MODULE-1

RENEWABLE
&
NONRENEWABLE RESOURCES
 INTRODUCTION TO ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE
l It is essentially a multi-disciplinary approach that brings about an
appreciation of our natural world and human impacts on its integrity.
l Its components include biology, geology, chemistry, physics, engineering,
sociology, health, anthropology, economics, statistics, computers and
philosophy.
l As we look around at the area in which we live, we see that our
surroundings were originally a natural landscape such as a forest, a river, a
mountain, a desert, or a combination of these elements.
l Our daily lives are linked with our surroundings and inevitably affects them.
We use water to drink and for other day-to-day activities.
l We breathe air, we use resources from which food is made and we depend
on the community of living plants and animals which form a web of life, of
which we are also a part. Everything around us forms our environment and
our lives depend on keeping its vital systems as intact as possible.
l Our dependence on nature is so great that we cannot continue to live
without protecting the earth’s environmental resources.
l This has led to many cultural practices that helped traditional societies
protect and preserve their natural resources.
l The industrial development and intensive agriculture that provides the goods for
our increasingly consumer oriented society uses up large amounts of natural
resources such as water, minerals, petroleum products, wood, etc.
l Non-renewable resources, such as minerals and oil are those which will be
exhausted in the future if we continue to extract these without a thought for
subsequent generations.
l Renewable resources, such as timber and water, are those which can be used but
can be regenerated by natural processes such as re-growth or rainfall.
l But these too will be depleted if we continue to use them faster than nature can
replace them.
l For example, if the removal of timber and firewood from a forest is faster than the
re-growth and regeneration of trees, it cannot replenish the supply.
l And loss of forest cover not only depletes the forest of its resources, such as
timber and other non-wood products, but affect our water resources because an
intact natural forest acts like a sponge which holds water and releases it slowly.
l Deforestation leads to floods in the monsoon and dry rivers once the rains are
over. Such multiple effects on the environment resulting from routine human
activities must be appreciated by each one of us, if it is to provide us with the
resources we need in the long-term.
l Our natural resources can be compared with money in a bank. If we use it rapidly,
the capital will be reduced to zero. On the other hand, if we use only the interest,
it can sustain us over the longer term
 Natural resources and associated problems
l The main problem associated with natural resources is unequal consumption. A
major part of natural resources are consumed in the ‘developed’ world.
l The ‘developing nations’ also over use many resources because of their greater
human population.
l However, the consumption of resources per capita (per individual) of the developed
countries is up to 50 times greater than in most developing countries.
l Advanced countries produce over 75% of global industrial waste and greenhouse
gases.
l Energy from fossil fuels consumed in relatively much greater quantities in
developed countries.
l Their per capita consumption of food too is much greater as well as their waste.
l The USA for example with just 4% of the world’s population consumes about 25%
of the world’s resources.
l Producing animal food for human consumption requires more land than growing
crops.
l Thus countries that are highly dependent on non-vegetarian diets need much larger
areas for pasture land than those where the people are mainly vegetarian.
l Our natural resources can be compared with money in bank.
l If we use it rapidly the capital will be reduced to zero.
l On the other hand if we use only the interest, it can sustain us over the longer term.
This is called sustainable utilization or development.
l The quality of human life and the quality of ecosystems on earth are indicators of
the sustainable use of resources.
l There are clear indicators of sustainable life styles in human life.
 NON RENEWABLE RESOURCES
l These are minerals that have been formed in the
lithosphere over millions of years and constitute a closed
system.
l These non-renewable resources, once used, remain on
earth in a different form and, unless recycled, become
waste material.
l Non-renewable resources include fossil fuels such as oil
and coal, which if extracted at the present rate, will soon
be totally used up. T
l he end products of fossil fuels are in the form of heat
and mechanical energy and chemical compounds, which
cannot be reconstituted as a resource.
 Renewable resources
Fresh water (even after being used) is evaporated by
the sun’s energy, forms water vapour and is
reformed in clouds and falls to earth as rain.
However, water sources can be overused or wasted
to such an extent that they locally run dry. Water
sources can be so heavily polluted by sewage and
toxic substances that it becomes impossible to use
the water.
Forests, once destroyed take thousands of years to
regrow into fully developed natural ecosystems with
their full complement of species. Forests thus can be
said to behave like nonrenewable resources if
overused.
Fish are today being over-harvested until the catch
has become a fraction of the original resource and
the fish are incapable of breeding successfully to
replenish the population.
l FOREST RESOURCES
l A forest can be defined as a biotic community
predominant of trees, shrubs or any other woody
vegetation usually in a closed canopy.
l India’s Forest Cover is 6,76,000 sq.km
(20.55% of geographic area).
l Scientists estimate that India should
ideally have 33% of its land under forests.
l Today we only have about 12% thus we
need not only to protect our existing
forests but also to increase our forest
cover.
Uses of forests
 Commercial Uses of forests
Man depends heavily on a larger number of plant and
animal products from forests for his daily needs.
The chief product that forests supply is wood, which is used
as fuel, raw material for various industries as pulp,
paper, newsprint, board, timber for furniture items, other
uses as in packing articles, matches, sports goods etc.
Indian forests also supply minor products like gums, resins,
dyes, tanning, fibers, etc.
Many of the plants are utilized in preparing medicines and
drugs; Total worth of which is estimated to be more than
$300 billion per year.
Many forests lands are used for mining, agriculture,
grazing, and recreation and for development of dams.
 Ecological Uses of forests
l Production of Oxygen
l Reducing of Global Warming
l Wild Life Habitat
l Regulation of Hydrological Cycle
l Soil Conservation
l Pollution Moderators
Forest Functions:
I. Protective and ameliorative functions.
II. Productive functions
III. Recreational and educational functions
IV. Development functions
 I. Protective and ameliorative
functions
A. Watershed protection
l Reducing the rate of surface runoff of water
l Preventing flash floods and soil erosion
l Producing prolonged gradual runoff and thus safeguarding against
drought.
B. Erosion control
l Holding soil (by preventing rain from directly washing soil away)
C. Land bank
l Maintaining soil nutrients and structure.
D. Atmospheric regulation
l Absorption of solar heat during evapotranspiration
l Maintaining carbon dioxide levels for plant growth
l Maintaining the local climatic conditions.
 Productive Functions
Local use – Consumption of forest produce by local people who collect
it for sustenance
Food: (consumptive use) gathering plants, fishing, hunting from the
forest.
Fodder for cattle
Fuel wood and charcoal for cooking and heating
Poles for building homes in rural and wilderness areas
Timber for house hold articles and construction
Fiber for weaving baskets, ropes, nets, strings, etc.,
Sericulture for silk
Apiculture for rearing bees for honey (bees as pollinators)
Medicinal plants for traditional medicines, investigating them as
potential source for new modern drugs
Market use (productive use) Most of the products used for consumptive
purposes and good source of income for supporting their livelihood
of forest dwelling people.
III. Recreational And Educational
Functions: Eco tourism
IV. Developmental Functions
l Employment functions
l Revenue
Ecological significance of forests
1. Balances CO2 and O2 levels in atmosphere.
2. Regulates earth temperature and hydrological
cycle
3. Encourage seepage and reduces runoff losses,
prevents drought
4. Reduces soil erosion (roots binding), prevents
siltation and landslides thereby floods
5. Litter helps in maintaining soil fertility
6. Safe habitat for birds, wild animals and
organisms against wind, solar radiation and rain
 over exploitation of Forests
Man depends heavily on forests for food, medicine, shelter,
wood and fuel.
