MANAGEMENT OF NATURAL RESOURCES

NATURAL RESOURCES: The components of nature that are utilized by man for his benefits are known as
natural resource. These include wind, water, soil, forests, sunlight etc. These resources must be managed for sustainable development. Due to over exploitation and misuse, our natural resources are under threat. Hence, there is a need for conservation of natural resources.

Type of natural resources:

There are 2 types of natural resourcesa) Renewable OR non-exhaustible: for example, soil, water, forest, sunlight, air etc. b) Nonrenewable OR exhaustible: for example, petroleum, coal etc.

CONSERVATION: Conservation is the management of natural resources utilization. The management is for the benefit of all human kind. This yields sustainable benefits to the present generation & for future needs. The conservation is now enforced by legislation & regulations at national and international levels.

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AIMS FO MANAGEMENT OF NATURAL RESOURCES Maintenance of essential biological process. Availability & sustainability of resources. Preservation of biodiversity. Awareness & feeling of responsibility among people. Conservation of natural resources. THE PRINCIPLE OF THREE RS

The three Rs approach in the management of natural resources includes: I. REDUCE: Use of non-biodegradable materials and other environmentally hazardous materials. Release of polluting substances. Utilization of non-renewable resources. Avoid wastage of water. Avoid using disposal plastics. II. REUSE:

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 The non biodegradable material instead of dumping them into the environment, we
can use it again. Like in plastic bottles of jams, pickles etc you can store other things in kitchen. III. RECYCLE: This means that we can recycle some material like plastic, paper, glass and metals. Recycle is better than synthesizing fresh plastic, paper, glass and metals. Fly ash can be recycle in formation of bricks. Urban and industrial wastes can be recycle to generate energy. NEED FOR MANAGEMENT OF NATURAL RESOURCES

To reduce over-exploitation of natural resources. For future needs Fulfill the demand of increasing population. To maintain ecological balance. To maintain the regulation of climatic condition. To deal with problems related with nature and environment.

FOREST RESOURCES
Forest and wildlife are essential for ecological balance of an area. Forest is important components of our environment and economy. Forests are important renewable natural resources. The chief product that forests supply is wood, which is used as fuel, raw material in various industries as pulp, paper, news paper, board, timber for furniture, etc. Indian forests also supply minor forest products like canes, gums, resins, dyes, tannins, lac, fibers, medicines, katha etc. For tribal people forests also provide food, like tuber, roots, leaves, fruits, and Medicare. Forests are important due to various reasons: For ecological balance Provide habitat for wildlife Helps in soil conservation Provide paper, timber, food, and fuel Maintains earths temperature and water cycle Help in balancing the carbon dioxide and oxygen. Checks soil erosion, landslides, shifting of sand, reduces the flood. Reasons of destruction of forests are: Deforestation: Deforestation involves clearing of vast areas of forest cover for agriculture, industrial development or urbanization. Forest fire: Rarely a forest fire may also cause destruction large areas of the forest. Increasing population: Due to increase in population land is required in large amount which leads to cutting down of trees. CONSERVATION OF FORESTS

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Since forest cover has decreased to about 14%, it needs protection. One of the main aims of conservation is to try and preserve the biodiversity we have inherited and loss of diversity may lead to a loss of ecological stability. Conservation cannot be successful until and unless there is no participation of stakeholders. Stakeholders are: 1. The people who live in or around forests are dependent on forest produce for various aspects of their life. 2. The Forest Department of the Government which owns the land and controls the resources from forests. 3. The industrialists from those who use tendu leaves to make bidis to the ones with paper mills who use various forest produce. 4. The wild life and nature enthusiasts who want to conserve nature in its pristine form. Important projects of forest management include: Chipko movement: The illiterate women commenced this unique movement in December 1972 that became famous as the Chipko (means to embrace) movement. The movement commenced in the Tehri- Garhwal district of U.P., that actually gathered momentum in 1978 when the women faced police firing. The movement continued under the leadership of Shri Sunderlal Bahuguna in various villages like Advani and Budhekar of Tehri-Garwal. The Chipkos plan is infact a slogan of planting five Fs- food, fodder, fuel, fiber and fertilizer tree. Khejri Movement: Khejri trees for Bishnoi community in Rajasthan, has religious importance. Amrita Devi Bishnoi sacrificed her life along with 363 other people for the protection of khejri trees in Khejrali village near Jodhpur in Rajasthan. (1731). Project tiger: There were about 40,000 Royal Bengal tigers in 1909-10. This number was reduced to 2500 by the year 1972. This project was initiated on 1st April 1973 with 9 Tiger Reserves located in different kinds of habitats in nine states. Management of protected areas cannot be possible without coordination of local people. So, there is a need of sustainable management. Let us understand the means of SUSTAINABLE MANAGEMENT. Sustainable management simply means that the proper management of forest and wildlife so that maximum utilization can be obtained for social growth, economic and to meet our material aspirations. This objective can only be fulfilled when there is participation from the side of local people. Chipko Movement for instance, shows that local people should be satisfied with the Government policies and all rules and regulations are such that the local people also get benefited. Another example of Peoples Participation in the management of forests is: In 1972, the West Bengal Forest Department recognized its failures in reviving the degraded Sal forests. Policies of Forest Department led to clashes between forest officials and villagers, which is a major factor in fuelling the militant peasant movements led by the Naxalites. Consequently, the Department changed its strategy. Forest Officer A.K. Banerjee involves villagers in the protection of 1,272 hectares of badly degraded sal forest in Arabari forest range of Midnapore district. In return for help in protection, villagers were given Employment in both silviculture and harvesting activities.

