"Concerned social scientists are clear on what we need to do: we must move toward a regenerative economy, an economy that operates in harmony with nature, repurposing used resources, minimizing waste, and replenishing depleted resources. We must return to the innate wisdom of nature herself, the ultimate regenerator and recycler of all resources." — Christiana Figueres and Tom Rivett-Carnac in ‘The Future We Choose’

The Big Questions?

1. How do we categorise natural resources?

2. What is the connection between the distribution of natural resources and different aspects of life?

3. What are the implications of unsustainable use / over exploitation of natural resources?

WHEN DOES NATURE BECOME A RESOURCE?

One of the meanings of the word ‘Nature’ is the totality of life and non-life forms that are part of our environment but have not been created by humans. When humans use these for their sustenance, or create new things from them for consumption, these elements of Nature become ‘resources’. For example, trees are part of the environment; they exist independently of humans. When we cut them and convert their wood into furniture, we see the trees as a resource.

Often these entities are not easily accessible. For example, there may be petroleum in places deep under the ocean that we do not have the technology to access, or the extraction cost may be too high; or it may be culturally unacceptable like cutting trees in sacred groves. So, for an entity to be called a resource, it should be technologically accessible, and its exploitation should be economically feasible and culturally acceptable. (Usually, the word ‘exploitation’ has a negative connotation; in the context we use it here, it means ‘extraction, utilisation and consumption of Natural resources’.)

The Earth has treasures, many of which have formed over millions of years, and which humans have taken and learnt to use. These include the most obvious ones like water, air and soil, and also the not-so-obvious ones like coal, petroleum, precious stones, metal ores, timber, etc.

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→ In many indigenous traditions of the world, Nature is considered sacred. You have read about this. In such traditions, Nature is a nurturer and nourisher.

→ Do you know of practices that reflect this?

Resources essential for life

Life could not exist on Earth without the air we breathe, the water we drink and the food we eat. We take these from the atmosphere, the rivers and ponds, and through the cultivation of soil or other living things. We cannot make the air we breathe, the water we drink, or the soil which gives us food.

Resources for materials.

Human beings create physical objects out of Nature’s gifts. We make them for our utility or to create things of beauty that enrich our lives and those of others ― a piece of wood can be transformed into a chair and also carved into a statuette. India’s geographical diversity provides us with a wide variety of natural resources, from wood to marble, and coal to gold.

Resources for energy

Energy is a cornerstone of modern living — electricity for our buildings, transportation, and all types of production processes. This energy can come from diverse natural sources: coal, water, petroleum, natural gas, sunlight, wind, etc.

Renewable and non-renewable resources

A second way of categorising natural resources could be based on whether they are renewable or not.

A general principle of Nature is that it functions in a restorative and regenerative way. Restoration is the process of returning something to its original healthy state if it has been degraded or damaged. Nature heals, renews and maintains herself over time. A cut on your skin will normally heal; a forest recovers after a wildfire. Regeneration goes beyond restoration. It is about Nature’s ability to create new life and the conditions for thriving.

Renewable resources

Renewable resources exhibit these characteristics over time. Most of India has abundant sunshine. In the natural course, rivers are fed regularly by rain and melting glaciers,forests renew themselves, soil replenishes itself through natural processes, and so on.

Solar energy, wind energy, energy from flowing water, timber from forests are renewable resources as long as we are able to manage them in a sustainable manner.

However, for them to remain renewable there is a condition — the natural rhythm of restoration and regeneration must not be disturbed. If we harvest timber faster than the forest can grow trees, we will eventually deplete the forest. Scientists have shown that through irresponsible human actions, many of Nature’s cycles have been disturbed. A combination of several factors interacting — fossil fuel-driven industrialisation and the cutting down of forests for agriculture and other purposes are two of them — has led to rising temperatures that we are experiencing; on account of this, the glaciers in some places in the Himalayas are melting at a rate faster than precipitation can replace them. This has implications on water security for the populations living in the plains dependent on the ‘water tower’.

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We need industries to produce the goods we consume. The process also creates wastes that are frequently discharged into rivers and other water bodies. Often, these wastes cannot decay to become the food of some lifeform. Instead, it leads to a disturbance in Nature’s cycle of restoration and regeneration, leading to a situation where the river becomes poisonous and cannot support life.

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Renewable resources

Non-renewable resources are created over long periods. They cannot be replenished at the rate we use them. For example, fossil fuels (coal and petroleum), and minerals and metals like iron, copper and gold, are non-renewable resources. India has significant quantities of coal reserves. We mine coal to meet our growing need for energy, but it has been estimated that the coal reserves in India may last another 50 years; the demand for electricity has been increasing as the population expands and development work accelerates. Till more sustainable options become available widely, we need to use the coal we have judiciously.

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DISTRIBUTION OF NATURAL RESOURCES AND ITS IMPLICATIONS

Natural resources are not evenly distributed across our planet or even within countries. This uneven distribution shapes human settlements, trade patterns, international relations, and conflicts too. Many wars have been fought, and continue to be fought, to gain control over natural resources.

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Industries located near natural resources create employment opportunities for the local people. Townships grow around them and expand economic opportunities for others, too. More modern facilities that improve the quality of life become accessible. However, these benefits are often accompanied by costs, in the short term as well as in the long term. We have examples from across the world of people living in resource-rich areas who have been displaced from their homes to facilitate such developments. In some cases their sacred places are under threat, leading to conflicts.