With growing civilization the demands for raw material like
timber, pulp, minerals, fuel wood etc. shot up resulting
in large scale logging, mining, road-building and clearing
of forests.
Our forests contribute substantially to the national economy.
The international timber trade alone is worth over US $ 40
billion per year.
The devising effects of deforestation in India include soil,
water and wind erosion, estimated to cost over 16,400
cores every year
 Deforestation
l Deforestation refers to the loss of forest cover; land that
is permanently converted from forest to agricultural land,
golf courses, cattle pasture, home, lakes or desert.
Deforestation means destruction of forests.
The total forests area of the world in 1900 was estimated
to be 7,000 million hectares which was reduced to 2890
million ha in 1975 fell down to just 2,300 million ha by
2000.
Deforestation is a continuous process in India where about
1.3 hectares of forest land has been lost.
The per capita availability of forest in India is 0.08 hectares
per person which is much lower than the world average
of 0.8 hectares.
The presence of waste land is a sign of deforestation in
India.
Causes for Deforestation:
l Environmental effects /Consequences of deforestation
1. Food problems
2. Ecological imbalance
3. Increasing CO2
4. Floods leading to soil erosion
5. Destruction of resources
6. Heavy siltation of dams
7. Changes in the microclimate
8. Loss of bio-diversity
9. Desiccation of previously moist forest soil
10. Heavy rainfall and high sunlight quickly damage the topsoil in clearings of the tropical rain-forests. In
such circumstance, the forest will take much longer to regenerate and the land will not be suitable for
agricultural use for quite some time.
11. Where forests are replanted, their replacement can mean a loss of quality
12. Loss of future markets for eco-tourism. The value of a forest is often higher when it is left standing than it
could be worth when it is harvested.
13. Some indigenous peoples’ way of life and survival are threatened by the loss of forests. Fewer trees
results an insecure future for forest workers
14. Deforestation can cause the climate to become extreme in nature. The occurrence and strength of floods
and droughts affecting the economy.
15. The stress of environmental change may make some species more susceptible to the effect of insects,
pollution, disease and fire.
16. Most humid regions changes to desert
17. Environmental pollution
18. Global warming.
l Timber extraction : Timber extraction results in
deforestation and in the fragmentation of the
last remaining forests. It harms the valuable
species of trees, birds and wild animals.
l Inspite of this, it is some times necessary to
extract timber, to meet the needs of a
developing country.
l But, during the extraction of timber, cutting,
felling, and handling should be done selectively,
carefully and in a planned manner in order to
save the remaining forest and bio-diversity.
l Bad effects of timber extraction
Poor logging results in degraded forests.
Soil erosion, especially on slopes.
Sedimentation of irrigation systems.
Loss bio-diversity.
Climatic changes, such as lower precipitation.
New logging roads permit shifting cultivators
and fuel wood gatherers to gain access to
logged areas.
Loss of non-timber products.
l Mining
Mining is the process of removing deposits of ores from
substantially very well below the ground level.
Mining is carried out to remove several minerals including
coal.
These mineral deposits invariably found in the forest
region, and any operation of mining will naturally affect
the forests.
More than 80,000 ha of land of the country are presently
under the stress of mining activities.Large scale
deforestation due to mining has been reported nowadays.
The forest area has declined upto 33% due to mining
activities.
The environmental impact of mining includes erosion,
formation of sinkholes, loss of bio-diversity, and
contamination of soil, groundwater and surface water by
chemicals from mining processes.
l Effects of mining resources
Mining operation require removal of vegetation
along with underlying soil mantle and overlying
rock masses. This results in destruction of
landscape in the area.
Large scale of deforestation has been reported in
Mussorie and Dehradun valley due to mining of
various areas.
Indiscriminate mining in Goa since 1961 has
destroyed more than 50,000 ha of forest land.
Mining of radioactive mineral in Kerala, Tamilnadu
and Karnataka are posing similar threats of
deforestation.
Dams and their effects on forests
and tribal people.
l Series of dams on India’s Narmada river will inundate
the homes of 1.5 million people along with 6,00,000
acres of farm land. In such cases, people will need to
find new places to live and clear new land to grow food.
l Effects on Tribal people
The greatest social cost of big dam is the widespread
displacement of local people.
It is estimated that the number of people affected directly
or indirectly by all big irrigation projects in India over the
past 50 years can be as high as 20 millions.
The Hirakud dam, one of the largest dams executed in
fifties, has displaced more than 20,000 people residing in
250 villages.
 WATER RESOURCES
l Water covers 70% -75% of earth’s surface of which
97.2% is locked in sea or oceans, 3% is fresh water
2.15% in polar ice caps, < 1% available as surface
and sub surface water (rivers, streams, lakes) with
which we have to manage ourselves.
l Water is renewable resource.
l It may change it’s form but quantity of water on earth
has remained same for millions of years.
l Out of 1400 million cu.km. of water available on
earth, only 14 million cu.km. is fresh water.
l As per the National Commission on Agriculture,
considering an average rainfall of 1200mm,the water
wealth of India is about 400 million hectare meters.
 Main sources of water for our use are
1.Rainfall: The vast ecological diversity of this country is reflected in the
diversity in available water resources.
With an average annual rainfall of 1170 mm, India is one of the
wettest countries in the world.
Though the average rainfall is adequate, nearly three quarters of the
rain pours down in less than 120 days, from June to September.
2)Groundwater: India's groundwater resources are almost ten times its
annual rainfall.
According to the Central Groundwater Board of the Government of
India,the country has an annual exploitable groundwater potential of
26.5 million hectare-meters.
Nearly 85% of currently exploited groundwater is used only for irrigation.
Groundwater accounts for as much as 70-80% of the value of farm produce
attributable to irrigation.
Besides, groundwater is now the source of four-fifths of the domestic water
supply in rural areas, and around half that of urban and industrial
areas
3) Surface water: There are 14 major, 44
medium and 55 minor river basins in the
country.
l The major river basins constitute about 83-84%
of the total drainage area.
l This, along with the medium river basins,
accounts for 91% of the country's total
drainage.
l India has the largest irrigation infrastructure in
the world, but the irrigation efficiencies are low,
at around 35%.
 Use, Overutilization and pollution of surface and
groundwater
Water is essential for all forms of life. Virtually, all of human uses,
require fresh water. No plant or animal species can survive without
water. If water in our body drops by 1% we feel thirst, if it drops by
10% we face death.
Most people use more water than they really need. Most of us waste
water during a bath by using a shower or during washing of
clothes. Many agriculturists use more water than necessary to
grow crops.
There are many ways in which farmers can use less water without
reducing yields such as the use of drip irrigation systems.
l Floods:-Floods have been a serious environmental hazard for
centuries. However, the havoc raised by rivers overflowing
their banks has become progressively more damaging, as
people have deforested catchments and intensified use of river
flood plains that once acted as safety valves.
l Deforestation in the Himalayas causes floods that year after
year kill people, damage crops and destroy homes in the
Ganges and its tributaries and the Bramhaputra.
l Rivers change their course during floods and tons of valuable
soil is lost to the sea.
l As the forests are degraded, rainwater no longer percolates
slowly into the subsoil but runs off down the mountain side
bearing large amounts of topsoil.
l This blocks rivers temporarily but gives way as the pressure
mounts allowing enormous quantities of water to wash
suddenly down into the plains below. There, rivers swell, burst
their banks and flood waters spread to peoples’ farms and
homes.
l Drought:- In most arid regions of the world the rains are unpredictable.
l This leads to periods when there is a serious scarcity of water to drink, use in farms,
or provide for urban and industrial use.
l Drought prone areas are thus faced with irregular periods of famine. Agriculturists
have no income in these bad years, and as they have no steady income, they have a
constant fear of droughts.
l India has ‘Drought Prone Areas Development Programs’, which are used in such
areas to buffer the effects of droughts.
l Under these schemes, people are given wages in bad years to build roads, minor
irrigation works and plantation programs.
l Drought has been a major problem in our country especially in arid regions.
l It is an unpredictable climatic condition and occurs due to the failure of one or more
monsoons. It varies in frequency in different parts of our country.
l While it is not feasible to prevent the failure of the monsoon, good environmental
management can reduce its ill effects. The scarcity of water during drought years
affects homes, agriculture and industry. It also leads to food shortages and
malnutrition which especially affects children.
l Several measures can be taken to minimize the serious impacts of a drought.
