Natural Resources and Their Use

Flashcards covering the definitions, classifications, and case studies of natural resources, including sustainable development practices and global energy initiatives.

Natural resources

All materials that occur in nature and help satisfy human needs, often converted into resources through value addition.

Value addition

The process of converting raw materials from nature into finished products using suitable technology to increase their utility.

Mining depth limit

The approximate depth of $2,000\,m$, beyond which it becomes difficult for human beings to mine mineral resources.

Biotic resources

Also known as living resources, these include plants, animals, and microorganisms that have the capacity to reproduce.

Abiotic resources

Resources obtained from the physical or non-living environment, such as land, water, air, minerals, and power resources.

Potential resources

Resources whose total available quantity is not known and which are not currently in use, but could be developed in the future with suitable technology.

Actual or developed resources

Resources whose total quantity and quality are known and are currently being utilized, such as wind energy in the Netherlands and Tamil Nadu.

Ubiquitous resources

Resources that are found everywhere on Earth, with air and sunlight being primary examples.

Localized resources

Resources that are found only at certain specific places, such as gold and silver.

Renewable resources

Also called inexhaustible resources, these can be renewed by physical, mechanical, or chemical processes, even if consumed by human activities.

Non-renewable resources

Also called exhaustible resources, these occur in fixed quantities and cannot be replaced once they are exhausted, such as minerals and fossil fuels.

Natural resource curse

An economic phenomenon where countries with abundant natural resources experience slower growth because they focus too much on a single resource, such as petroleum in Angola.

Sustainable development

The judicious use of natural resources to meet present needs while conserving them for the use of future generations.

Groundwater extraction

The process of taking out the rain water that has seeped into and remained stored in the ground.

Overexploitation of groundwater

Taking out groundwater at an unsustainable rate that is faster than it can recharge itself; in Punjab, the annual extraction rate is about $157\%$ more than the recharge rate.

Green Revolution

A period starting in the mid-$1960s$ that increased foodgrain production in Punjab through the use of high-yielding variety (HYV) seeds, fertilizers, and pesticides.

Soil degradation

A serious problem caused by factors like deforestation, overgrazing, and unscientific farming that reduces the fertility and quality of the soil.

Organic farming

A sustainable farming method that avoids chemical fertilizers and pesticides, instead using natural fertilizers like green manure, cow dung, and vermicompost.

International Solar Alliance (ISA)

A joint initiative launched by India and France in $2015$ to harness solar energy, primarily involving countries located between the Tropic of Cancer and the Tropic of Capricorn.

Towards 1000 strategy

A mission by the ISA to install $1000\,GW$ of solar capacity to provide energy to $1000\,million$ people and reduce $CO_2$ emissions by $1000\,million\,tonnes$ every year by $2030$.

Bhadla Solar Park

Located in Jodhpur, Rajasthan, it is recognized as the largest solar farm among India's significant solar installations.