Natural resources are resources that exist
without actions of humankind.
This includes all valued characteristics such
as magnetic, gravitational, electrical properties
and forces etc.
On Earth it includes sunlight, atmosphere,
water, land (includes all minerals) along
with all vegetation, crops and animal life
that naturally subsists upon or within the
heretofore identified characteristics and
substances.Particular areas such as the rainforest
in Fatu-Hiva are often characterized by the
biodiversity and geodiversity existent in
their ecosystems.
Natural resources may be further classified
in different ways.
Natural resources are materials and components
(something that can be used) that can be found
within the environment.
Every man-made product is composed of natural
resources (at its fundamental level).
A natural resource may exist as a separate
entity such as fresh water, air, and as well
as a living organism such as a fish, or it
may exist in an alternate form that must be
processed to obtain the resource such as metal
ores, rare earth metals, petroleum, and most
forms of energy.
There is much debate worldwide over natural
resource allocations, this is particularly
true during periods of increasing scarcity
and shortages (depletion and overconsumption
of resources).
== Classification ==
There are various methods of categorizing
natural resources, these include source of
origin, stage of development, and by their
renewability.
On the basis of origin, natural resources
may be divided into two types:
Biotic — Biotic resources are obtained from
the biosphere (living and organic material),
such as forests and animals, and the materials
that can be obtained from them.
Fossil fuels such as coal and petroleum are
also included in this category because they
are formed from decayed organic matter.
Abiotic – Abiotic resources are those that
come from non-living, non-organic material.
Examples of abiotic resources include land,
fresh water, air, rare earth metals and heavy
metals including ores, such as, gold, iron,
copper, silver, etc.Considering their stage
of development, natural resources may be referred
to in the following ways:
Potential resources — Potential resources
are those that may be used in the future—for
example, petroleum in sedimentary rocks that,
until drilled out and put to use remains a
potential resource
Actual resources — Those resources that
have been surveyed, quantified and qualified
and, are currently used—development, such
as wood processing, depends on technology
and cost
Reserve resources — The part of an actual
resource that can be developed profitably
in the future
Stock resources — Those that have been surveyed,
but cannot be used due to lack of technology—for
example, hydrogenMany natural resources can
be categorized as either renewable or non-renewable:
Renewable resources — Renewable resources
can be replenished naturally.
Some of these resources, like sunlight, air,
wind, water, etc. are continuously available
and their quantities are 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.
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.
== Extraction ==
Resource extraction involves any activity
that withdraws resources from nature.
This can range in scale from the traditional
use of preindustrial societies, to global
industry.
Extractive industries are, along with agriculture,
the basis of the primary sector of the economy.
Extraction produces raw material, which is
then processed to add value.
Examples of extractive industries are hunting,
trapping, mining, oil and gas drilling, and
forestry.
Natural resources can add substantial amounts
to a country's wealth, however, a sudden inflow
of money caused by a resource boom can create
social problems including inflation harming
other industries ("Dutch disease") and corruption,
leading to inequality and underdevelopment,
this is known as the "resource curse".
Extractive industries represent a large growing
activity in many less-developed countries
but the wealth generated does not always lead
to sustainable and inclusive growth.
People often accuse extractive industry businesses
as acting only to maximize short-term value,
implying that less-developed countries are
vulnerable to powerful corporations.
Alternatively, host governments are often
assumed to be only maximizing immediate revenue.
Researchers argue there are areas of common
interest where development goals and business
cross.
These present opportunities for international
governmental agencies to engage with the private
sector and host governments through revenue
management and expenditure accountability,
infrastructure development, employment creation,
skills and enterprise development and impacts
on children, especially girls and women.
A strong civil society can play an important
role in ensuring effective management of natural
resources.
Norway can serve as a role model in this regard
as it has good institutions and open and dynamic
public debate with strong civil society actors
that provide an effective checks and balances
system for government's management of extractive
industries.
== Depletion of resources ==
In recent years, the depletion of natural
resources has become a major focus of governments
and organizations such as the United Nations
(UN).
This is evident in the UN's Agenda 21 Section
Two, which outlines the necessary steps for
countries to take to sustain their natural
resources.
The depletion of natural resources is considered
a sustainable development issue.