However this must be done as a preventive measure so that if the monsoons fail its
impact on local people’s lives is minimized.
l Soil and water management and afforestation are long-term measures that reduce
the impact of droughts
Causes of flood and drought
Deforestation, overgrazing, mining, rapid
industrialization, global warming etc., have
contributed largely to a sharp rise in the
incidence of floods.
Deforestation leads to desertification and drought
too. When the trees are cut, the soil is subject to
erosion by heavy rains, winds and sun.
The removal of thin top layer of soil takes away
the nutrients and the soil becomes useless.
The eroded soils exhibit droughty tendency.
l Preventive measures flood and drought
l Clear knowledge in control of drought and
desertification can be very useful for dealing
with the problem.
l Carefully selected mixed cropping helps to
optimize production and minimize the risks of
crop failures.
l Social forestry and Wasteland development can
prove quite effective to fight the problem, but it
should be based on proper understanding of
ecological requirement and natural process.
l Conflicts over water
Indispensability of water and its unequal distribution has often led to interstate or international
disputes. Issues related to sharing of river water have been largely affecting our farmers
and also shaking our governments. Many countries are engaged in bitter rivalries over this
precious resource.
For instance, Argentina and Brazil, dispute each other’s claims to the La Plata river,
India and Pakistan fight over the rights to water from the Indus,
Mexico and USA have come in conflict over the Colorado river,
India and Bangladesh are fighting for Bhrahmaputra river, and
Iran and Iraq contest for the water from Shatt-Al- Arab River.Within India, water conflicts are still
being continues between the states. For Eg.,
Sharing of Krishna water between Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh,
Sharing of Siruvani water between Tamilnadu and Kerala, and others.
Sharing of Cauvery between Karnataka and Tamilnadu
On June 2,1990, the Cauvery Water dispute Tribunal was set up which through an interim award
directed Karnataka to ensure that 205 TMCF of water was made available in Tamil Nadu’s
Mettur dam every year, till a settlement was reached.
In 1991-1992 due to good monsoon, there was no dispute. In 1995, the situation turned into a crisis
due to delayed rains and an expert Committee was set up to look into the matter which found
that there was a complex cropping pattern in Cauvery basin.
Samba paddy in winter, Kuravai paddy in summer and some cash crops demanded intensive water;
thus aggravating the water crisis.
Proper selection of crop varieties, optimum use of water, better rationing are suggested as some
measures to solve the problem.
l Benefits of Dams:
l Dams ensure a year round supply of water for
domestic use and provide extra water for
agriculture, industries and hydropower
generation.
l River valley projects with big dams play a key
role in the development process due to their
multiple uses.
l These dams aim at providing employment for
tribal people and raising the standard and
quality of life.
l Dams can help in checking floods and generate
electricity and reduce water and power shortage,
provide irrigation water to lower areas, provide
drinking water in remote areas and promote
navigation, fishery.
Problems due to Dams
i)Dam construction and submersion leads to significant loss of farmland and forest
and land submergence
ii) Siltation of reservoirs, water logging and salinization in surrounding lands reduces
agricultural productivity
iii) Serious impacts on ecosystems - significant and irreversible loss of species and
ecosystems, deforestation and loss of bio-diversity, affects aquaculture
iv) Socio economic problems for example, displacement, rehabilitation and
resettlement of tribal people.
v) Fragmentation and physical transformation of rivers
vi) Displacement of people - People living in the catchment area,lose property and
livelihood
vii) Impacts on lives, livelihoods, cultures and spiritual existence of indigenous and
tribal people
viii)Dislodging animal populations
ix) Disruption of fish movement and navigational activities
x) Emission of green house gases due to rotting of vegetation
xi) Large landholders on the canals get the lion’s share of water, while poor and small
farmers get less and are seriously affected leading to conflicts. Irrigation to support
cash crops like sugarcane produces an unequal distribution of water.
xii) Natural disasters – reservoirs induced seismicity, flash floods etc and biological
hazards due to large-scale impounding of water – increase exposure to vectorbrone
diseases, such as malaria etc.,.
l CASE STUDY: Sardar Sarovar Project :
l The World Bank’s withdrawal from the Sardar Sarovar Project
in India in 1993 was a result of the demands of local people
threatened with the loss of their livelihoods and homes in the
submergence area.
l This dam in Gujarat on the Narmada has displaced thousands
of tribal folk, whose lives and livelihoods were linked to the
river, the forests and their agricultural lands.
l While they and the fishermen at the estuary, have lost their
homeland, rich farmers downstream will get water for
agriculture.
l The question is why should the local tribals be made homeless,
displaced and relocated to benefit other people?
l Why should the less fortunate be made to bear the costs of
development for better off farmers?
l It is a question of social and economic equity as well as the
enormous environmental losses, including loss of the
biological diversity of the inundated forests in the Narmada
valley.
 Mineral resources
l A mineral is a naturally occurring substance of definite chemical
composition and identifiable physical properties.
l An ore is a mineral or combination of minerals from which a useful
substance, such as a metal, can be extracted and used to
manufacture a useful product. Minerals are formed over a period of
millions of years in the earth’s crust.
l Iron, aluminum, zinc, manganese and copper are important raw
materials for industrial use. Important nonmetal resources include
coal, salt, clay, cement and silica.
l Stone used for building material, such as granite, marble, limestone,
constitute another category of minerals.
l Minerals with special properties that humans value for their
aesthetic and ornamental value are gems such as diamonds,
emeralds, rubies.
l Minerals and their ores need to be extracted from the earth’s interior
so that they can be used. This process is known as mining.
 Uses of minerals
Development of industrial plants and machinery
Generation of energy e.g. coal, lignite, uranium.
Construction, housing, settlements.
Defense equipments- weapons, settlement.
Transportation
Communication-telephone wires, cables, electronic
devices.
Medical system- particularly in Ayurvedic System
Formation of alloys for various purposes.
Agriculture- as fertilizers, seed dressings and
fungicides.
Jewellery- e.g. Gold, silver, platinum, diamond .
l Environmental effects of extracting mineral resources.
1)Ground water pollution:- Mining by disturbing hydrological cycle
contaminates the ground water. Heavy metals get leached down and
pollute the ground water..
2)Surface water pollution:- Heavy metals from mining area, acids
from mine drainage and radioactive substances from mine wastes
contaminate water bodies like rivers, streams, lakes, ponds etc., and
kill the aquatic flora and fauna.
3)Air pollution:- During smelting of mineral resources huge amount of
air pollutants in the form of suspended particulate matter, sulphur
dioxide, arsenic particles, soot, led, cadmium etc., are issued in the
atmosphere. These air pollutants cause severe health problems and
pollution in the air.
