Natural Resources and Their Use

This flashcard set covers definitions, categories, and environmental implications of natural resource use, focusing on the concepts of restoration, regeneration, and sustainability within the Indian context.

Natural Resources

Materials and substances that occur in Nature and are valuable to humans, such as water, air, soil, coal, and timber.

Resource Criteria

For an entity to be considered a resource, it must be technologically accessible, economically feasible, and culturally acceptable.

Regenerative Economy

An economy operating in harmony with nature by repurposing used resources, minimizing waste, and replenishing depleted resources.

Restoration

The process of returning something to its original healthy state if it has been degraded or damaged.

Regeneration

Nature's ability to create new life and the conditions for thriving, which goes beyond simple restoration.

Renewable Resources

Resources like solar energy, wind energy, and timber that replenish themselves as long as the natural rhythm of restoration is not disturbed.

Non-renewable Resources

Materials created over long periods that cannot be replenished at the rate they are used, such as fossil fuels and metallic ores.

Ecosystem Functions

Inherent ways that Nature works, such as trees producing oxygen, forests filtering water, or natural soil erosion prevention.

Ecosystem Services

The specific benefits humans receive from natural processes, such as clean water, protected farmland, and pollinated crops.

Natural Resource Curse

Also known as the 'paradox of plenty,' a phenomenon where regions rich in natural resources experience slower economic growth.

Kaveri River

A major river in India where water-sharing negotiations are required among Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Kerala, and Puducherry.

Biodiversity Loss

The decline in the variety of life on Earth.

Vṛikṣhāyurveda

An ancient Indian botanical science and traditional knowledge system focusing on the care and study of plants and trees.

International Solar Alliance (IASE)

A coalition of sunshine-rich countries launched by India and France in $2015$ to commit to harnessing solar power.

Lokasangraha

A concept from the Bhagavad Gītā referring to the idea that individuals should act for the wellbeing of all.

Oxygen Production/Consumption

A mature tree produces approximately $275$ litres of oxygen per day, while a human being typically requires about $350$ litres daily.

Bhadla Solar Park

Located in Rajasthan, it is one of the largest solar parks in the world and a symbol of India's renewable energy ambitions.

Wootz Steel

A unique historical product created by combining specific natural resources with human knowledge and skill.

Sikkim Organic Policy

A government initiative that led Sikkim to become a $100$ per cent organic state by $2016$, certifying all its farmland.