The term sustainable development has many
interpretations, most notably the Brundtland
Commission's 'to ensure that it meets the
needs of the present without compromising
the ability of future generations to meet
their own needs', however in broad terms it
is balancing the needs of the planet's people
and species now and in the future.
In regards to natural resources, depletion
is of concern for sustainable development
as it has the ability to degrade current environments
and potential to impact the needs of future
generations.
Depletion of natural resources is associated
with social inequity.
Considering most biodiversity are located
in developing countries, depletion of this
resource could result in losses of ecosystem
services for these countries.
Some view this depletion as a major source
of social unrest and conflicts in developing
nations.At present, there is particular concern
for rainforest regions that hold most of the
Earth's biodiversity.
According to Nelson deforestation and degradation
affect 8.5% of the world's forests with 30%
of the Earth's surface already cropped.
If we consider that 80% of people rely on
medicines obtained from plants and ​3⁄4
of the world's prescription medicines have
ingredients taken from plants, loss of the
world's rainforests could result in a loss
of finding more potential life saving medicines.The
depletion of natural resources is caused by
'direct drivers of change' such as Mining,
petroleum extraction, fishing and forestry
as well as 'indirect drivers of change' such
as demography (e.g. population growth), economy,
society, politics and technology.
The current practice of Agriculture is another
factor causing depletion of natural resources.
For example, the depletion of nutrients in
the soil due to excessive use of nitrogen
and desertification.
The depletion of natural resources is a continuing
concern for society.
This is seen in the cited quote given by Theodore
Roosevelt, a well-known conservationist and
former United States president, who was opposed
to unregulated natural resource extraction.
== Protection ==
In 1982, the United Nations developed the
World Charter for Nature, which recognized
the need to protect nature from further depletion
due to human activity.
It states that measures must be taken at all
societal levels, from international to individual,
to protect nature.
It outlines the need for sustainable use of
natural resources and suggests that the protection
of resources should be incorporated into national
and international systems of law.
To look at the importance of protecting natural
resources further, the World Ethic of Sustainability,
developed by the IUCN, WWF and the UNEP in
1990, set out eight values for sustainability,
including the need to protect natural resources
from depletion.
Since the development of these documents,
many measures have been taken to protect natural
resources including establishment of the scientific
field and practice of conservation biology
and habitat conservation, respectively.
Conservation biology is the scientific study
of the nature and status of Earth's biodiversity
with the aim of protecting species, their
habitats, and ecosystems from excessive rates
of extinction.
It is an interdisciplinary subject drawing
on science, economics and the practice of
natural resource management.
The term conservation biology was introduced
as the title of a conference held at the University
of California, San Diego, in La Jolla, California,
in 1978, organized by biologists Bruce A.
Wilcox and Michael E. Soulé.
Habitat conservation is a land management
practice that seeks to conserve, protect and
restore habitat areas for wild plants and
animals, especially conservation reliant species,
and prevent their extinction, fragmentation
or reduction in range.
== Management ==
Natural resource management is a discipline
in the management of natural resources such
as land, water, soil, plants, and animals—with
a particular focus on how management affects
quality of life for present and future generations.
Hence, sustainable development is followed
according to judicial use of resources to
supply both the present generation and future
generations.
Management of natural resources involves identifying
who has the right to use the resources, and
who does not, for defining the boundaries
of the resource.
The resources are managed by the users according
to the rules governing of when and how the
resource is used depending on local condition.A
"...successful management of natural resources
depends on freedom of speech, a dynamic and
wide-ranging public debate through multiple
independent media channels and an active civil
society engaged in natural resource issues...",
because of the nature of the shared resources
the individuals who are affected by the rules
can participate in setting or changing them.
The users have rights to devise their own
management institutions and plans under the
recognition by the government.
The right to resources includes land, water,
fisheries and pastoral rights.
The users or parties accountable to the users
have to actively monitor and ensure the utilisation
of the resource compliance with the rules
and to impose penalty on those peoples who
violates the rules.
These conflicts are resolved in a quick and
low cost manner by the local institution according
to the seriousness and context of the offence.
The global science-based platform to discuss
natural resources management is the World
Resources Forum, based in Switzerland.
== Natural resources by country ==
== 
See also ==
Conservation (ethic)
Environmental movement
Sustainable development
United Nations Framework Classification for
Resources
