Manage Natural Resources

Management of natural resources refers to all those activities related to all renewable and non-renewable sources of energy. The management of these sources is important to maintain the balance in the ecosystem. Let us look at the reasons why the management of natural resources is necessary.

Mother Earth has bestowed us with several sources of energy. We need the energy to support different life forms on this planet. We extract different forms of energy from different sources. The natural resources present on this planet are the chief sources of energy for our daily activities. However, all of these natural resources are not renewable. Therefore, to ensure proper usage of each of these natural resources so that none of the sources faces any problems of getting used up, we need to manage natural resources. Let us learn more about the management of natural resources.

Why is Management of Natural Resources Important?

It is important to manage the natural resources available to us. The following reasons justify why we need to manage our resources.

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• Natural resources are needed to be managed to maintain balance in the ecosystem. All components of the environment are related to each other. An imbalance caused due to the over-consumption of these resources will disrupt this balance, affecting all kinds of life forms directly or indirectly related to it.

• Managing equal pressure on different sources of energy prevents overdependence on any particular source. Previously, people-based most of their work and technology on coal and petroleum. However, both these sources are non-renewable and give rise to several toxic substances and pollution as by-products of its consumption. Recent trends shift towards renewable sources like solar energy and hydro energy, thus lessening the burden on these non-renewable sources.

• We must allow our future generations to use such resources. We must not overuse any resource to such an extent that it gets depleted. If we do so, we are preventing our future generation from such sources of energy.

Need for Conservation and Management of Natural Resources

We have valid reasons to conserve the natural resources that we use daily. Let us look at the following points to validate this statement.

• Most of our activities are based on the use of natural resources. These resources are obtained from different sources. A significant fraction of our sources is non-renewable, meaning that it is difficult to replenish them once used.

• Rational distribution of pressure will enable all the resources to be used properly. More pressure must be exerted on renewable sources like solar and hydro energy sources. This move will also reduce the pressure on non-renewable sources. Moreover, several kinds of pollution can also be controlled by such management.

Now, let us discuss some of the important steps to resolve the issues of waste management in the form of 3 R’s:

The Three R’s of Waste Management

Waste management is a synonymous term associated with resource management. This is because waste generation and waste handling also require resource consumption. To prevent excessive use of resources for waste management, it is important to follow the three Rs of waste management- Reduce, reuse, and recycle. Let us look at each of them in detail.

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1. Reduce

Reduce calls for smart management, purchase, and use of products. It is based on the principle that we will not produce much waste if we do not use resources. The best way to limit our usage is by:

• Avoiding the use of disposable products like paper plates and cups, plastic straws, and switching to reusable ones. 

• Checking for the durability of the product and settling for the better quality ones. 

• Prevent the use of plastics, and replace these products with the ones made from cloth.

2. Reuse

Reuse calls for using products that have been used before. Such a step will prove to be economical as well as environmentally friendly. The best way to reuse are:

• Reuse plastic and paper bags for different purposes.

• Donate old dresses, books, furniture, electrical appliances, etc.

• Reuse simple household items for other applications.

3. Recycle

Recycling is the process by which used products are transformed into new products used for different purposes. For example,

• People can use different DIY ideas to convert plastic bottles for different household needs, like pots for planting trees.

• Recycle the used paper products to make newspaper bags.

• Purchasing recycled products that can be recycled yet again.

Ways for Natural Resource Management

Natural resources comprises air, water, sunlight, Coal, Petroleum and natural gas, fossil fuel, oils extra. These resources are many times exploited by humans for economic gain. Some resources have the capability to renew but some are non-renewable. 

As humans it is our responsibility to conserve, protect and take care of our natural resources because it fulfills important and basic needs to live. Let's discuss what role we can play in the management and conservation  of natural resources.

Following are the methods for the management of natural resources:

• Sustainable management of land resources

• Maintaining and enhancing water assets

• Protecting and enhancing the marine and coastal environment

• Conserving and recovering biodiversity

• Enhancing skills, capacity, and engagement

• Efficient use of alternative sources of power such as wind energy and solar energy

• Plantation of trees to prevent soil erosion

• To conserve water in our homes by practicing judicious ways

• Using pipelines for the transportation of oil as oil spills are highly detrimental to aquatic plants and animals.

• Proper treatment of sewages and industrial wastes before releasing them into water bodies.

• Harvesting of rainwater is also an important practice to ensure water conservation.

Degradation of natural resources

Fertile soil is being lost at the rate of 24 million tonnes the year and one-third of the planet is severely degraded. Bad farming techniques such as heavy tilling, multiple sequential harvests and abundant use of agrochemicals are also a cause of degradation of natural resources.

The natural resources that you see around you are renewable and nonrenewable resources. Renewable are those resources that can be naturally restored over a period of time and nonrenewable are those that cannot be sustained in the same speed that it is being consumed. So, let us take some measures to stop the degradation of natural resources and also follow the steps to conserve it.