ENVIRONMENTAL

STUDIES
 Natural resources
Meaning and Definition
 Natural resources can be defined as the substances which
occur in nature are found to be useful tool for development.
 These resources become a wealth when they are
development, if not developed they remain potential
resources.
 Importance and exploitation of
resources
 Quantity of resources
 Quality of resources
 Depth of Occurrence (Cost of exploitation)
 Accessibility and transportability: Siberian, Gas pipeline, Alaska
 gas pipeline
 Technical know how (Skill)
 The value of resources to be tapped
 Classification and types of
resources
 Classified on the physical state (solid, liquid, gas) or
geographical location.
 Maritime resources (Sea))- Terrestrial Resources(Land)
 Precious – ordinary
 Organic (Fish, animal, plant) vs. inorganic (Mineral)
 Natural scenic beauty
 Human being
 Classification and types of
resources

Resources

Natural (Physical) Human

Renewable
Non- renewable 1. Flow : Water, Crop Population Capital
E.g.. Fossil, Fuel 2. Continues : Wind, (Technology, Politics) Building , Transport
Power, Tide
 Factors influencing Resource
 The various factors on the earth are unevenly distributed for example, The
land and water, Population, Fissile fuel and minerals Vegetation etc.
 there is relationship between the location of certain resources and
geographical factors like terrain, temperature, rainfall, slope, geological
Structure, rivers and other factor.
Resource conservation
 Conservation or preservation of resources is the need of the time.
 Resources are useful to the man.
They should not be fully exhausted.
 The uncontrolled exploitation will
give rise to scarcity.
 Conservation is careful use of resources. It is control on exploitation. It also include
regeneration, reuse of sources.
 The resources are useful for future generation so they should be preserved. its called
sustainable development.
Conventional energy resources
 Conventional energy resources
 The energy sources which can’t be compensated once
they are used are termed is conventional energy
resources.
 The conventional sources are generally non renewable
resources. Which are being used since a long time.
 These sources of energy are being extensively in such
way that their known resources have been depleted up
to great extend.
 Coal
 Coal is major conventional energy sources. It is formed from the
remains of the trees and fern grew In the swamp. The bacterial and
chemical decomposition of the plants debris produced and
intermediate product known as peat mainly cellulose (C6h10o5).
Due to progressive decomposition by heat and pressure the
cellulose lost the moister and got converted in coal.
 Coal is used in fuel for boiler and steam engines, generation of
electricity by thermal plants.
 Coal reserve found in Jharkhand, Orissa, West Bengal, M.P. , A. P.
 Oil and Natural Gas
 Petroleum is derived from dead animals that lived in remote
past. Its accurse under rocky strata.
 The viscous black liquid is known as petroleum and the gas in
contact with petroleum layer which flow from oil well
natural is termed as natural gas.
 The composition of natural gas is methane (95%), ethane,
propane, butane (3.6%), Co2 (0.48%), N2(1.92%).
 Offshore field: Mumbai, Gujarat, Assam and Arunachal
Pradesh, Godavari basin.
 World: Saudi Arab, Iraq, Iran, Kuwait, USA, Mexico, Russia.
 Electricity
 Thermal power
 Hydroelectricity
 Nuclear power
 Thermal Energy
 When steam is allowed to pass through narrow channel, it acquire great force which
is useful to rotate the huge turbines within a magnetic field.
 Coal is used to generate thermal energy.
 Irrespective of geographical location electricity can be generated by transporting fuel
like coal, oil and gas

