Natural Resources and Their Use - Vocabulary Flashcards

Vocabulary flashcards covering key definitions, principles, and terms related to natural resources, environmental sustainability, and related ancient and modern concepts.

Regenerative economy

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

Natural resources

Materials and substances that occur naturally in the environment and possess value for human use.

Resource criteria

The requirements for an element of Nature to be defined as a resource: it must be technologically accessible, economically feasible to extract, and culturally acceptable to use.

Exploitation (in natural resource context)

The extraction, utilisation, and consumption of natural resources.

Restoration

The natural or assisted process of returning a damaged or degraded ecosystem or entity back to its original healthy state.

Regeneration

Nature's capacity to create new life and establish conditions for thriving, going beyond basic restoration.

Renewable resources

Resources that can be naturally replenished or renewed over time through restorative cycles, provided their natural rhythms are not disturbed.

Non-renewable resources

Resources formed over millions of years that cannot be replenished at the rate they are consumed by human activity.

Arghyam

A traditional offering, generally of water, made as a mark of respect or gratitude.

Ecosystem functions

Inherent natural processes carried out by ecosystems, such as trees producing oxygen, forests filtering water, and soil preventing erosion.

Ecosystem services

The direct benefits humans receive from natural ecosystem functions, including clean water, protected farmland, and pollinated crops.

Paradox of Plenty

An economic phenomenon (also called the natural resource curse) where regions rich in natural resources experience slower economic growth due to an inability to process raw resources into higher-value products.

Stewardship

The responsible and wise management of natural resources that enables the regeneration of renewables and the judicious use of non-renewables.

Biodiversity loss

The decline in the variety and variability of life on Earth.

Vṛikṣhāyurveda

An ancient Indian botanical science focused on the study and care of plants and trees, formalised in texts such as Surapala's 10th-century CE treatise.

International Solar Alliance

A coalition launched by India and France in 2015 to promote and finance solar power projects in sunshine-rich countries.

Bhadla Solar Park

A major solar park in Rajasthan, India, capable of generating enough electricity to supply approximately $15\text{\%}$ of Rajasthan's needs.

Lokasangraha

A concept from the Bhagavad Gītā referring to the principle that individuals should transcend personal desires and act for the collective wellbeing of all.