flexible and dynamic and to move through a series of experiences that help teachers sharpen their craft but also get more variety from one year to the next, or even from one semester to the next.

Lucia Rahilly: Anything you can think of, Jake, that you wanted to get out there that you didn’t have the opportunity to?

Jake Bryant: There’s a ton of reason for optimism. There are schools where those administrative burdens are taken off of teachers’ shoulders and there’s dedicated staff to tackle them. There are schools where that culture of collaboration, colleagueship, mutual improvement, and professionalism are deeply embedded and very profound and make everybody better at their jobs and make those jobs more exciting.

So, it’s not the case that this is just a national phenomenon of drudgery and challenge. We have many bright spots and it’s fully feasible in my mind that those bright spots spread.

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Essay on Depletion of Natural Resources for Students and Children

500 words essay on depletion of natural resources.

Humans are using natural resources endlessly day by day. The population explosion is causing overexploitation of natural resources with little or no care to conserving them. To meet this massive population, depletion of natural resources is happening. However, we need to understand that natural resources are finite. Even renewable resources are not being given enough time to replenish. Thus, one can even wonder what the condition of non-renewable resources might be. Therefore, this depletion of natural resources is quite harmful to the earth and its inhabitants.

Impact of Depletion of Natural Resources

As we require minerals for almost everything from housing to business, they are being used up rapidly. There has been a major decline in these minerals like coal , copper and more. Soon, we will run out of them all if we do not conserve them properly.

Similarly, the oil reserves are also running out. We won’t be able to produce more oil and thus we won’t get any petroleum . There will be inflation in prices and many economies will crumble due to this lack of resources.

Similarly, forests are being cut down at an alarming rate. For instance, the recent decision to cut down the Aarey forest in Mumbai is a major example. However, the damage being done due to this deforestation is quite worrisome. This will only spike the carbon dioxide levels and alter the water cycle on earth. We will soon face frequent faces of floods and soil erosion through which even our biodiversity will decrease.

Most importantly, the way we are wasting water needs to be checked right away. As it is many countries are facing a water crisis and we know life without water is impossible. The farmers won’t get enough water for irrigation. It can also result in famine and many more deadly consequences. We must not waste these resources instead find ways to prevent this depletion.

Ways to Prevent Depletion of Natural Resource

There are many ways in which everyone can help in this prevention of natural resource depletion. Firstly, we must reduce our dependence on fossil fuels. You can do it by stop wasting electricity . Try to carpool with your neighbors or relative and take public transport instead.

Moreover, stop polluting water. As it is our freshwater bodies are running out of clean water. We must organize cleanliness drives to clean the water of these bodies. Do not let your tap run for a long time. The industries must be banned from dumping their toxic waste into the water. Furthermore, do not take long showers, instead use the buckets for a bath.

Most importantly, please plant more trees. Preserve our existing forests and do not let them be cut down. They are a very important natural resource needed for human survival. Use less paper to avoid cutting down trees. We can all come together and prevent this depletion of natural resources only if we realize the harmful consequences.

FAQs on Depletion of Natural Resources

Q.1 What is the impact of natural resource depletion?

A.1 Natural resource depletion means that we will soon find it hard to survive. The water cycle will be altered, carbon dioxide levels will increase, inflation will happen in oil prices, economies can also crumble following this depletion.

Q.2 How can we prevent natural resource depletion?

A.2 Everyone can do their bit to prevent this depletion. We must reduce our dependence on fossil fuels which are soon running out. Moreover, we must organize cleanliness drives to clear out water and make it safe. Other than that, instead of cutting down forests, plant more trees.

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