 Problems: Air Pollution
Storage of fuel
Transportation.
 Hydro electric Power
 Environmental friendly, smokeless, clean energy
 Greater height differences greater the speed.
 Mountain region with canon and deep George are useful for hydel
project, strong rocks are necessary to support dam.
 Demerits:
 Capital expenditure high at initial stage
 Variable rainfall
 Submergence of forest and farm
 Displacement of people
 Nuclear energy
Nuclear or atomic power used to create heat.
Its depends on costly technology
Special type of atomic minerals like uranium and monazite are used.
Chernobyl Explosion in atomic Reactor: 1986
 Chernobyl – explosion in the atomic
reactor 26th April 1986
 Flow of radio active waves reached up to Europe
 Russian govt. Kept incident silent: but news appeared on TV.
 4 atomic plants were build in Ukraine at Chernobyl (water cool Graphite Plants)
 The example of unsuitable, acceptable, useless human tendency: the officer forced to
follow his instructions and made six blunders.
 Plant was burning for 12 days.
 31 people died on spot, 1 lakh 35 thousand Russian displaced,
 Number of death 1.25 lathes up to 1995
 Many born kids were physical handicapped.
 Land was uncultivable for 100 years
 Economic loss 385 billion of dollars
 Non-Conventional Energy
resources
 Non-conventional energy sources are also called renewable energy.
 The energy directly comes from the nature and never be exhausted
 Forms of the energy:
 Solar energy
 Wind energy
 Bio energy
 Hydro energy
 Geothermal energy
 Wave and tidal energy
 Solar energy
 The solar energy obtained from sun since prehistoric time.
 The solar energy is 15,000 times more than the world annual
commercial consumption
 The various gadget are used.
 Solar water heater
 Solar cooker
 Solar photovoltaic (PV) Cells
 Wind energy
 Wind is horizontal movement of air.
 Wind energy can be harnessed by using wind turbines is called
wind mill.
 Wind speed at list 15Km/h. Is necessary
 India rank 5th in wind power generation in the world.
 Potential stations:
 Tamil nadu (39), Gujarat (36), A.P. (30), Maharashtra
(27),karnatka (26), Kerala (16), and other
 Biomass
 Biomass is a renewable energy resource derived from carbonaceous waste of
various human and natural activity.
 Biomass does not add carbon dioxide in atmosphere as it absorbs the same
amount of carbon in growing as it releases when consumed as fuel.
 Biomass energy resources:
 Biogas: generated from cow dunk, human waste. Its useful to get energy
and manure. Cheap source of energy in rural area.

 Biomass Briquetting:
the process of densifying loose agro waste in to sloidified biomass of high
density which can be used as fuel is called briquetting. E.g. Coffee Husk,
groundnut shell, barley straw, tabbaco dust, rice husk etc.

 Bio Fuel :
Biomass can directly convert in bio fuel, ethanol and biodiesel are
examples of bio fuel.
 Tidal energy
 Tide accur due to gravitational pull of the moon. Tide accure at regular interval at
every corner of earth.
 Tidal electricity generation involves the construction of barrage across the esturies to
block the incoming and outgoing tide.
 The head of water is then used to drive turbines to generate electricty from elevated
water in the basin of hydroelectronic dams.
 A tidal range of at 7m is required for economical operation.
Water resources
 Earth is blue planet. 71% of the earth area is occpied by the
water but 97.4% of this is salt water. Sodium cloriede is
abundant in the water.
 Water proportion
 Ocean & sea :97.41%
 Icecaps and glacier : 1.9%
 Ground water : 0.5%
 Soil Moister : 0.01%
 Lakes and River : 0.009%
 Atmosphere : 0.0001%
water Scarcity
 Reasons of water scarcity :
 Variation in Annual rainfall
 Evaporation
 Priority to urban area.
 Demand by industry
 Per capita demand due to sophisticated lifestyle
 Uneven water distribution through canal
Water distribution
 Geographical factors are influential for the availability of water resources. The
water resources are unevenly distributed in the world.
 E.g. Himalayan River and Peninsular river
 Uneven rainfall in the world
 Population and consumption of water : More population demand more water
 The availability of water depends on various factor like rainfall, ground water,
run off, technology to store water, population growth, lifestyle, number of
industries, irrigation facility.
World water availability
Water conservation
 Uneven distribution of water can be modified by human will and
skill, using various modern and traditional means.
 Handling tap – water system can reduce wastage of water
 Redesign manufacturing process for industry.
 Repair leaking underground pipes
 Landscape yards with plants require little water.
 Use drip irrigation
 Fix water leaks
 Using water meter, increasing water price
 Water conservation: Rainwater harvesting
 Reuse water
 Modern techniques for water
conservation
 Drip irrigation : water can be supply drop by drop at the base of plant. There
is effective use of water.
 Change in cropping pattern: Rotation of crop, Natural farming system
 Use of sea water in huge thermal station
 Interlinking of rivers
Ganga –Brahmaputra diverted to Deccan River.
 storing water in huge reservoirs: Dams Control flood, Soil Erosion but these
dams are huge loss of biodiversity.
 Breaking of dams leads to flood, E.g. Panshet dam broken in Pune
 Water pollution
 When the fresh And pure water gets mixed up with certain organic and
inorganic chemical/salt/domestic waste, it becomes toxic. It is of no use
for drinking. If the impurities are beyond certain limits it is said to be
polluted.
Rainwater harvesting
 Pani Panchyat: in Purandar at Pune by Shri. Vilasrao Salunkhe
 Paani foundation
 Ralegan Shindi the project by Anna Hajare
 Calcite Belt in Rajsthan by Shri Rajenra sing