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 25 percent of the final harvest. Allow fuel wood and fodder collection on nominal fee. Due to this participation, the sal forests of Arabari show a remarkable recovery by 1983, worthless forest was valued Rs. 12.5 crores.

WATER RESOURSES
Water is a renewable natural resource. Our earth is covered by 75% of water. Fresh water is limited (only 3%). Main sources of fresh water are rivers, freshwater lakes and underground water. Water is required for various reasons like: Irrigation Domestic consumption Coolant and reactant in industries. Water resources are under threat from the following human activities: Over-utilization due to increasing population/ Mixing of domestic sewage in the freshwater bodies. Industrial effluents discharged into the water bodies. Eutrophication due to growth of algae. DAMS: Dams ensure the storage of adequate water not just for irrigation, but also for generating electricity. For example, the Indira Gandhi Canal has brought greenery in some areas of Rajasthan. But due to mismanagement of water, there is no uniform distribution of water. Likewise, Narmada Bachao Andolan (save the Narmada Movement) about raising the height of the Sardar Saarovar Dam on the river Narmada, was protest by many peoples. They address three problems:1. Social problems because they displace large number of peasants and tribal without adequate compensation or rehabilitation, 2. Economic problems because they swallow up huge amount of public money. 3. Environmental problems because they contribute to deforestation and the loss of biological diversity. PROS AND CONS OF DAMS Used for irrigation and generation of electricity in a non- polluting way. Dams also cause the following problems: Eco system imbalance Floods, drought and landslides Biodiversity loss Socio- economic problems. MANAGEMENT OF WATER RESOURCES: Water resources can be managed by water harvesting. Various organizations have been working on renewal of ancient practices. Water harvesting is an old practice in India. Khadins, tanks and nadis in Rajasthan, bandharas and tals in Maharashtra, bundhis in M.P and U.P. ahars and pynes in Bihar, kulhs in H.P, ponds in the kandi belt of Jammu region and so on are some ancient water harvesting system.

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Now water harvesting is done by dams. There are many advantages of water stored in the ground. It does not evaporate, but spreads to recharge wells and provides moisture for vegetation over a wide area. It does not support breeding of mosquitoes like in ponds and artificial lakes. The ground water is also protected from contamination by human and animal waste. THE GANGA ACTION PLAN This project came in 1985 because the quality of water of Ganga was poor. Coli form bacteria found in human intestine shows the contamination of water. The Ganga runs over 2500 km from Gangotri in the Himalayas to Ganga Sagar in the Bay of Bengal. It is being turned into a drain by more than a hundred towns and cities in U.P., Bihar and West Bengal that pour their garbage and excreta into it. Largely untreated sewage is dumped into the Ganges every day. In addition, pollution is caused by domestic human activities. And then, industries contribute chemical effluents to the Gnagas pollution load and the toxicity kills fish in large sections of the river.

FOSSIL FUELS
The most extensively used fossil fuels are coal, petroleum and natural gas. These are exhaustible resources and need to utilize judiciously. Coal and petroleum were formed from the decomposition of fossils millions of years ago. Coal and petroleum are organic compounds i.e., they contains carbon and if all this carbon is converted into carbon dioxide then it leads to global warming. Coal and petroleum contain C, H, N and S. Combustion of fuels produces carbon dioxide, water, oxides of nitrogen and oxides of sulphur. When combustion takes place in insufficient oxygen, then carbon monoxide is formed The oxide of sulphur and carbon monoxide are poisonous at high concentrations and carbon dioxide is a green house gas.

Dreams Classes, C/o Saint Josephs Green Valley Public School, 113, Ambedkar Colony, Thermal Colony Road, Kunhari, KOTA- 08.