Chap 1: Natural Resources and Their Use

The Big Questions (Page 1)

How do we categorise natural resources?

Answer:
We can categorise natural resources in different ways. One way is based on their use:

• Resources essential for life, like air, water, and food.
• Resources for materials, like wood and marble to make things.
• Resources for energy, like coal, sunlight, and wind to get power.

Another important way to categorise them is based on whether they can be renewed:

• Renewable resources are those that can be restored or regenerated over time, like sunshine and forests.
• Non-renewable resources are those that are created over very long periods and cannot be replaced quickly once we use them up, like coal and petroleum.

What is the connection between the distribution of natural resources and different aspects of life?

Answer:
The way natural resources are spread out across the planet affects our lives in many ways:

• Settlements and Jobs: People often build towns and cities near natural resources because industries get set up there, which creates jobs.
• Trade: The location of resources influences what products a country can make and trade with other countries.
• Conflicts: Sometimes, when resources like water are shared between states or countries, it can lead to disagreements or even wars over who gets to control them.
• Quality of Life: Having resources nearby can lead to better facilities like schools and hospitals, improving people’s lives.

What are the implications of unsustainable use / over-exploitation of natural resources?

Answer:
When we use natural resources too much or without care (unsustainably), it leads to serious problems:

• Pollution: Industries often release waste into rivers and the air, making them poisonous and harmful for life.
• Resource Depletion: We can use up resources completely. For example, if we cut down forests faster than they can grow back, the forest will disappear. Similarly, using too much groundwater can make our wells and cities run out of water.
• Climate Change: The burning of fossil fuels like coal and cutting down forests has led to rising temperatures on Earth.
• Loss of Biodiversity: Pollution and habitat destruction cause many types of plants and animals to decline or disappear.

In-Text Questions

THINK ABOUT IT (Page 3) Take a pause. Look at yourself and the things around you. What is the origin of each of them?

Answer:
If you look at everything around you, like your clothes, your chair, the walls of your room, or even a plastic button on your shirt, you will find that it all comes from nature in some way. The wood for furniture comes from trees. The cotton for your shirt comes from a plant. Even plastic is made from petroleum, which is found deep inside the Earth.

THINK ABOUT IT (Page 4) What might be the different criteria we can use to categorise natural resources?

Answer:
We can use different criteria to group natural resources. One simple way is to think about their use. For example, we can group them into:

• Resources we need to live (like air and water).
• Resources we use to make things (like wood and metals).
• Resources we use for energy (like coal and sunlight).

Another way is to categorise them based on whether they are

renewable or not. Some resources, like sunshine, come back every day. Others, like coal, took millions of years to form and will run out if we use them too fast.

LET’S EXPLORE (Page 7) Identify human actions in your surroundings that result in Nature losing her ability to restore and regenerate. What types of interventions can be undertaken to restore Nature’s cycle?

Answer:
Human actions that harm nature’s ability to heal:

• Dumping Waste: Factories and homes release untreated waste into rivers, which pollutes the water and harms aquatic life.
• Deforestation: Cutting down too many trees for building houses or farms destroys homes for animals and can lead to soil erosion.
• Overusing Groundwater: Pumping out too much groundwater for farming or daily use can cause water levels to drop, leading to shortages.
• Polluting the Air: Too many vehicles and factories release harmful smoke, which pollutes the air we breathe.

Interventions to help nature:

• Water Harvesting: We can collect rainwater and use it to refill groundwater levels.
• Afforestation: We can plant more trees, especially the types that originally grew in that area, to restore forests.
• Waste Management: We must treat industrial and household waste before releasing it into the environment and try to reuse and recycle water.
• Sustainable Farming: Using natural fertilisers like cow dung and practicing crop rotation can help keep the soil healthy.

LET’S EXPLORE (Page 8) Take up a small research study to assess the types of renewable resources in your region; you may discuss with your teacher the geographical area of your study and sources to access information that you may need. What has been the change in their status over time? Make a small report that identifies the reasons for the change and what may be done.

Answer:
(This is a research activity for you to do. Here is a sample report you could write for a sunny region near a river.)

Report: Renewable Resources in My Region

Renewable Resources Found: The main renewable resources in my area are sunlight and river water. We get plenty of sunshine all year round, and a river flows through our district.

Change in Their Status:
Sunlight: The availability of sunlight has not changed. However, more people are now installing solar panels on their roofs to generate electricity. This is a positive change.
River Water: The water level in the river has gone down over the last few years, especially in summer. Also, the water looks dirtier than it used to.

Reasons for the Change:
The river water level has decreased because less rain has been falling in recent years, possibly due to climate change. Also, more water is being taken out for farming.
The water is getting polluted because waste from nearby towns and factories is being dumped into it without proper treatment.

What Can Be Done:
We should encourage more people to use solar energy as it is clean. The government can help by making solar panels cheaper.
We must stop dumping waste into the river. The factories must clean their wastewater before releasing it.
We can practice rainwater harvesting in our homes and communities to help increase the groundwater level and reduce our dependence on the river.