 Water cup
 Forest
 Forest implies for a dense, less open formation of different type of
vegetation in which dominant vegetation are tree.
 types of forest

World forest

Tropical forest Temperate forest

Coniferous/ taiga/
Monsoon/ boreal forest Temperate
Evergreen forest
deciduous forest deciduas forest
Economic Importance of Forest
 Forest products
 Timber:, used for paper, locomotive, paper, fuel, furniture, boat
building , match stick, etc.
 Minor forest product: flowers, tendu leaves for making bidi, bamboo,
lac, honey, root etc.
 Chemical product: medicine leaves, chaulmoorga oil used for leprocy.
etc
 Fuel: coal and fossil fuel, Jatropha plant for biodiesel
 Animal feed stuff: fodder
 Industrial raw material: rubber , tobacco, palm
 Forest land
 Slash and burn agriculture is practiced in forest
 Forest land is used for construction of dam, railway route, roads and
used for agriculture purpose.
Amazon forest….. Lungs of the
world
Chico Mandez…A man who fought for
Amazon forest …
 Ecological Significance of forest
 Natural Habitat for Flora and Fauna:
shelter for plants, birds animal species.

 Forest regulate the climate of surrounding region:

play vital role in regulating climate, controlling water run-off, provide pure air.
 Forest cover helps to tackle with global warming, green house gas effect.
 Global warming will effects in climate change, drought and flood.
 Prevents from desertification
 Forest prevents soil erosion
 Forest prevents desertification:
 Desertification :
destruction of biological of the biological potential of land and can lead ultimately to
desert like condition.
 Distribution of forest
 Evergreen rainforest:
 Amazon basin : south America
 Zaire Forest: Congo Basin, Central Africa

 Tropical evergreen forest:

 south East Asia, Indonesia,

 Deciduous forest : Monsoon Region, central India

 Short grass: Prairies (Canada) and steppes ( Russia)
 Coniferous forest :Taiga forest of soft wood
 Degradation of forest and soil
 Soil erosion:
soil erosion is defined as the detachment
and transportation of the top soil either by partially or completely.
 Soil erosion results from
rainfall, wind, slope, deforestation, ploughing up the land , overgrazing of animal.
 Loss of biodiversity:
Biodiversity includes all genera, species, ecosystem and ecological process. Due to mass
hunting and dumping of toxic waste in soil many animal and plants face extinction today.
 Global warming:
Deforestation leading to increase in Co2 resulting in global warming.
 Deforestation leads to flood and soil erosion.
 Reduced rainfall
 Scarcity of forest products like timber and fire wood.
Conservation of forest
 Afforestation is the activity of planting trees in the area from
they are removed.
 Objectives:
 Protect degraded ecosystem
 Conserve soil on tropical mountain watershed
 Enhance recreational opportunity
 Provide materail for industrial purpose
 Provide woods
 India’s forest Policy
 The principal aim: To ensure environmental stability ecological balance.
 New Forest Policy 1988 has the following features
 all forest management agencies should be associated with tribal people.
 The total area in the country should be raised to 100 million hectare or 33% of the total
geographical area of the country.
 Forest based industry should get raw material from wood raised through farm.
 The system of the contractors working will be replaced by institution like tribal co-
operative.
 Offense to put forest into non forest uses: Plantation purpose
 Suggested alternative to industrial timber , railway sleepers and woods.
 Moderation, Industrialization, urbanization

 Life style and sophistication

 The standard of living of the people

 Nature of transport
 Widening gap between increasing demand and limited supply
 Estimated : coal may last for 100 years, oil 35 years and gas
45 years
 Oil price increased: four times October 1973 and October
1974
 Next hike was in 1979 due to Iranian evolution
 War for energy politics: Arab – Israel , Iran – Iraq, Iran –
Kuwait etc.
 Pressure on poor economy
 Alternative sources are initiated
 Lack of resources management and accountability, Lack
support to economic polices lead to exploitation of
resources.
 The world commission on Environment and Development
published a report in 1987 defined sustainable development:
 The development that meet the need of present without
Comprising the ability of future generation to meet
Their own needs.