Lecture 6.Pptx Resources

Lecture 6: Resources
By
Miss V. Tsheleza
What are Resources
• Resource is ANY phenomenon on which man uses to OBTAIN a
livelihood from nature.
• A resource is ANY phenomenon which man uses to EXTRICATE oneself

from danger.
• According to Zimmerman, man is the principal resource.

• Zimmerman’s definition of resources: Resources are not but they
become.
Two Types of Resources
• Renewable resources:
• These are resources that are amenable to regeneration after some
period of time. Examples include FORESTS.
• Regeneration of most resources takes a long time, and for some

resources such as forest the original climax status maybe
unattainable.
• This is the reason why even renewable resources has to be checked

because regeneration takes a long time and is often incomplete.
Cont…
• Non-renewable resources:
• Once they are exhausted, these resources are lost forever, these
include mineral ores, fossil fuels, etc. their lifespan can be increased
by proper management and control.
• Huggett makes a further distinction between:
• Resources & reserves

Cont…
• Reserves:
• are the known and quantified portions of resources.
• Reserves are estimates of what parts of a resource are available for
exploitation under prevailing conditions.
Conditions for resources to be regarded as such:

• They have to be known
• Must have a demand
• Should spatially defined
• Their production must be economic viable.
Resources
Why Natural Resources are Under
Threat?
• Increase in sophistication of technology enabling natural resources to
be extracted quickly and efficiently.
• A rapidly increasing population.
• Cultures of consumerism.
• Non-equitable distribution of resources
Threats to Natural Resources
• Most of the mentioned natural resources exist in limited quantities.
Unfortunately, various factors have led to the exploitation of these
resources.
• Some of the components are at the risk of depletion.
• Environmental pollution, high population, uncontrolled development,
climate change, and modern lifestyles are some of the threats to
natural resources.
1. Environmental Pollution
• Environmental pollution has been the leading cause of natural
resources degradation and depletion.
• Environmental pollution is mainly caused by industries that produce
and use chemicals and plastics in their operations.
• These chemicals sip into the soil and water systems and alter the
composition of the resources.
• The increased use of harsh chemicals and plastics in the environment
has led to destruction of aquatic life.
2. High Levels of Population
• The world’s human population has significantly increased in the past
five decades.
• As the number of people rises, so does the demand for natural
resources.
• People have over-exploited resources such as water, agricultural land,
minerals and wildlife leading to depletion of most natural resources in
some parts of the world.
• Countries that have uncontrolled population increase often put
pressure on the limited natural resources leading to environmental
degradation.
3. Unsustainable Development
• Most countries have experienced rapid development with the
creation of new industries and infrastructure.
• These development projects require lots of resources such as land,
energy, water and human resource.
• In some cases, development has encroached on forests or protected
land and led to the destruction of significant vegetation and wildlife.
• It is, therefore, necessary to control the development to prevent
overutilization of limited and endangered resources.
4. Climate Change
• Climate change is a reality in the current world.
• The effects of climate change have been excessive flooding, extreme weather conditions,
earthquakes, and other calamities.
• These changes have threatened the way of life of numerous species leading to the
extinction of some.
• Forest fires caused by climate change have also resulted in the destruction of forests which
are valuable natural resources.
• Rural people are directly affected by climate change problems as they are mostly
dependent on natural resources for their livelihoods.
• Future projections on climate change are showing enormous potential disruption to the
resources.
• If mitigation measure are not successfully implemented at both global and national level
climate will increase by 4 degrees in 2100 and thus will hit hard rural people.
5. Modern Life Styles
• The modern society is the most advanced society in human history. Due to the
advanced way of life, more resources are needed to meet the many demands
humans have.
• For instance, people consume so much energy through vehicles on the roads,
electronics in homes, and during recreational activities.
• This increased consumption has led to high demand for fossil fuels and energy
production.
• Subsequently, these natural resources have been over utilized resulting in their
depletion.
• Also solid waste is increasing and an alarming rate due to rise in population
numbers and thus it becomes difficult to dispose of in a sound environmental
manner.
6. Harmful Agricultural Practices
• Agricultural activities have increased in most countries due to
increasing demand for food.
• Some places clear out forests or use land inappropriately leading to
the destruction of the environment. Additionally, large farms have
been known to use harsh chemicals without proper disposal methods.
This results in harmful products in the soil and water. Therefore,
agricultural activities are increasingly leading to the degradation of
natural resources.
Problems Arising from Exploitation of Natural
Resources
• Deforestation
• Desertification
• Extinction of species
• Soil erosion
• Ozone depletion
• Greenhouse gas increase
Self Evaluation
• What are resources?
• Differentiate between renewable and non-renewable resources and
give one example for each.
• Mention and discuss any 4 problems associated with resource
degradation.
• Explain and discuss any 4 problems arising from exploitation of
natural resources.

Lecture 6.Pptx Resources

Uploaded by

Copyright:

Available Formats

Lecture 6.Pptx Resources

Uploaded by

Document Information

Copyright

Available Formats

Share this document

Share or Embed Document

Sharing Options

Did you find this document useful?

Is this content inappropriate?

Copyright:

Available Formats

Lecture 6.Pptx Resources

Uploaded by

Copyright:

Available Formats

Lecture 6: Resources

• A resource is ANY phenomenon which man uses to EXTRICATE oneself

• According to Zimmerman, man is the principal resource.

• Regeneration of most resources takes a long time, and for some

• This is the reason why even renewable resources has to be checked

• Huggett makes a further distinction between:

• Resources & reserves

Conditions for resources to be regarded as such:

You might also like