LET’S EXPLORE (Page 8) What are the non-renewable resources that you use daily, directly or indirectly? What are the possible renewable substitutes? What are some of the steps we can take to transition to renewables?

Answer:
Non-renewable resources I use daily:

• Petroleum (Petrol/Diesel): My family’s scooter/car uses petrol. The school bus runs on diesel. This is an indirect use.
• Coal: The electricity in my house is most likely produced by burning coal.
• Natural Gas (LPG): The cooking gas in our kitchen is a non-renewable resource.

Possible renewable substitutes:

• For petrol/diesel, we can use electric vehicles (scooters/cars) that run on electricity, which can be generated from solar power.
• For

coal-based electricity, we can switch to solar power by installing solar panels or use wind energy.

• For LPG, we can use electric stoves powered by renewable energy or biogas for cooking.

Steps to transition to renewables:

• Use Less Energy: We can start by saving electricity—switching off lights and fans when not in use. This reduces the amount of coal being burned.
• Adopt Renewable Technology: We can encourage our families and communities to install solar panels for electricity and hot water.
• Government Support: The government can make renewable energy options cheaper and more easily available for everyone.

LET’S EXPLORE (Page 9) Observe the map in Fig.1.11. Notice the uneven distribution of important minerals. What types of resources are available in your region? How are they distributed?

Answer:
(The answer to this question depends on where you live. Here is an example answer if you live in Maharashtra, near Mumbai.)

After looking at the map, I can see that important minerals are not found everywhere in India; they are concentrated in certain places. For example, a lot of coal and iron ore is found in the eastern part of India.

In my region of Maharashtra, near Mumbai, the map shows that we have

oil resources offshore at Mumbai High and Bassein. The map also shows

Bauxite deposits in places like Ratnagiri. These resources are not spread evenly across the state but are located in specific areas.

LET’S EXPLORE (Page 10)

• Select any two natural resources. Gather information about their availability across different parts of India. Mark them on a map. What do you observe about their distribution?
• What are the types of economic activities connected with them?
• Discuss the implications of extracting the natural resources in those parts for current and future generations.
• Suggest ways in which we can use Nature’s gifts in responsible ways.

Answer:
(This is a research activity. Here is a sample answer for two resources: Iron Ore and Bauxite.)

Distribution of Iron Ore and Bauxite: (You would draw a map of India and mark the following locations)
Iron Ore: Major deposits are found in states like Odisha (Mayurbhanj, Keonjhar) , Jharkhand (Gua) , Chhattisgarh (Bailadila) , Karnataka (Ballari, Kudremukh) , and Goa.
Bauxite: Major deposits are found in Odisha (Koraput) , Chhattisgarh (Amarkantak) , and Maharashtra (Ratnagiri).

Observation: The distribution is very uneven. Both minerals are concentrated in the peninsular plateau region of India, especially in the eastern and southern states.

Economic Activities:
Iron Ore: The main activity is mining. This iron ore is then used in iron and steel industries to make steel. Steel is used to build everything from cars and bridges to buildings and utensils. This creates jobs in mining and factories.
Bauxite: Bauxite is also mined. It is the main source of aluminium. So, it supports the aluminium industry. Aluminium is used to make aeroplanes, cans, and electrical wires.

Implications of Extraction:
For Current Generations: Extraction creates jobs and leads to the development of towns with better facilities. However, it can also lead to the displacement of local people from their homes and the destruction of sacred places. It can also cause pollution.
For Future Generations: Iron ore and bauxite are non-renewable. If we mine them too quickly, there will be none left for future generations. They will have to find alternatives, which might be more expensive.

Responsible Ways to Use These Gifts:
Reduce, Reuse, Recycle: We should reduce our consumption of things made from these minerals. We can reuse items and recycle old metal products. This reduces the need to mine for new ore.
Efficient Technology: Use modern technology that extracts minerals with minimum waste and less damage to the environment.
Plan for the Future: We need to use these resources judiciously so they last longer, while we also invest in finding sustainable alternatives.

LET’S EXPLORE (Page 10) Find out about such a conflict in the international context. Discuss your findings in the class.

Answer:
(This is a research activity. Here is an example of an international conflict over a shared resource.)

One example of an international conflict over a shared natural resource is about the water of the Nile River.

The Nile is the longest river in the world and flows through eleven countries in Africa, including Egypt, Sudan, and Ethiopia. For centuries, Egypt has relied heavily on the Nile’s water for farming and its population.

The conflict has become more serious recently because Ethiopia has built a very large dam called the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD) on one of the main tributaries of the Nile. Ethiopia says it needs the dam to generate electricity for its development.

However, Egypt and Sudan are worried that the dam will reduce the amount of water that flows down to their countries. They fear it will affect their agriculture and water supply. There have been many years of discussions and negotiations between the three countries, but they have not been able to reach an agreement that satisfies everyone. This shows how sharing a natural resource like a river can lead to tensions between countries, just as the Kaveri river water sharing is an issue among states in India.