3)Land subsidence:- Land subsidence occurs due to underground
mining. It results in crack in houses, buckling of roads, destruction
of rail tracks. Leaking of gas pipes etc.,
4)De-vegetation and defacing of landscapes::- Deforestation and de-
vegetation due to mining leads to environmental losses in the form
of deterioration of landscapes and soil erosion.
5)Occupational health hazards:- Mine workers suffer from
asbestosis, silicosis, fibrosis, black lung diseases, and respiratory
diseases due to constant exposure to toxic substances and suspended
particulate matter that originate from them.
l Remedial measures to reduce
Environmental effects of extracting mineral
resources
l Adopting eco-friendly mining technology.
l Utilization of low grade ores by using microbial –
leaching technique. In this method, the ores are
inoculated with the desired strains of bacteria
like Thiobacillus ferroxidans, which remove the
impurities and leave the pure mineral.
l Re-vegetating mined areas with appropriate
plants
l Gradual restoration of flora
l Prevention of toxic drainage discharge
l FOOD RESOURCES
l Our food comes almost entirely from agriculture, animal
husbandry and fishing i.e., 7 6% from crop lands, 17%
from range lands i.e., meat from grazing livestock and
7% - marine and fresh water i.e., fisheries.
l Most of our large farms grow single crops (monoculture).
If this crop is hit by a pest, the entire crop can be
devastated, leaving the farmer with no income during
the year.
l On the other hand, if the farmer uses traditional varieties
and grows several different crops, the chance of
complete failure is lowered considerably.
l Many studies have shown that one can use alternatives
to inorganic fertilizers and pesticides. This is known as
Integrated Crop Management.
l World food problems
1) Population growth: Food production in 64 of the 105 developing countries
is lagging behind their population growth levels.
2) Poor agricultural practices: Poor environmental agricultural practices.
3) Degradation of agricultural lands: Globally 5 to 7 million hectares of
farmland is degraded each year. Loss of nutrients and overuse of
agricultural chemicals are major factors in land degradation.
4) Our fertile soils are being exploited faster than they can recuperate.
5) Forests, grasslands and wetlands have been converted to agricultural use,
which has led to serious ecological questions.
6) Use of genetically modified seed variety, without minding the conducive
environment for such experimentation, will seriously affect the land
ecosystem.
7) Our fish resources, both marine and inland, show evidence of exhaustion.
8) Great disparities in the availability of nutritious food:-Some communities
such as tribal people still face serious food problems .
9) Loss of Genetic Diversity: Modern agricultural practices have resulted in a
serious loss of genetic variability of crops. India’s distinctive traditional
varieties of rice alone are said to have numbered between 30 and 50
thousand. Most of these have been lost to the farmer during the last few
decades as multinational seed companies push a few commercial types.
 Changes caused by agriculture and overgrazing
During early days agriculture involved simple tools, small plot, natural
available water for crops and organic fertilisers and resulted in low
production.
This type of traditional agriculture is still practiced by about half of the global
population. Following are the effects of agriculture:
1.Soil erosion : Due to deforestation the soil gets exposed to wind, storms
and rain which results in loss of top fertile layer.
2.Deforestation: Due to shifting cultivation there is burning of tress in forests
and results in loss of forest cover.
3.Loss of nutrient : Due to the burning of forest, the organic matter in the
soil gets destroyed and most of the nutrients are taken up by the crops and
makes the soil nutrient poor.
4.Loss of genetic diversity: Due to deforestation, loss of genetic diversity
takes place because these forest are the home of many wild animals.
5.Endangered wildlife from loss of habitat :- Due to loss of forest life gets
endangered due to commercial hunting and poaching of animals.
The greatest threat to most wild species is destruction, fragmentation and
degradation of their habitats.
Such disruption of natural communities threaten wild species by destroying
migration routes, breeding areas, food resources.
Deforestation, especially of tropical forest is the single greatest cause of the
decline in global biological diversity by habitat loss.
l Impacts of Overgrazing
l India possesses a significant position in livestock population in
the world.
l This livestock wealth plays a crucial role in the rural life of our
country.
l Each type of grass land has a herbivore carrying capacity-the
maximum numbers of herbivore supported by a given area.
Carrying capacity is influenced by season, range, condition
annuals, climatic condition, past grazing use, soil type, kinds of
grazing animals and duration of animal graze in an area.
l Light to moderate grazing is necessary for the health of grass
land. It maintains water and nutrient cycle needed for healthy
grass growth and healthy root system.
l It hinders soil erosion and encourages build up of organic soil
matter.
l However most often, the grazing pressure is so high that its
carrying capacity is crossed and sustainability of the grazed
land fails
l Effects of overgrazing:
1) Land Degradation :-Overgrazing removes the vegetal cover over the soil and the
exposed soil gets compacted due to which the operative soil depth declines
Roots cannot go deep into the soil
Adequate soil moisture is not available
Organic recycling also declines in the ecosystem, because - not enough detritus or litter
remains on the soil to be decomposed.
2)Soil Erosion :- Due to overgrazing by cattle, the cover of vegetation almost gets
removed from the land .
The soil becomes exposed and gets eroded by the action of strong wind, rainfall etc.
The grass roots are very good binders of soil . When the grasses are removed, the soil
becomes loose and susceptible to the action of wind and water.
3) Loss of useful species :-Overgrazing adversely affects the composition of plant
population and their regeneration capacity.
The original grassland consists of good quality grasses and forbs with high nutritive
value .
Heavy grazing – root stocks which carry the reserve food for regeneration gets
destroyed .
4) Loss of species :- Overgrazing leads to loss of species of plants.
l Effects due to adoption of modern agricultural technology
l i) Impacts related to high yielding varieties:- The use of high yielding
varieties encourage monoculture. In case of an attack by some pathogen, there
is total devastation of the crop by the disease due to exactly uniform conditions,
which help in rapid spread of disease.
l ii) Fertilizer related problems:- Micronutrient Imbalance. Most of the
chemical fertilizers used in modern agriculture have nitrogen, phosphorus and
potassium which are essential macronutrients Farmers use these indiscriminately
to boost up crop growth.
l iii) Nitrate Pollution :- Nitrogenous fertilizers applied in the fields often leach
deep into soil and ultimately contaminate the ground water The nitrates get
concentrated in the water and when their concentration exceeds 25 mg/L, they
become the cause of a serious health hazard called “Blue Baby syndrome”.
l iv) Eutrophication :-Eutrophication means over nourishment .Due to
eutrophication lakes get invaded by algal blooms; these algae grows very fast by
rapidly using up the nutrients, they often are toxic and badly affect the food
chain.
l v) Pesticide related problems:- Creating resistance in pests and producing
new pests. Some individuals of the pest species usually survive even after
pesticide spray. The survivors give rise to highly resistant generations. About 20
species of pests are now known which have become immune to all types of
pesticides an are known as “super pests” .
l vi)Death of nontarget organisms - Many insecticides are broad spectrum
poisons which not only kill the target species but also several nontarget species
which are useful to us
l Biological magnification - Many of the pesticides are not biodegradable and keep
on accumulating in the food chain, this process is called as biomagnification.
vii) Water logging
l Over irrigation of croplands by farmers for good growth of their
crop usually leads to water logging. Or in other words, it is the
saturation of the soil with irrigation water so that the water
table raises close to the surface.
l World wide, about one-tenth of all irrigated land suffers from
water logging.
l Inadequate drainage causes excess water to accumulate
underground and gradually forms a continuous column with the
water table.
l Under water logged conditions, pore spaces in the soil get fully
drenched with water and the soil-air gets depleted.
l The water table rises while the roots of the plant do not get
adequate air for respiration .
l Mechanical strength of the soil declines, crop plants get lodged
and crop yield fails.
l Preventing excessive irrigation, subsurface drainage technology
and bio-drainage with trees like Eucalyptus are some of the
remedial measures to prevent water logging.
l Salinity problems:- Salinity is the quantity of salt dissolved in
a given volume of water. Accumulation of salt in soil can
eventually make the soil incapable of supporting plant growth.
l This is called salinization. At present one third of the total
cultivable land area of the world is affected by salts .
l In India about 7 million Hectares of land are estimated to be
salt affected .
l Saline soils are characterized by the accumulation of soluble
salts like sodium chloride, sodium sulphate, calcium chloride,
magnesium chloride.
l It also having electrical conductivity more than 4 ds/m and pH
exceeds 8.0 and the exchangeable sodium percentage is more
than 15%.
l Major cause of salinization is excessive irrigation.
l Salinization cause:
Decreased crop yield.
