Natural resources are resources that exist naturally without any human intervention. It encompasses the sun, the atmosphere, water, land, all minerals, all plants, and all animal life on Earth.

Types of Natural Resources

Natural resources are either renewable or non-renewable in most cases. 

Renewable resources refer to resources that can be replenished throughout time. These include both living and non-living resources such as wind, water, and solar energy.

Non-renewable resources, as the name implies, are those that can no longer be accessed once the stock at a given location has been depleted. There aren’t any more once we’ve used them. Mineral resources are finite and cannot be replenished. Even though fossil fuels, which are generated from the fossilised remnants of prehistoric animals, can regenerate after a few million years, they are considered non-renewable.

Major Renewable Resources

• Air

The air contains 78 per cent nitrogen, 21% oxygen, and the rest is made up of gases including methane, neon, argon, helium, hydrogen, and others. Air is all about you; you can’t see it, but you can definitely feel it. Air is necessary for life to exist on this planet. It is both a renewable resource and an energy source.

The importance of air as a natural resource: 

It is only because of this breathable air that life is possible on Earth.

1. The earth’s temperature is controlled by air.
2. Air is the cause of various weather patterns.
3. The wind’s constant movement brings us monsoon, or rain, which is critical for our survival.
4. Without air, the process of photosynthesis is impossible.
5. Air allows reproduction in plants via pollination.
6. Electricity is generated using air as an important medium of energy.

• Soil

Soil contains all of the essential elements for survival, such as zinc, iron, nitrogen compounds, and so on. Hundreds of billions of microorganisms live in the soil. Soil is made up of 45 per cent minerals, 25 per cent water, 25 per cent air, and 25 per cent organic matter (billions of creatures) or humus (5 per cent). Soil is the source of food, fibre, and fuel.

Soil’s value as a natural resource:

1. Soil retains and absorbs water while also sustaining and structurally supporting plant roots. Plants and agricultural activities eat up the vital nutrients stored in the soil.

2. Soil works as a natural living filter. It purifies the water and preserves the groundwater quality by filtering out dirt, dust, and pollutants. Soil is the world’s primary source of raw resources and survival.

3. It offers essential construction and industrial materials, which we utilise to develop large infrastructures such as dams and skyscrapers.

4. By retaining a huge volume of water, soil can help mitigate the effects of a flood.

The usage of huge amounts of fertilisers and pesticides has a negative impact on the soil’s quality and fertility. We’re also losing the soil’s most fertile layer. Soil deterioration has a negative impact on food output and biodiversity. Soil erosion is a result of large-scale deforestation.

• Water

Water covers 97 per cent of the earth’s surface, yet just 3% of that is available in the form of freshwater. Furthermore, two-thirds of this freshwater is locked up in glaciers and ice caps, with the remaining freshwater available to mankind as drinking water. Water is essential for our survival, making it one of the most valuable resources on the planet.

Water’s value as a natural resource:

1. Water is used for cooking food, bathing, washing clothes, washing vegetables, fruits, and utensils, flushing toilets, and cleaning houses. Water is required for nearly all domestic and cleaning tasks.

2. Water is necessary for the survival of life on Earth. Water is required for the survival of all living things. The human body requires water to function properly.

3. Water is used for irrigation, cooling equipment, and product processing in industrial and agricultural settings.

4. Marine life is water-dependent. Aquatic animals, plants, animals, and vegetation will all perish if they do not have access to water.

The demand for freshwater has risen dramatically as a result of rising population and water usage. In addition, groundwater levels are dwindling. In certain nations, getting clean and safe drinking water is a problem. Water is becoming a limited resource, so we must be cautious about wasting it and conserve it.

Major Non-renewable resources 

• Fossil fuels 

The constant heating and compression of organic stuff buried under the earth’s surface produce fossil fuels. Plant and animal remnants make up the majority of the organic stuff, which has decayed, heated, and compressed over millions of years to form fossil beds.

Drilling or mining are used to extract the deposits, which might be liquid, gaseous, or solid. Because fossil fuels are highly combustible, they provide a plentiful supply of energy. The following are some examples of fossil fuels:

Crude oil 

Crude oil, or petroleum oil, is the only nonrenewable resource that is present in a liquid form. It’s located between layers of the earth’s crust, and it’s extracted by digging a vertical well into the ground or ocean floor.

Natural gas 

Natural gas is a nonrenewable gaseous resource that can be discovered beneath the earth’s crust, alongside crude oil reserves. Natural gas is largely made up of methane, although it can also include propane, ethane, and butane.

Coal

Coal is made up of carbon and hydrocarbon materials squeezed from biological matter. It is made up of plant-filled marshes that have been buried for millions of years by sediments. Coal is extracted by excavating the ground and removing the coal particles, which are then processed into energy.

Conclusion

Natural resources are either renewable or non-renewable in most cases. The former refers to resources that can be replenished throughout time. These include both live and non-living resources such as wind, water, and solar energy. Non-renewable resources, as the name implies, are those that can no longer be accessed once the stock at a given location has been depleted. There aren’t any more once we’ve used them. Hence, proverbs prevention methods need to be reinstated in order to ensure that natural resources do not perish.