WOLLO UNIVERSITY

COLLAGE OF AGRICULTURE
DEPARTMENT OF Soil and Water Resource
Management
COURSE : Introduction to Natural
Resource
COURSE CODE: (NaRM 1051)

Soil and water conservation by Derese A.

 water
conservation
Derese Abi
BSc. Soil and water conservation
(Mekelle U.)
MSc. Soil and water conservation
Engineering (Haramaya
University)
• Address: Mobil- +251-0914068526
Email-
[email protected]
Soil and water
conservation by Derese A.
 OUTLINES
 INTRODUCTION to NR

 THE NATURAL RESOURCE BASE OF ETHIOPIA

 MANAGEMENT OF NR

 NATURAL RESOURCES DEGRADATION

 SOIL AND WATER MANAGEMENT

 Population Development and Environment

 GLOBAL ENVIRONMENTAL INSECURITY

Soil and water conservation by Derese A.
 Course objectives
At the end of the course, students will be able to:
Define and examine the concepts of natural
resource.

Students will able to classify natural resource,

identify land degradation and Sustainable NR
management, population Development and
Environment and know the natural resource base of
Ethiopia; natural resource management and agro
biodiversity.
 CHAPTER 1: DEFINITION OF NATURAL RESOURCES

1.1. Definitions of Natural Resource

 Our planet is made of natural components. The natural
components in the environment are called
natural resources. These resources are the basis of life on
earth and can be consumed directly or indirectly.
 Definition:1. The resources found in the natural
environment that are developed without the intervention of
humans are called natural resources. Air, sunlight, water,
soil, stone, plants, animals and fossil fuels are the
examples.
 2. Natural resources are those things found in nature,
such as forests, mineral deposits, soil, and fresh water,
which have economic value. Air and wind, fossil fuels,
minerals, people, soil, sunlight, water, and wildlife are
 CHAPTER 1 cont…………….
1.2. Classification of natural resource
On the basis of origin, resources can be divided
into:

Biotic - Biotic resources are obtained from the

biosphere, such as forests and their products,
animals, birds and their products, fish and other
marine organisms.

A biotic - A biotic resources include non-living

things. Examples include land, water, air and ores
such as gold, iron, copper, silver etc.
 CHAPTER 1 cont…………….
1.2. Classification of natural resource ……………
Considering their stage of development, natural
resources may be divided in to:

Potential or speculative Resources: Potential

resources are those that exist in a region and may be
used in the future.

 For example, petroleum occurs with sedimentary rocks in

various regions, but until the time it is actually drilled out
and put into use, it remains a potential resource.
 CHAPTER 1 cont…………….
1.2. Classification of natural resource ……………
Reserve resources: The part of an actual resource which can
be developed profitably in the future is called a reserve
resource.

Stock resources: Stock resources are those that have been

surveyed but cannot be used by organisms due to lack of
technology. For example: hydrogen.

Actual Resources or proven resources: Actual resources

are those that have been surveyed, their quantity and quality
determined and are being used in present times. The
development of an actual resource, such as wood processing
depends upon the technology available and the cost involved
 CHAPTER 1 cont…………….
1.2. Classification of natural resource ……………
With respect to renewability, natural resources can be
categorized as follows:
i. Renewable resources —
 Renewable resources can be replenished naturally.
 Some of these resources, like sunlight, air, wind, water, etc., are
continuously available and their quantity is not noticeably
affected by human consumption.
 Though many renewable resources do not have such a rapid
recovery rate, these resources are susceptible to depletion by
over-use.
 Resources from a human use perspective are classified as
renewable so long as the rate of replenishment/recovery exceeds
that of the rate of consumption.
 They replenish easily compared to Non-renewable resources.
 CHAPTER 1 cont…………….
1.2. Classification of natural resource ……………
ii. Non-renewable resources
 Non-renewable resources either form slowly or do not naturally
form in the environment.
 Minerals are the most common resource included in this category.
By the human perspective, resources are non-renewable when their
rate of consumption exceeds the rate of replenishment/recovery; a
good example of this are fossil fuels, which are in this category
because their rate of formation is extremely slow (potentially
millions of years), meaning they are considered non-renewable.
 Some resources actually naturally deplete in amount without
human interference, the most notable of these being radio-active
elements such as uranium, which naturally decay into heavy metals.
 Of these, the metallic minerals can be re-used by recycling
them, but coal and petroleum cannot be recycled. Once they are
completely used they take millions of years to replenish.
 CHAPTER 1 cont…………….
1.2. Classification of natural resource ……………
 Difference between Renewable and Non-renewable resources:

Renewable resource Non-renewable resource

Once completely consumed,

It can be renewed as it is available in
infinite quantity it cannot be renewed due to limited
stock

Sustainable by nature Exhaustible by nature

Low cost and environment friendly High cost and less environment friendly

Biodegradable and infinite in nature Minerals and manmade products

 CHAPTER 1 cont…………….
1.2. Classification of natural resource ……………
Top 5 natural resources are:
1) Air: Clean air is important for all the plants, animals, humans
to survive on this planet. So it is necessary to take measures to
reduce air pollution.
2)Water: 70% of earth is covered in water and only 2 % of that is
fresh water. Initiative to educate and regulate the use of water
should be taken.
3)Soil: Soil is composed of various particles and nutrients. It
helps plants grow
4)Iron: It is made from silica and is used to build strong weapons,
transportation and buildings
5)Forests: As the population increases, the demand for housing
and construction projects also increases. Forests provide clean
 CHAPTER 1 cont…………….
1.3. The need for NR management
 The need for the management and studying of natural
resource are:
Natural resources are important base for economic
development
They are an indication of land and patterns of cultural
development
The study involves the study of certain mechanisms that
explains the dynamic relationship between the elements
of nature, man and his activities.
NR has paramount economic and political significances.
The study of NR is subjected to scientific studies having
multiple purposes
 1.4. Sustainable NR management
 A common classification of sustainable natural
resources is as follows.
i. Non renewable and non recyclable resources
such as fossil fuels
ii. Non renewable but recyclable resources, such as
minerals
iii.Quickly renewable resources such as fish
iv. Slowly renewable resources such as forests
v. Environmental resources, such as air, water and
soil
vi. Flow resources, such as solar and wind energy
 The goals for sustainable resource development include;
 Preservation of scarce species extinction
 Protection of ecosystem and biodiversity upon which all
life depend
 The establishment of nature and biosphere under various
types of protection
 Conservation and sustainable use of scarce resources such
as water, land and air
 Development of alternative, green, low carbon or
renewable energy resources
 Converting of non recyclable materials into energy
through direct combustion or after conservation into
secondary fuels
 What is Natural Resource Management?

 Resources include the entire natural environment that is useful to

humans.
 Resources are actually stocks of nature like soil, minerals, water,
coal, forests, and more. But because of the increasing population
and technological development, our natural resources are getting
polluted and depleted.

 Natural Resource Management (NRM) deals with managing the

way people and natural landscapes interact.
 It brings together water management, land use planning,
biodiversity conservation, and the future sustainability of
industries such as mining, tourism, agriculture, forestry, and
fisheries.

 It also recognizes that people and their livelihoods rely on the

productivity and health of our landscapes, and the caretaking of the
land plays a major role in maintaining this productivity and health.
 FACTORS AFFECTING NATURAL RESOURCES DEVELOPMENT
The factors that affect natural resources development include:
 Human intervention, such as construction of buildings, motorways
or railways which result in the fragmentation of habitats which
strongly limits the possibility for contact or migration among them.
 Loss of species of fauna and flora: The biodiversity is affected by
different species numbers and the loss of habitats in many regions.
 Reduction and fragmentation of habitats and landscapes in
expansion of human activities into the natural environment,
manifested by urbanization, recreation, industrialization and
agriculture.
 The reduction of the habitats also affects the genetic diversity of the
species living there.
 Smaller habitats can only accommodate smaller populations as a
result; there is an impoverished gene pool. The reduction of genetic
resources of a species diminishes its flexibility and evolutionary
adaptability to changing situations. This has negative impacts on its
 Methods of Sustainable Management

 We can reduce the environmental pressure by following the concept named 3R's,
which means to Reduce, Recycle, and Reuse.

1) Reduce
It means to use the natural resources less, which can be done by: like,
Switching off the electrical appliances when they are not in use.
Saving fuel by walking or using public transport.
Saving food by cooking limitedly or not wasting it, and so on.

2) Recycle
It is defined as the processing or recycling of waste to form new products.

Practicing the concept of recycling saves resources, costs, and also reduces the piling
of waste materials.
3) Reuse
 It is defined as using an item more than once like,
 Reuse the envelope.
 The containers of jams and pickles should be reused by storing other food items or
groceries.
 Use cloth/jute bags instead of the polyethene ones, and so on.
Thank you!

Questions??