Stunted crop growth and at times kills them.
Land becomes unproductive.
Hazardous to wild life, especially water fowl.
Water Logging and Salinization
Positive Effects of Chemical Fertilizers :-Plants
require nutrients in the soil to grow and produce
fruits and vegetables for consumption.
These nutrients become depleted through over-
planting, erosion and other conditions.
Replacing these nutrients helps use soil and water
resources efficiently.
According to the International Fertilizer Industry
Association, farmers can double or even triple crop
yields by using fertilizers.
Farmers also use manure products such as cow dung,
pig excreta and chicken droppings to fertilize soil and
increase yields.
ii)Negative Effects of Chemical Fertilizers:-
Though chemical fertilizers increase food
production for nations all over the world, the
negative effects to the environment have
become inarguable.
The chemicals that compose fertilizer, such as
nitrogen and phosphorus, run off into local
waterways during rainy periods.
These chemicals cause algae blooms in the water
which then die, increasing the bacterial content.
This increase kills fish and disrupts the food
supply of other animals that feed on the fish.
Organic fertilizers do not contain these chemicals,
therefore they do not produce this effect on the
environment.
iii) Positive Effects of Chemical Pesticides
Farmers use chemical pesticides to eliminate
insects and diseases that destroy crops and
diminish food supply.
These compounds work very well in killing the
insects that feed on the roots, leaves and stems
of both food crops and garden flowers.
Using these pesticides saves the crops that feed
nations all around the world.
They can often mean the difference between a
healthy, expanding population and malnutrition
and death.
Negative Effects of Chemical Pesticides
Various chemicals used to control pest
population are called pesticides.
The first generation pesticides include
chemicals like arsenic, lead, mercury and
sulphur to kill the pest while second
generation pesticides are DDT.
Although pesticides are protecting our crop
yet they have created a number of
problems which are discussed below.
l Chemical pesticides are linked to a number of
illnesses including cancer, lymphoma,
reproductive abnormalities, endocrine disorders
and neurological problems. According to Science
Daily, scientists in a study have discovered links
between Parkinson's disease and the use of two
common pesticides, maneb and paraquat. Health
experts are particularly concerned about
pesticide exposure in children because they
proportionally consume more food during their
growing years and are often in contact with floor
surfaces where pesticide residues are found.
l Pesticides also kill insects indiscriminately,
destroying insects that are beneficial to plants
and an important food source for other creatures.
Other Negative effects of Pesticides
l Biological Magnification:- Pesticides are non-biodegradable and they
keep on accumulating in the food chain. This is called as Biological
magnification. The biomagnified form of pesticides in the human being is
very harmful. Since human being occupy the higher topic level in the food
chain, use of pesticides causes destruction of wild life. Accumulation of
these pesticides in fatty tissue of the organism causes mutation in the
reproductive cells.
l Threats to wild life: Wild life gets destroyed due to the use of
pesticides.
l Development of genetic resistance : Some individuals of the pest
species usually survive even after the pesticide spray and give rise to
development of genetic resistant pest species.
l Production of new pest:- About twenty new spices of pest are known
which became resistant to all types of pesticides and are called as
"Superpest".
l Death to nontarget species:- Many insecticides have broad spectrum
poisons which not only kill the target species but also the nontarget
useful species.
l Threats to human health:- Due to excessive use of pesticides in
contaminated food, human health is threatened.
l ENERGY RESOURCES
l Energy is defined as ‘the capacity to do work’.
l Sun is the primary source of energy. Joule is the standard unit
of energy in SI units.
l Energy is found on our planet in a variety of forms, some of
which are immediately useful to do work, while others require
a process of transformation.
l We use Sun directly for its warmth and through various natural
processes that provide us with food, water, fuel and shelter .
l The sun’s rays power the growth of plants, which form our
food material, give off oxygen which we breathe in and take
up carbon dioxide that we breathe out.
l Energy from the sun evaporates water from oceans, rivers and
lakes, to form clouds that turn into rain.
l Today’s fossil fuels were once the forests that grew in
prehistoric times due to the energy of the sun.
l Growing energy needs
Energy is essential to all human societies.
All industrial process like, mining, transport,
living, heating and cooling in buildings, all
require energy.
With the demands of growing population, the
world is facing further energy deficit.
Our life style is also changing from al simple way
of life to luxurious life style.
At present 95% of the commercial energy is
available only from the fossil fuels like coal, oil
and natural gas, and are not going to last for
many years.
It would be really ironic if fuel becomes more
expensive than food.
l Renewable resources (or) Non-
conventional energy resources.
l A renewable resource is a natural resource with
the ability to reproduce through biological or
natural processes and replenished with the
passage of time.
l Renewable resources are part of our natural
environment and form our eco-system.
l Examples are trees in forests, grass in grass
lands, fresh water in lakes, deposits of ground
water, fresh air, and fertile soil.
l These are inexhaustible in nature. Solar
radiation, tides, winds, geothermal, biomass and
other natural elements are renewable resources
of energy now called renewable energies
because they can be used again and again.
l Merits of renewable energy resources
1. Unlimited supply.
2. Provides energy security.
3. Fits into sustainable development
concept.
4. Reliable and the devices are modular in
size.
5. Decentralized energy production.
Non renewable resources (or) Conventional energy
resources
l Nonrenewable resources are natural resources which
cannot be regenerated once they are exhausted.
l They cannot be used again. Example: Coal, petroleum,
natural gas, and nuclear fuels.
l They are exhaustible in nature because they are not
replaced by natural processes.
l Nonrenewable are resources that are consumed much
faster than nature can create them.
l Metals are prime examples of nonrenewable resources. In
contrast, resources such as timber (when harvested
sustainable) are considered renewable resources.
l These are also called as conventional sources of energy
because they cannot be used again and again in an endless
manner.
l Even our renewable resources can become
nonrenewable if we exploit them to such
extent their rate of consumption exceeds
their rate of regeneration.
l Wood is renewable resources but not coal-
why?
l Wood is renewable resources because we
can get new wood by growing sapling into
a tree within 15-20 years.
l But the formation of coal from trees has
taken million of years and cannot be
regenerated in our life time.
l Solar energy
l Sun is the prime source of energy. Sun daily spreads an enormous amount
of energy; out of which our mother earth receives a very small fraction.
l The photovoltaic cells are used to turn sunlight directly into electricity.
l PV cells generate power through the interaction of tiny particles of light
called “photons” with electrons in the cells. PV cells were originally
developed for use in space program, PV cells have powered nearly every
man made satellite sent into the orbit.
l These days many equipment are using solar energy in this way and so many
buildings are being equipped with arrays of PV cells for meeting their
electricity demand. In this way of solar energy conversion by photovoltaic
means the semiconductor silicon cells directly convert the sun’s light into
electricity.
l But the efficiency is very low and the cost is high because of the problem
of very high requirements of purity of material.
l For small applications the cost may be as high as Rs. 3 lakh per kW. One
solar photovoltaic pump of 1 H.P. costing Rs. 2.5 lakh
l The PV cells are modular in nature, having long effective life, with no
moving parts and no pollution.
l However, on the basis of domestic R & D India has become the second
largest manufacturer in the world of solar photovoltaic panel based on
crystalline silicon solar cells..
l Methods of Harvesting Solar Energy
a). Solar cells (or) photovoltaic cells (or) PV cells
Solar cells consist of a p-type semiconductor and n-type
semi-conductor .They are in close contact with each
other.
