Natural Resources and Their Use: Class 8 CBSE Notes | Exploring Society India and Beyond

🌿 Natural Resources – Study Notes

🌍 What are Natural Resources?

Natural resources are materials and substances that come from Nature and are useful to humans.

👉 Examples:

• Air

• Water

• Soil

• Forests

• Minerals

• Sunlight

📌 Key Idea:
Everything we use in daily life ultimately comes from Nature — even things like plastic (which comes from petroleum).

🌱 Nature as a Nurturer

In many indigenous (traditional) cultures around the world:

• Nature is treated as sacred

• It is seen as a mother, nurturer, and provider

🌾 Examples of such practices:

• Worshipping trees like Tulsi or Banyan

• Rivers like Ganga considered holy

• Sacred groves (forests protected for religious reasons)

• Avoiding overuse of natural resources

👉 These practices help in conserving Nature naturally

🔍 Think About It (Concept Understanding)

Look around you:

• Your clothes → come from plants (cotton) or animals (wool)

• Your food → comes from soil, water, sunlight

• Your house → made from wood, cement, metals

👉 Conclusion:
Everything has its origin in Nature.

📚 Types of Natural Resources

1. 🌞 Renewable Resources

Resources that can be replenished naturally in a short time.

👉 Examples:

• Sunlight

• Wind

• Water

• Forests (if managed properly)

2. ⛏️ Non-Renewable Resources

Resources that take millions of years to form and cannot be replaced quickly.

👉 Examples:

• Coal

• Petroleum

• Natural gas

• Minerals

🌎 Importance of Natural Resources

Natural resources are essential because:

• They support life on Earth

• Provide food, shelter, and energy

• Help in economic development

• Maintain ecological balance

⚠️ Overuse of Natural Resources

Due to human activities:

• Resources are being used too fast

• Many are getting depleted

👉 Problems caused:

• Pollution

• Deforestation

• Climate change

• Loss of biodiversity

🌿 Conservation of Natural Resources

We must use resources wisely and responsibly

✅ Simple Ways to Conserve:

• Reduce, Reuse, Recycle

• Save water and electricity

• Plant trees

• Avoid plastic use

• Protect wildlife

💡 Key Terms to Remember

• Natural Resources → Things from Nature useful to humans

• Renewable → Can be replaced quickly

• Non-renewable → Cannot be replaced easily

• Conservation → Protection and careful use of resources

🧠 Quick Summary

• Everything we use comes from Nature

• Natural resources are valuable and limited

• Some resources can renew, others cannot

• We must protect and conserve them for the future

1. How do we categorise natural resources?

Natural resources can be categorised in different ways:

🌱 (a) Based on Renewability

• Renewable Resources
  → Can be naturally replenished in a short time
  👉 Examples: sunlight, air, water, forests

• Non-renewable Resources
  → Take millions of years to form and cannot be replaced quickly
  👉 Examples: coal, petroleum, minerals

🌍 (b) Based on Origin

• Biotic Resources (from living things)
  👉 Plants, animals, forests

• Abiotic Resources (non-living)
  👉 Air, water, soil, minerals

⛏️ (c) Based on Development and Use

• Actual Resources → Already in use (e.g., petroleum in Mumbai High)

• Potential Resources → Available but not yet used (e.g., solar energy in deserts)

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

Natural resources are not evenly distributed on Earth, and this affects many aspects of life:

🌾 (a) Lifestyle and Occupation

• People adapt to available resources
  👉 Example:

  • Coastal areas → fishing

  • Forest areas → wood-based activities

  • Plains → agriculture

🏙️ (b) Economic Development

• Regions rich in resources develop faster
  👉 Example: Areas with minerals have industries

🌍 (c) Settlement Patterns

• People settle where resources like water and fertile land are available

⚔️ (d) Political and Social Relations

• Unequal distribution may lead to:

  • Trade between regions

  • Conflicts over resources

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

Overuse of natural resources leads to serious problems:

⚠️ (a) Resource Depletion

• Non-renewable resources may get exhausted

🌫️ (b) Environmental Pollution

• Air, water, and soil get polluted

🌳 (c) Deforestation and Loss of Biodiversity

• Cutting forests destroys habitats

• Many species become endangered

🌡️ (d) Climate Change

• Overuse of fossil fuels increases global warming

🚱 (e) Water Scarcity

• Excessive use leads to shortage of fresh water

⚖️ (f) Social and Economic Problems

• Inequality increases

• Future generations suffer due to lack of resources

🧠 Quick Conclusion

• Natural resources can be classified in multiple ways

• Their uneven distribution affects life, economy, and society

• Overuse leads to environmental damage and future risks

🌿 Categories of Natural Resources – Study Notes

🌍 Why Do We Categorise Natural Resources?

In science, we often group things into categories based on similar features.

👉 This helps us:

• Understand concepts easily

• Use short names instead of long descriptions

• Communicate clearly with others

📌 Example:
When we say “living” and “non-living”, you immediately understand the difference.

👉 In the same way, we also categorise natural resources.

🤔 Think About It

Natural resources can be categorised based on different criteria like:

• Their use

• Their origin

• Their availability

👉 In this chapter, we focus on categorising based on their use.

🌱 Main Categories Based on Use

Natural resources can be divided into three main types:

🌬️ 1. Resources Essential for Life

These are resources without which life cannot exist.

🌿 Examples:

• Air → for breathing

• Water → for drinking and survival

• Food → from plants and animals

📌 Key Points:

• These come directly from Nature:

  • Air → Atmosphere

  • Water → Rivers, lakes, ponds

  • Food → Soil and living organisms

• Humans cannot create these resources

• They are basic necessities of life

👉 Conclusion:
Without these, life on Earth is impossible.

2. Resources for Materials

These are resources used to make things.

🏠 Examples:

• Wood → furniture

• Marble → buildings and statues

• Metals (iron, gold) → tools, jewellery

• Cotton → clothes

📌 Key Points:

• Humans transform natural materials into useful objects

• These objects may be:

  • For utility (chair, house)

  • For beauty (art, decoration)

👉 Example:
A piece of wood can become:

• A chair (useful object)

• A statue (artistic object)

Special Note:

India has great geographical diversity, giving us many resources:

• Forests → wood

• Mines → coal, gold

• Mountains → marble

⚡ 3. Resources for Energy

These resources are used to produce energy, which is essential for modern life.

🔌 Why is energy important?

Energy helps us in:

• Running machines

• Generating electricity

• Transportation

• Industrial production

🔋 Examples of Energy Resources:

• Coal

• Petroleum

• Natural gas

• Water (hydropower)

• Sunlight (solar energy)

• Wind

📌 Key Points:

• Energy is the backbone of modern society

• Different resources provide different types of energy

• Some are renewable (sun, wind, water)

• Some are non-renewable (coal, petroleum)

🧠 Quick Summary Table

Category	Purpose	Examples
Essential for Life	Survival	Air, Water, Food
Materials	Making objects	Wood, Metals, Marble
Energy	Producing power	Coal, Sunlight, Wind

⚠️ Important Understanding

👉 The same resource can sometimes belong to more than one category.

Example:

• Water → Essential for life + Energy (hydropower)

• Wood → Material + Energy (fuel)

🌟 Final Conclusion

• Natural resources are grouped based on their uses

• They support:

  • Life

  • Human needs (materials)

  • Modern development (energy)

• Proper understanding helps us use them wisely

🌿 Renewable and Non-Renewable Resources – Study Notes

🌍 1. Basis of Classification

Natural resources can be classified based on:
👉 Whether they can be renewed (replenished) or not

• Renewable Resources → Can be restored or regenerated by Nature

• Non-renewable Resources → Cannot be replaced quickly once used

🌱 2. Nature’s Principle: Restoration & Regeneration

Nature works in a balanced and cyclic way.

