Study Notes on the Resources and their types

What are Resources?

Any substance which is of some use to humans is considered a Resource. In other words, anything that has the utility to satisfy our wants is known as a resource.

Time and Technology are two factors that can change substances into resources.

For example, Technology is used to generate hydraulic electricity from Fast flowing water. Converting it into an economically valuable resource.

Types of Resources

There are three types of resources

Natural Resources:

These are the resources that are obtained from nature and are used without much modification.

Examples of Natural resources are soil, water, air, etc.

Natural resources can be classified into two groups based on development:

1. Actual Resources: These are the resources whose quantity is known and are in use at present.
   Example: Coal of Germany, Petroleum in West Asia
   
   
2. Potential Resources: These are resources whose entire quantity may not be known and are reserved for future consumption.
   Example: Uranium in Ladakh.

Natural resources can be classified into two groups based on origin:

1. Abiotic Resources: It includes all the non-living things. These are the resources that are derived from non-living things like soil, rocks, minerals, etc.
2. Biotic Resources: It includes all living things. These are the resources that are derived from living things like plants and animals.

Natural resources can be classified into two groups based on renewability.

1. Renewable Resources: These are the resources that can be replenished or renewed quickly or in a short period. These resources are called non-exhaustible resources.
   Example: Sunlight, wind, etc.
2. Non-Renewable Resources: These are the resources that cannot get replenished or renewed quickly. It takes a lot of years for these resources to replenish again i.e. these resources are exhaustible.
   Examples: Coal, Petroleum, etc.

Natural resources can be classified into two groups based on distribution.

1. Ubiquitous resources: Ubiquitous resources are the resources that are found everywhere on earth. Land, water, and air are ubiquitous resources.
   
   
2. Localized resources: Localized resources are the resources that are found only in certain places, like copper and iron ore.
   
   
3. Human Made Resources: The resources created by humans from natural resources to produce useful goods are referred to as Human Resources.
   Example: Roads, Dams, Bridges, etc. So technology is also a human-made resource.
   
   
4. Human Resource: Human resources refers to the number and abilities of individuals (mental and physical). The human resource includes professionals who serve society in any way such as a tailor, teacher, lawyer, engineer, etc. all are human resources.

Human Resource Development:

Improving the quality of an individual’s skill to help him create better human-made resources is known as Human Resource Development.

Conservation of Resources:

Conservation of resources refers to using natural resources carefully and sustainably so that they could be renewed and can be utilized in the future.

Need for Conservation of Resources: We need to conserve natural resources because most of the resources are non-renewable and thus are limited in stock. Overuse of these resources can cause complete exhaustion of these resources.

Sustainable development:

Sustainable use of resources or sustainable development refers to carefully utilizing resources and balancing the need to use resources and also conserve them for future generations.

Each individual can contribute by using the Five R’s i.e. Reduce, Reuse, Refuse, Repurpose and Recycle.

Reducing is limiting the use of a substance which harms the environment like Plastic bottles, Firewood, etc.

Reuse is reusing the reduced substance to avoid making more waste. Like using a plastic bottle to make a pen holder.

Repurpose is to take something and use it for something else, it includes a little crafting.

Refuse is to decline the purchase or acceptance of products that can harm the environment

Recycling is the process of converting waste materials into new materials and objects.

Some Principles of Sustainable Development are as follows:

• We should respect and care for all forms of life.
• One should always work to improve the quality of human life.
• We must conserve the Earth's vitality and diversity.
• We need to minimize the depletion of natural resources.
• Change personal attitudes and practices for the benefit of the environment.
• Enable and educate communities to care for their environment.

Thanks