NCERT Class 10 Science Management of Natural Resources

Management of Natural Resources

We learnt in Class IX, about some natural resources like soil, air and water and how various components are cycled over and over again in nature. In the previous chapter we also learnt about the pollution of these resources because of some of our activities. In this chapter, we shall look at some of our resources and how we are using them. May be we should also think about how we ought to be using our resources so as to sustain the resources and conserve our environment. We shall be looking at our natural resources like forests, wild-life, water, coal and petroleum and see what are the issues at stake in deciding how these resources are to be managed for sustainable development.

We often hear or read about environmental problems. These are often global-level problems and we feel helpless to make any changes. There are international laws and regulations, and then there are our own national laws and acts for environmental protection. There are also national and international organisations working towards protecting our environment. Awareness about the problems caused by unthinkingly exploiting  our resources has been a fairly recent phenomenon in our society. Andonce this awareness rises, some action is usually taken. You must have heard about the Ganga Action Plan. This multi-crore project came about in 1985 because the quality of the water in the Ganga was very poor As you can see, there are some measurable factors which are used to quantify pollution or the quality of the water that we use for various activities. Some of the pollutants are harmful even when present in very small quantities and we require sophisticated equipment to measure them. But as we learnt in Chapter 2, the pH of water is something that can easily be checked using universal indicator.

But we need not feel powerless or overwhelmed by the scale of the problems because there are many things we can do to make a difference. You must have come across the three R’s to save the environment: Reduce, Recycle and Reuse. What do they refer to? Reduce: This means that you use less. You save electricity by switching off unnecessary lights and fans. You save water by repairing leaky taps. You do not waste food. Can you think of other things that you can reduce the usage of ?

Recycle: This means that you collect plastic, paper, glass and metal items and recycle these materials to make required things instead of synthesising or extracting fresh plastic, paper, glass or metal. In order to recycle, we first need to segregate our wastes so that the material that can be recycled is not dumped along with other wastes. Does your village/town/city have a mechanism in place for recycling these materials?

Reuse: This is actually even better than recycling because the process of recycling uses some energy. In the ‘reuse’ strategy, you simply use things again and again. Instead of throwing away used envelopes, you can reverse it and use it again. The plastic bottles in which you buy various food-items like jam or pickle can be used for storing things in the kitchen. What other items can we reuse?

But even while making everyday choices, we can make environmentfriendly decisions. For doing this, we need to know more about how our choices affect the environment, these effects may be immediate or longterm or long-ranging. The concept of sustainable development encourages forms of growth that meet current basic human needs, while preserving the resources for the needs of future generations. Economic development is linked to environmental conservation. Thus sustainabledevelopment implies a change in all aspects of life. It depends upon the willingness of the people to change their perceptions of the socio-economic and environmental conditions around them, and the readiness of each individual to alter their present use of natural resources.

Q U E S T I O N S

 1. What changes can you make in your habits to become more environmentfriendly?

2. What would be the advantages of exploiting resources with short-term aims?

3. How would these advantages differ from the advantages of using a longterm perspective in managing our resources?

4. Why do you think there should be equitable distribution of resources? What forces would be working against an equitable distribution of our resources?

5.Why should we conserve forests and wildlife?

6. Suggest some approaches towards the conservation of forests.

7.Find out about the traditional systems of water harvesting/management in your region.

8. Compare the above system with the probable systems in hilly/ mountainous areas or plains or plateau regions.

9. Find out the source of water in your region/locality. Is water from thissource available to all people living in that area?

E X E R C I S E S

1. What changes would you suggest in your home in order to be environment-friendly?

2. Can you suggest some changes in your school which would make it environmentfriendly?

3. We saw in this chapter that there are four main stakeholders when it comes to

forests and wildlife. Which among these should have the authority to decide the management of forest produce? Why do you think so? 

4. How can you as an individual contribute or make a difference to the management of (a) forests and wildlife, (b) water resources and (c) coal and petroleum?

5. What can you as an individual do to reduce your consumption of the various natural resources?

6. List five things you have done over the last one week to –

(a) conserve our natural resources.

(b) increase the pressure on our natural resources.

7. On the basis of the issues raised in this chapter, what changes would you incorporate in your life-style in a move towards a sustainable use of our resources?

Please refer to attached file for NCERT Class 10 Science Management of Natural Resources