When the solar rays fall on the top layer of p-type semi-
conductor, the electrons from the valence band get
promoted to the conduction band and cross the p-n
junction into n-type semi-conductor.
There by potential difference between two layers is
created, which causes flow of electrons (ie.,an electric
current)
l Uses:-Used in calculators, electronic watches. Street
lights, water pumps to run radios and TVs
l Solar Battery
l When a large number of solar cells are
connected in series it form a solar battery.
Solar battery produce more electricity which is
enough to run water pump, to run street-light,
etc.,
l They are used in remote areas where
conventional electricity supply is a problem.
l c)Solar heat collectors
l Solar heat collectors consists of natural materials
like stones, bricks, (or) materials like glass,
which can absorb heat during the day time and
release it slowly at night.
l Uses :- Used in cold places, where houses are
kept in hot condition using solar heat collectors
l Solar water heater :- It consists of
l An insulated box inside of which is painted
with black paint.
l Provided with a glass lid to receive and
store solar heat.
l Inside the box it has black painted copper
coil, through which cold water is allowed
to flow in, which gets heated up and flows
out into a storage tank.
l From the storage tank water is then
supplied through pipes.
l Tidal energy
Ocean tides, produced by gravitational forces of sun and moon,
contain enormous amount of energy.
The “high tide” and “low tide” refer to the rise and fall of water in the
oceans.
The tidal energy can be harnessed by constructing a tidal barrage.
During high tide, the sea-water is allowed to flow into the reservoir
of the barrage and rotates the turbine, which intern produces
electricity by rotating the generators.
During low tide, when the sea level is low, the sea water stored in the
barrage reservoir is allowed to flow into the sea and again rotates
the turbine.
The energy of waves in the sea that crash on the land of all the
continents is estimated at 2 to 3 million megawatts of energy.
Tidal power is tapped by placing a barrage across an estuary and
forcing the tidal flow to pass through turbines.
In a one-way system the incoming tide is allowed to fill the basin
through a sluice, and the water so collected is used to produce
electricity during the low tide. In a two way system power is
generated from both the incoming as well as the outgoing tide..
l Wind energy:
l Definition
l Moving air is called wind.
l Energy recovered from the force of the
wind is called wind energy.
l The energy possessed by wind is because
of its high speed.
l The wind energy is harnessed by making
use of wind mills.
l Harvesting of wind energy
1. Wind Mills
l The strike of blowing wind on the blades of the
wind mill makes it rotating continuously.
l The rotational motion of the blade drives a
number of machines like water pump, flour mills
and electric generators.
2. Wind farms
l When a large number of wind mills are installed
and joined together in a definite pattern it forms
a wind farm. The wind farms produce a large
amount of electricity.
Conditions
l The minimum speed required for satisfactory
working of a wind generator is 15 km/hr.
Advantages
it does not cause any air pollution
It is very cheap
l Since long time windmills are used to mill wheat and
pump water. Modern windmills are called wind turbines.
l They transform the energy in the wind into mechanical
power, which can then be used to produce electricity.
l Wind turbines can be used singly or in clusters called
wind farms and are usually about 60 m high.
l Small wind turbines called wind chargers are used to
charge batteries and can be used by un-electrified
homes, boats etc., to power television and other
domestic appliances and so on. For the economical
harnessing of wind power a wind velocity of about 7
m/sec. is required which is the major limitation of this
system.
l Hydropower energy
l Hydropower generation is a conventional
renewable energy resource utilization method
that is most environmental friendly but the
problem of rehabilitation is typical.
l The uncertainty of rainfall and regional problems
of water use and distribution are never ending.
The ambitious river inter-linking project is yet to
be tested.
l Mini and micro power plants can help in solving
the problem.
l Small hydro Power (up to 25 MW), included in
the category of renewable has a large share in
the total achievement.
l Advantages of Hydropower energy :
l The long life of hydropower plants,
l The renewable nature of the energy
source
l Very low operating and maintenance costs,
and
l Absence of inflationary pressures as in
fossil fuels
l Geothermal energy
1. Temperature of the earth increases at a
rate of 20-750C per km, when we move
down the earth surface.
2. High temperature and high pressure
steam fields exists below the earth’s
surface in many places.
3. The energy harnessed from the high
temperature present inside the earth is
called geothermal energy.
l 1. Natural geysers
In some places, the hot water (or) steam comes
out of the ground through cracks naturally .
2. Artificial geysers
l In some places, we can artificially drill a hole up
to the hot region and by sending a pipe in it, we
can make the hot water or steam to rush out
through the pipe with very high pressure.
l Thus, the hot water (or) steam coming out from
the natural (or) artificial geysers is allowed to
rotate the turbine of a generator to produce
electricity.
l Ocean thermal energy
l There is often large temperature difference between the
surface level and deeper level of the tropical oceans.
This temperature difference can be utilized to generate
electricity. The energy available due to the difference in
temperature of water is called ocean thermal energy.
l Condition
l The temperature difference should be of 200C or more is
required between surface water and deeper water.
l Process
l The warm surface water of ocean is used to boil a low
boiling liquid like ammonia.
l The high vapour pressure of the liquid, formed by boiling
is then to turn the turbine of the generator and
generates electricity.
l The cold water from the deeper ocean is pumped to cool
and condense the vapour into liquid
l Biomass energy
l Biomass is organic material which has stored sun light in
the form of chemical energy.
l Because plants and trees depend on sunlight to grow,
biomass energy is a form of stored solar energy.
l Although wood is the largest source of biomass energy,
we also use agricultural waste, sugarcane wastes, and
other farm byproducts to make energy. Half a kilo of dry
plant tissue – produce as much as 1890 Kcal of heat –
equivalent to quarter kilo of coal A typical biogas sample
contains 68% methane, 31% CO2, 1% Nitrogen and
calorific value is 5871 Kcal/m3 (i.e. 80% natural gas).
l Biomass can be converted to energy by burning it or
capturing gases from it. Biomass can be converted to
electricity by collecting material like scrap wood and
bringing it to a biomass processing plant. The material is
burned in large furnaces and the heat is used to provide
steam to drive turbines and power generators
l Types of Biomass energy
1. Biogas:- Biogas is produced from plant
material and animal waste, garbage, waste from
households and some types of industrial wastes,
such as fish processing, dairies, and sewage
treatment plants. It is a mixture of gases which
includes methane, carbon dioxide, hydrogen
sulphide and water vapour. In this mixture,
methane burns easily.
l With a ton of food waste, one can produce 85 Cu.
M of biogas. Once Biogas plants have become
increasingly popular in India in the rural sector.
These biogas plants use cow dung (Gobar gas),
which is converted into a gas which is used as a
fuel – for lighting/cooking. It is also used for
running dual fuel engines.
