Natural resource

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The natural resource of wind powers these 5MW wind turbines on this wind farm in Belgium.
A natural resource is anything people can use which comes from nature. People do not make
natural resources, but gather them from the earth. Examples of natural resources are air, water,
wood, crude oil, solar energy, wind energy, hydro-electric energy, and coal. Refined oil is not a
natural resource, for example, because people make it.
We often say there are two sorts of natural resource: renewable resources and non-renewable
resources.
• A renewable resource grows again or comes back again after we use it. For example,
sunlight, water, and trees are renewable resources.
• A non-renewable resource is a resource that does not grow or come back, or a resource
that would take a very long time to come back. For example, coal is a non-renewable
resource. When we use coal, there is less coal afterward. One day, there will be no more
of it to make goods. The non-renewable resource can be used directly (for example,
burning oil to cook), or we can find a renewable resource to use (for example, using wind
energy to make electricity to cook). It is important to conserve (save) non-renewable
resources, because if we use them too quickly there will not be enough.
All places have their own natural resources. When people do not have a certain resource they
need, they can either replace it with another resource, or trade with another country to get the
resource. Some resources are difficult to find, so people sometimes fight to have them (for
example, oil resources).
When people do not have some natural resources, their quality of life can get lower. For
example, when they can not get clean water, people may become ill; if there is not enough wood,
trees will be cut and the forest will disappear over time (deforestation); if there are not enough
fish in a sea, people can die of starvation. Some examples of renewable resources are wood, solar
energy, trees, wind, hydroelectric power, fish and sunlight. Non renewable resources cannot be
recycled. For example, oil, minerals, and other non renewable resources cannot be recycled.
Natural resources are very important to a human lifestyle. Natural resources are certain materials
Earth produces
Natural resources
Main article: Natural resource

Natural resources are derived from the environment. Many of them are essential for our survival
while others are used for satisfying our needs. Natural resources may be further classified in
different ways; on the basis of origin, resources may be divided into:
• Biotic - Biotic resources are those obtained from the biosphere. Forests and
their products, animals, birds and their products, fish and other marine
organisms are important examples. Minerals such as coal and petroleum are
also included in this category because they were formed from decayed
organic matter.
• Abiotic - Abiotic resources comprise non-living things. Examples include
land, water, air and minerals such as gold, iron, copper, silver etc.
On the basis of the stage of development, natural resources may be called:
• Potential Resources - Potential resources are those that exist in a region
and may be used in the future. For example, mineral oil may exist in many
parts of India having sedimentary rocks, but until the time it is actually drilled
out and put into use, it remains a potential resource.
• Stock are the materials in the environment which have the potential to
satisfy human needs but do not have the appropriate technology to access
them. For example, hydrogen and oxygen are two inflammable gases present
in water, but we do not have the technology to use them from water.
• Reserved Resources are the subset of stock, where use has not yet been
started and are saved for future use.
• Actual resources are those that have been surveyed, their quantity and
quality determined, and are being used in present times. For example,
petroleum and natural gas obtained from the Mumbai High Fields. The
development of an actual resource, such as wood processing depends upon
the technology available and the cost involved. That part of the actual
resource that can be developed profitably with available technology is called
a reserve.
On the basis of renewability, natural resources can be categorized into:
• Renewable Resources - Renewable resources are those that can be
replenished or reproduced easily. Some of them, like sunlight, air, wind, etc.,
are continuously available and their quantity is not affected by human
consumption. Many renewable resources can be depleted by human use, but
may also be replenished, thus maintaining a flow. Some of these, like
agricultural crops, take a short time for renewal; others, like water, take a
comparatively longer time, while still others, like forests, take even longer.[1]
• Non-renewable Resources - Non-renewable resources are formed over
very long geological periods. Minerals and fossils are included in this
category. Since their rate of formation is extremely slow, they cannot be
 replenished once they are depleted. Out of these, the metallic minerals can
be re-used by recycling them, but coal and petroleum cannot be recycled.
On the basis of distribution,natural resources can be classified into:
Ubiquitous-are those that can be found everywhere.For example-air,light,water etc.
Localised-are those that can be found only in certain parts of the world.For example-copper and
iron ore,thermal power plant etc.
On the basis of ownership,resources can be classified into:individual,community,national,and
international Individual resources
Human resources
Human beings are also considered to be resources. The term Human Resources can also be
defined as the skills, energies, talents, abilities and knowledge that are used for the production
of goods or the rendering of services