LET’S EXPLORE (Page 11) What do you think are the different inputs required to enable the use of the natural resources available in different geographical areas?

Answer:
To use natural resources, just having them is not enough. We need several other inputs:

• Technology: We need the right tools and machines to access and extract the resources. For example, we need technology to drill for oil deep under the sea or to turn sunlight into electricity.
• Money (Capital): A lot of money is needed to set up the machines, build factories, and pay the workers.
• Human Knowledge and Skills: We need skilled people like engineers, scientists, and workers who know how to find the resources, extract them, and turn them into useful products. For example, converting iron ore into steel requires skilled people.
• Good Governance and Planning: We need a good government that can make smart plans on how to use the resources wisely, ensuring they benefit the people and don’t harm the environment too much.

Questions and activities (Page 19)

What can make what is today a renewable resource non-renewable tomorrow? Describe some actions that can prevent this from happening.

Answer:
A renewable resource can become non-renewable if we use it up faster than nature can restore or regenerate it.

For example:

• Forests are renewable because new trees can grow. But if we cut down trees much faster than new ones are planted and grow, the forest will be destroyed and may not recover.
• Groundwater is renewable as it is replenished by rain. But if we pump out water at a rate much higher than the rate of replenishment, the water table will fall, and the well may run dry.

Actions to prevent this:

• Sustainable Harvesting: We should only take resources at a rate that allows them to regenerate. For example, in the case of timber, we should cut down fewer trees and plant new ones to replace them.
• Preventing Pollution: We must stop polluting our rivers and soil, as pollution can damage the ecosystem so much that it cannot restore itself.
• Water Conservation: We can prevent groundwater depletion by using water wisely, avoiding wastage, and using techniques like rainwater harvesting to recharge the groundwater.

Name five ecosystem functions that serve humans.

Answer:
Ecosystem functions are the natural processes that happen in nature. When these processes benefit us, they are called ecosystem services. Here are five examples:

• Water Filtration: Forests naturally filter water, giving us clean water to drink.
• Oxygen Production: Trees and plants produce the oxygen that we need to breathe.
• Soil Erosion Prevention: The roots of trees and plants hold the soil together, which prevents it from being washed away by rain or wind.
• Pollination: Insects like bees and birds help pollinate crops, which is necessary for us to get fruits and vegetables.
• Providing Habitat: Forests and other ecosystems provide homes for animals and birds.

What are renewable resources? How are they different from non-renewable ones? Give two examples. What can people do to ensure that renewable resources continue to be available for our use and that of future generations?

Answer:
Renewable resources are those that can be replenished or renewed naturally over time. Nature can restore or regenerate them.

Non-renewable resources are those that are formed over millions of years and cannot be replenished quickly once they are used up.

The main difference is the time it takes for them to regenerate. Renewable resources can be replenished within a human lifetime, while non-renewable resources cannot.

Example 1: Sunlight is a renewable resource; we get it every day.

Coal is a non-renewable resource; it takes millions of years to form, and our supply is limited.

Example 2: A forest is a renewable resource because we can grow new trees.

Petroleum is a non-renewable resource because once we use it, it’s gone for a very long time.

To ensure renewable resources remain available, people can:

• Use them sustainably: We must not use them faster than they can regenerate. For instance, we should only catch fish after their breeding season to allow their population to be maintained.
• Prevent damage: We must not disturb the natural cycles of restoration. For example, we must avoid polluting rivers so that they can continue to support life and provide clean water.

Identify cultural practices in your home and neighbourhood that point to mindfulness in the use of natural resources.

Answer:
(This answer depends on your personal observations. Here are some common examples from India.)

In my neighbourhood, I have seen several cultural practices that show respect for nature and a careful use of its resources:

• Worshipping Trees and Plants: Many families have a Tulasi plant in their courtyard and worship it daily. This shows a sacred respect for nature. Similarly, people worship Peepal and Banyan trees and do not cut them.
• Offering ‘Arghyam’ to the Sun: I have seen people offering water to the sun in the morning as a mark of gratitude. This shows respect for the sun as a source of life and energy.
• Reusing and Repurposing: In my home, old clothes are often turned into rags for cleaning or stitched into bags or quilts. Food leftovers are given to cows or other animals, ensuring nothing goes to waste.
• Conserving Water: My grandmother always tells us to close the tap tightly and not waste water, reminding us that it is a precious gift.

What are some considerations to keep in mind in the production of goods for our current use?

Answer:
When we produce goods for our use, we should keep the following things in mind to be responsible:

• Minimising Pollution: We should use production processes that create the least amount of pollution. For example, cement factories should follow guidelines to reduce the dust and smoke they release.
• Sustainability: We should try to use renewable resources and use them in a way that doesn’t deplete them. For non-renewable resources, we must be very careful and use as little as possible.
• Using Sustainable Materials: We should explore using traditional and alternative materials like mud, stone, and recycled plastic instead of polluting materials like cement.
• Local Employment: Production processes should ideally provide jobs for local people.
• Climate Consideration: The goods we make, especially buildings, should be designed according to the local climate to be more energy-efficient.