National and international trade depend on the geographical location of natural resources. Combined with human knowledge and skills, these can create unique products like the Wootz steel. As we know, trade fuelled the development of large empires in India.

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Nature does not pay attention to political boundaries. This leads to tensions regarding the sharing of natural resources across states as well as countries. One example is the sharing of Kaveri River water among Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Kerala and Puducherry; negotiations and deft management were required to maintain peace and fair sharing. Of course, reaching such agreements between neighbouring countries is not easy.

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However, the challenge of balancing resource extraction with sustainability remains. Understanding and managing natural resources is a valuable starting point, but human knowledge, good governance, and strategic planning determine whether they become lasting benefits or temporary windfalls.

Restoration and regeneration of renewable resources

Here are two examples of how we are pushing the use of natural resources beyond their capacity to regenerate.

Many farmers in our country extract groundwater for irrigation purposes. In most states, the extraction rate is greater than the rate at which the water table is replenished. Over time, this deficit builds up, leading to higher cost of extraction of groundwater and eventually to its unavailability. It has been predicted that many of our growing cities will run out of groundwater soon. Initiatives to raise groundwater levels have been launched to remedy this. Traditional practices of water harvesting, rejuvenation of ponds and tanks, cutting down on wasteful consumption of water, processing and reusing water are some of the strategies attempted.

Similarly, the improper use of chemical fertilisers and pesticides has led to soil degradation. Tradi- tional farming practices considered soil to be part of Mother Earth. Practices like the use of cow dung and other natural fertilisers, mulching, multi-cropping, and so on, enabled holistic soil management. We must learn from these practices and apply them in our current situation to prevent further degradation. We need to replenish and rejuvenate our soil.

Overexploitation of groundwater: a caselet from Punjab

A crisis has unfolded in the fertile plains of Punjab where groundwater resources have been severely depleted. Punjab was home to the Green Revolution that fed a large proportion of our population, and contributed to India becoming self-sufficient in food. Today the same state faces issues of sustainability — Nature has been exploited beyond regeneration, at least in the short term. However, this concern is not particular to Punjab; it affects many other states.

In the 1960s, farmers shifted to high-yielding varieties of wheat and paddy. These required more water than the traditional seeds, and farmers began to extract groundwater to meet this need. In addition, the supply of free power led to the over-pumping of groundwater (a situation still prevalent in much of India today). Modern farming techniques also required the use of chemical pesticides and fertilisers.

The combined effect of these factors is that the groundwater level in a large part of Punjab (see fig. 1.17) has become inaccessible till depths of about 30 metres; and the chemicals from the pesticides and fertilisers have dissolved in the groundwater causing health hazards.

Almost 80% of the area of Punjab has been classified as ‘over- exploited’; in other words, we have drawn water at a rate much greater than at which restoration and rejuvenation of groundwater is possible.

We can see that food security was ensured for the short term, but the long-term consequences will take time and effort to heal.

The case of cement

We cannot imagine life without cement. Our houses, schools and hospitals and other buildings, bridges, roads and airports, all require cement. The production of cement has been listed as one of the most polluting industries. The process of production releases fine dust that enters our lungs and those of animals damaging them, settles on leaves of plants decreasing their yields, and causes soil and water pollution too. The Central Pollution Control Board has created guidelines for cement factories to ensure that the pollution is minimised or eliminated.

In addition, there is a move towards creating alternative materials that reduce pollution. These include the use of traditional materials like stone and mud, new plant-based materials and recycled materials from waste plastic.

Traditional materials and methods are being combined with modern technological advances to create new materials that are sustainable — the process of production is less polluting, provides local employment, and is designed keeping in mind the climate of the place.

A caselet from Sikkim

Pema’s family farm in Sikkim faced declining yields and mounting debts from expensive chemical inputs. When the state government announced a policy to promote organic farming throughout the state, Pema’s family decided to try. It was not an easy transition — initially the yields dropped as the soil was recovering from years of chemical use.

The family switched to compost, prepared natural pest repellents using neem and garlic, and started growing multiple crops across the year. After about five years, Pema’s farm was thriving. She was able to sell her cardamom, ginger, and traditional vegetables at premium prices. In 2016, Sikkim became a 100 per cent organic state with all of its farmland certified organic. The effects were transformational — local biodiversity flourished, with beneficial insects and birds returning; tourism increased as visitors came to see the organic farming model, and farmers’ incomes grew by 20 per cent on average. Today, Sikkim serves as a global model, demonstrating that an entire region can successfully transition to sustainable agricultural practices while improving both ecological and economic outcomes.

Responsible and judicious use of resources

In the case of non-renewables we need to ensure that we use the resources so that they can last long enough for humanity to find more sustainable alternatives. For example, we need to make the switch to renewable sources of energy for as many purposes as we can.

Even as we deal with these issues we must be mindful that the distribution and access to resources, including basic ones like water and clean air, is often unfair to some sections of society. In cities, many areas do not receive adequate and regular supply of drinking water. Air pollution caused by industries and excessive use of fossil fuels, affects those who are unable to protect themselves from these hazards.

We must remember our relationship with Nature and act as stewards of natural resources toward restoration, regeneration, and sustainability. The Bhagavad Gītā refers to lokasangraha, the idea that everyone must transcend personal desires and act for the wellbeing of all. Has the time come for us to consider this seriously?