2. Biofuels
l Biofuels are the fuels, obtained by the fermentation of
biomass.Eg: Ethanol, Methanol.
l a)Ethanol:-Ethanol can be easily produced from the
sugarcane. Its calorific value is less when compared to petrol,
and produces much less heat than petrol.
l (b)Methanol:-Methanol can be easily obtained from ethanol
or sugar-containing plants.Its calorific value is also too low
when compared to gasoline and diesel.
l (c)Gasohol:-Gasohol is a mixture of ethanol+gasoline. In
India trial is being carried out to use Gasohol in cars and buses.
l Gasohol is common fuel in Brazil and Zimbabwe for running
cars and buses.
l Methanol is very useful since it burns at a lower temperature
than gasoline or diesel. Due to its high calorific value,
hydrogen can serve as an excellent fuel.
l Moreover it is non-polluting and can be easily produced.
l 3.Hydrogen Fuel:-Hydrogen can be produced
by thermal dissociation or photolysis or
electrolysis of water.
It possesses high calorific value.
It is non polluting, because the combustion
product is water.
2H2+O2——>2H2O+150KJ
Disadvantages of hydrogen fuel
1. Hydrogen is highly inflammable and explosive in
nature.
2. Safe handling is required.
3. It is difficult to store and transport.
l Non Renewable Energy Sources
l These types of resources involves fossil fuels like natural
gas, petroleum, coal and nuclear fuels.
l 1.Natuaral gas: Natural gas is a mixture of methane,
butane, ethane and propane found above oil reserves.
Propane and butane are liquified and removed as LPG
and Methane is cleaned and pumped in to pipelines.
Natural gas is in abundance, low production cost and low
pollution. It is an ideal fuel transition from fossil fuels to
renewable sources.
l Most of our natural gas is linked to oil and, because
there is no distribution system, it is just burnt off.
l Natural gas is widely used as an important energy
source in many applications including heating buildings,
generating electricity, providing heat and power to
industry, as fuel for vehicles and as a chemical feedstock
in the manufacture of products such as plastics and
other commercially important organic chemicals.
2. Petroleum :Petroleum or crude oil is a
naturally occurring flammable liquid consisting of
a complex mixture of hydrocarbons of various
molecular weights and other liquid organic
compounds, that are found in geologic
formations beneath the Earth's surface.
l A fossil fuel, it is formed when large quantities
of dead organisms, usually zooplankton and
algae, are buried underneath sedimentary rock
and undergo intense heat and pressure.
l After purification by fractionation and distillation
at different temperatures, it give rise to a
number of products like petroleum gas,
kerosene, petrol, diesel, fuel oil, lubricating oil,
paraffin wax, asphalt, plastic and so on.
3. LPG (Liquefied Petroleum Gas)
1.The petroleum gas, converted into liquid under high pressure
as LPG
2.LPG is colorless and odorless gas.
3.During bottling some mercaptans is added, to detect leakage of
LPG from the cylinder.
4.Natural Gas
1.Mixture of 50-90% methane and small amount of other
hydrocarbons.
2.Its calorific value ranges from 12,000-14,000 k-cal/m3.
5.Coal
l Coal is a solid fossil fuel formed in several stages as buried remains
of land plants that lived 300-400 million years ago were subjected to
intense heat and pressure over millions of years.
l Disadvantages:-1.When coal is burnt it produces CO2 causes
global warming
2.Since coal contains impurities like S and N, it produces toxic gases
during burning.
6. Nuclear energy: Nuclear energy is a
fossil fuel and has tremenous potential .
Two methods namely, nuclear fusion and
nuclear fission generate nuclear energy.
l Nuclear power of India
l Tarapur(Maharashtra),
l Ranapratap Sagar (Rajasthan)
l Kalpakkam (Tamilnadu)
l Narora (U.P).
l Use of alternate energy sources
l Why Alternate (Renewable) Energy Sources are required? The importance of solar
energy can be emphasized particularly in view of the fact that fossil fuels and other
conventional sources are not free from environmental implications.
least pollution, safety and security snags and are universally available have the best
enhance of large scale utilization in future
Hydro-electric power generation is expected to upset the ecological balance existing
on earth
Besides space heating, hydel power plants critically pollute the aquatic and terrestrial
biota.
Radioactive pollutants released from nuclear power plants are chronically hazardous.
The commissioning of boiling water power reactors (BWRS) have resulted in the
critical accumulation of large number of long lived radionuclides in water\
The dangerous radiowaste cannot be buried in land without the risk of polluting soil
and underground water.
Nor the waste can be dumped into the rivers without poisoning aquatic life and human
beings as well
The burning of coal, oil, wood, dung cakes and petroleum products has well debated
environmental problems. The smoke so produced causes respiratory and digestive
problems leading to lungs, stomach and eye diseases.
The disposal of fly ash requires large ash ponds and may pose a severe problem
considering the limited availability of land. Thus the non-conventional sources of
energy are needed.
l Benefits of alternative energy options
a) Provide better lighting. Better lighting enables the poor to stretch their period of
economic activity; their children can help them in daily chores and then study in the
evenings.
b)Help the environment. Efficient use of conventional sources of energy or use of
renewable energy helps save the environment from further degradation and gives it
an opportunity to regenerate.
c)Provide sustainable fuel systems. Afforestation and agro forestry, combined with
the introduction of energy-efficient devices, can help to create a sustainable fuel-use
system within the rural community and sustain the ecological balance of a region.
d) Benefit women. Lower dependency on fuel wood and other household fuel sources
reduces the drudgery of women by shortening or eliminating the distances they
travel for fuel collection. The improved cook stove, for example, has been
associated with an average net annual saving of seven person-days of labour a year
in India.
e)Benefit human health. Use of improved cook stoves and biogas plants, for example,
helps reduce or eliminate health problems associated with using conventional cook
stoves, including respiratory diseases and eye problems.
f)Enhance income. Alternative energy sources can provide local employment
opportunities through direct use of energy in small-scale industry and agriculture,
through construction, repair, and maintenance of energy devices, or through the sale
of energy to local utilities. In India, for example, biomass gasification systems are
used to dry horticulture produce (such as large cardamom and ginger). Another
example is the use of solar water-heating systems to meet the hot-water demand of
hotels and hospitals.
l LAND RESOURCES
l Land forms such as hills, valleys, plains, river basins and wetlands
include different resource generating areas that the people living in
them depend on. Many traditional farming societies had ways of
preserving areas from which they used resources.
l If land is utilized carefully it can be considered a renewable resource.
l The roots of trees and grasses bind the soil.
l If forests are depleted, or grasslands overgrazed, the land becomes
unproductive and wasteland is formed. Intensive irrigation leads to
water logging and salinization, on which crops cannot grow. Land is
also converted into a nonrenewable resource when highly toxic
industrial and nuclear wastes are dumped on it.
l Man needs land for building homes, cultivating food, maintaining
pastures for domestic animals, developing industries to provide
goods, and supporting the industry by creating towns and cities.
Equally importantly, man needs to protect wilderness area in
forests, grasslands, wetlands, mountains, coasts, etc. to protect our
vitally valuable bio-diversity.
l Uses of land resources
Land provide, food, wood, minerals, etc., for
us
Land nurtures the plants and animals that
provide our food and shelter.
Land is used as watershed or reservoir
Land acts as a dust bin for most of the
wastes, created by the modern society.