🔄 (a) Restoration

• Means bringing something back to its original healthy state

• Example:

  • A wound healing on your skin

  • A forest growing back after a fire

🌿 (b) Regeneration

• Means creating new life and maintaining conditions for growth

👉 Example:

• New plants growing from seeds

• Animals reproducing

🌳 Example of Natural Cycle

• A tree falls in a forest

• It decomposes with the help of bacteria, fungi, insects

• It becomes part of the soil

• New plants grow from that soil

👉 Conclusion:
Nature works in a no-waste cycle

☀️ 3. Renewable Resources

🌱 Definition

Resources that can be naturally restored or regenerated over time

🌿 Examples

• Sunlight (solar energy)

• Wind

• Water (rivers, rain)

• Forests (timber)

• Soil

📌 Key Characteristics

• Available continuously or repeatedly

• Depend on natural cycles

• Can last forever if used sustainably

⚠️ Important Condition

👉 Renewable resources remain renewable only if we do not disturb Nature’s cycle

❌ If overused:

• Forests may disappear if trees are cut faster than they grow

• Water sources may dry up

• Soil may lose fertility

🌡️ Human Impact on Renewable Resources

Human actions like:

• Cutting forests

• Burning fossil fuels

• Industrialisation

👉 Have disturbed natural cycles and caused:

• Global warming

• Melting of glaciers (especially in the Himalayas)

• Water shortages in plains

🐟 Traditional Sustainable Practices

Earlier, communities followed practices that protected resources:

👉 Example:

• Fishing was avoided during breeding (spawning) season

But now:

• Commercial fishing → overfishing

• Example: Tuna population declining

👉 This disturbs the balance of ocean ecosystems

⚡ 4. Ecosystem Functions & Services

🌳 Ecosystem Functions

Natural processes that occur in Nature:

• Trees produce oxygen

• Forests prevent soil erosion

• Rivers carry water

🌍 Ecosystem Services

Benefits humans get from these processes:

• Clean air

• Fertile soil

• Pollination of crops

👉 Example:

• A tree produces ~275 litres of oxygen/day

• Humans need ~350 litres/day

🚱 5. Human Activities Disrupting Nature

Examples:

• Industrial waste polluting rivers

• Plastic that does not decompose

• Excessive mining and deforestation

👉 Result:

• Nature cannot restore itself

• Rivers become polluted

• Ecosystems collapse

🌿 Restoring Nature

We can help Nature by:

• Planting trees

• Reducing pollution

• Using eco-friendly materials

• Conserving water

⛏️ 6. Non-Renewable Resources

🪨 Definition

Resources that:

• Take millions of years to form

• Cannot be replaced quickly

🔋 Examples

• Coal

• Petroleum

• Natural gas

• Minerals (iron, copper, gold)

📌 Key Characteristics

• Limited in quantity

• Exhaustible (can run out)

• Formed over geological time

Example: Coal in India

• India has large coal reserves

• But they may last only about 50 years at current usage

👉 Demand is increasing due to:

• Population growth

• Industrial development

⚠️ Need for Careful Use

• Use non-renewable resources judiciously

• Avoid wastage

• Find alternatives

🔄 7. Transition to Renewable Resources

🔍 Daily Non-Renewable Use

We use non-renables in:

• Petrol/diesel for vehicles

• Electricity from coal

• Metals in gadgets

🌱 Possible Renewable Alternatives

• Solar energy instead of coal

• Wind energy

• Hydropower

• Biogas

✅ Steps for Transition

• Use renewable energy sources

• Reduce energy consumption

• Promote recycling

• Develop green technologies

🧠 Quick Comparison Table

Feature	Renewable Resources	Non-Renewable Resources
Availability	Can be replenished	Limited
Time to form	Short time	Millions of years
Examples	Sun, wind, water	Coal, petroleum
Sustainability	Sustainable if managed	Not sustainable

🌟 Final Conclusion

• Nature works in cycles of restoration and regeneration

• Renewable resources depend on these cycles

• Human activities can disturb or support these cycles

• Non-renewable resources are limited and must be conserved

• The future depends on shifting towards sustainable use