Land is used for construction of buildings,
industries.
l Land Degradation
l The surface layer of land is called soil.
l It covers about four-fifth of the land areas.
l Fertility or the productive capacity of the soil depends on the minerals it
contains.
l As the minerals abound in the top layer of the soil, so the top layer is best
for vegetation.
l It is the decline in land quality or reduction in its productivity or production
potential caused by human activities.
l World wide 5 -7 m ha farm land is being degraded annually..
l Farmland is under threat due to more and more intense utilization. Every
year, between 5 to 7 million hectares of land worldwide is added to the
existing degraded farmland.
l When soil is used more intensively by farming, it is eroded more rapidly by
wind and rain .
l Over irrigating farmland leads to salinization, as evaporation of water
brings the salts to the surface of the soil on which crops cannot grow.
l Over irrigation also creates water logging of the topsoil so that crop roots
are affected and the crop deteriorates. The use of more and more chemical
fertilizers poisons the soil so that eventually the land becomes unproductive.
l Causes for land degradation:
i.) Intensive irrigation leads to water logging and
salinisation, on which crops cannot grow.
ii.) The use of more and more chemical fertilizers
poisons the soil so that eventually the land becomes
unproductive.
iii.) The roots of trees and grasses bind the soil. If
forests are depleted, or grasslands overgrazed, the
land becomes unproductive and wasteland is formed.
iv.) Land is also converted into a non-renewable
resource when highly toxic industrial and nuclear
wastes are dumped on it.
v.) As urban centers grow and industrial expansion
occurs, the agricultural land and forests shrink. This is
a serious loss and has long term ill effects on human
civilization.
l Harmful effects of land degradation
The soil texture and soil structure are
deteriorated
Loss of soil fertility, due to loss of invaluable
nutrients
Increase in water logging, salinity, and
alkalinity and acidity problems.
Loss of economic social and biodiversity.
l Landslides
l Landslides are the downward and outward
movement of a slope composed of earth
materials such as rock, soil, artificial fills.
l Other names of landslides are rockslide, debris
slide, slump, earth flow and soil creep.
l Man induced landslides
l During construction of roads and mining
activities huge portions of fragile mountainous
areas are cut and thrown into adjacent areas
and streams.
l These land masses weaken the already fragile
mountain slopes and lead to landslides called
man induced landslides.
l Causes of landslides
1. Removal of vegetation:-In the sloppy area creates
soil erosion, which leads to landslides.
2. Underground mining:-Cause subsidence of the
ground.
3. Transport:-Due to the movement of buses and trains in
the unstable sloppy region cause landslides.
4. Addition of weight:-Addition of extra weight (or)
construction on the slope areas leads to landslide.
5. Ground water level:-Over exploitation of ground
water also leads to landslides.
Harmful effect of landslides
l Landslide increases the turbidity of nearby streams,
thereby reducing their productivity.
l Destruction of communication links.
l Loss of habitat and biodiversity.
l Loss of infrastructure and economic loss.
l Soil erosion
l The misuse of an ecosystem leads to loss of
valuable soil through erosion by the monsoon
rains and, to a smaller extent, by wind.
l The roots of the trees in the forest hold the soil.
Deforestation thus leads to rapid soil erosion.
l Soil is washed into streams and is transported
into rivers and finally lost to the sea.
l The linkage between the existence of forests and
the presence of soil is greater than the forest’s
physical soil binding function alone.
l Desertification
It is the progressive destruction or degradation of arid or semiarid
lands to desert.
Desertification leads to the conversion of range lands or irrigated
croplands to desert.
Desertification is characterized by devegetation, depletion of
ground water, salination and soil erosion.
Many deserts in the world are man -made. Desertification is
taking place much faster worldwide than historically and
usually arises from the demands of increased populations that
settle on the land in order to grow crops and graze animals.
Around 600 million people are threatened by desertification
(according to UN EP). Globally around 2 billion acres of land
have become deserts in the past 50 years.
l Causes of desertification:
Deforestation:-The process of denuding and degrading a forest
land initiates a desert. If there is no vegetation to hold back the
rain water, soil cannot soak and groundwater level do not
increases.This also increases, soil erosion, loss of fertility.
Overgrazing :- The increase in cattle population heavily grazes
the grass land or forests and as a result denudes the land area.
The denuded land becomes dry, loose and more prone to soil
erosion and leads to desert.
Water management:- Over utilization of ground water,
particularly in the coastal regions, is resulting in saline water
intrusion into aquifers which is unfit for irrigation.
Mining and quarrying:- These activities are also responsible for
loss of vegetal cover and denudation of extensive land area
leading to desertification.
Climate change:- Formation of deserts may also take place due
to climate change, ie., failure of monsoon, frequent droughts.
Pollution:- Excessive use of fertilizers and pesticides and
disposal of toxic water into the land also leads to
desertification
l Effects of desertification
l A major impact of desertification is biodiversity
loss, and loss of productive capacity, such as the
transition from grassland dominated by perennial
grasses to one dominated by perennial shrubs.
l In extreme cases, it leads to the destruction of
lands’ ability to support life.In short the harmful
effects are:
l Around 80% of the productive land in the arid
and semi-regions are converted into desert.
l Around 600 million people are threatened by
desertification.
l Control of desertification
1. Afforestation and planting of soil binding grasses
can check soil erosion, floods and water logging.
2. Crop rotation and mixed cropping improve the
fertility of the soil. It would increase production
which can sustain large population.
3. Desertification can be checked by artificial bunds
or covering the area with proper type of
vegetation.
4. Shifting of sand can be controlled by mulching
(use of artificial protective covering.)
5. Salinity of the soil can be checked by improved
drainage. Saline soil can be recovered by
leaching with more water, particularly where
water table of the ground is not very high.
l Role of an individual in conservation of natural
resources.
I. Conserve Water
l Don’t keep water taps running while brushing, shaving,
washing or bathing.
l Check for water leaks in pipes and toilets and repair
them promptly. A small pin-hole sized leak will lead to
the wastage of 640 liters of water in a month.
l Use drip irrigation and sprinkling irrigation to improve
irrigation efficiency and reduce evaporation.
l Install a small system to capture rain water and collect
normally wasted used water from sinks, cloth-washers,
bathtubs etc. which can be used for watering the plants
l Build rain water harvesting system in your house. Even
the President of India is doing this.
2. Conserve energy
l Turn off lights, fans and other appliances when not in
use.
l Obtain as much heat as possible from natural sources.
Dry the clothes in sun instead of drier if it is a sunny day.
l Use solar cooker for cooking your food on sunny days
which will be more nutritious and will cut down on your
LPG expenses.
l Grow deciduous trees and climbers at proper places
outside your home to cut off intense heat of summers
and get a cool breeze and shade. This will cut off your
electricity charges on coolers and air-conditioners.
l Try riding bicycle or just walk down small distances
instead of using your car or scooter.
3. Protect the soil
While constructing your house, don’t uproot the
trees as far as possible. Plant the disturbed
areas with a fast growing native ground cover.
Make compost from your kitchen waste and use it
for your kitchen-garden or flower-pots.
Do not irrigate the plants using a strong flow of
water, as it would wash off the soil.
If you own agricultural fields, do not over-irrigate
your fields without proper drainage to prevent
water logging and salinisation.
Use mixed cropping so that some specific soil
nutrients do not get depleted.
4. Promote Sustainable Agriculture
Do not waste food. Take as much as you
can eat
Reduce the use of pesticides.
Fertilize your crop primarily with organic
fertilizers.
Eat local and seasonal vegetables. This
saves lot of energy on transport, storage
and preservation.
Control pests by a combination of cultivation
and biological control methods.