Sustainable Management of Natural Resources
What the exam tests
Sustainable Management of Natural Resources tests the need for conservation, the three Rs, forest and wildlife management, water harvesting, dams, and the wise use of coal and petroleum. Expect case-study and reasoning questions.
Core rules
- Sustainable development meets present needs without compromising the ability of future generations to meet theirs.
- The three Rs: reduce consumption, reuse items, recycle materials.
- Forests conserve soil, water and biodiversity. Chipko movement opposed tree felling; joint forest management involves local communities.
- Wildlife conservation protects habitats and species; national parks and sanctuaries are in situ, zoos and seed banks ex situ.
- Water harvesting collects rainwater for recharge or storage. It reduces runoff, raises groundwater and lowers flood risk.
- Dams provide irrigation, drinking water and hydropower, but submerge land, displace people and can cause siltation.
- Coal and petroleum are finite fossil fuels. Burning them releases CO2 and pollutants; efficiency and alternatives matter.
- Groundwater overextraction lowers the water table and can cause land subsidence and saltwater intrusion in coastal areas.
Worked example
A roof has an area of 100 m2 and receives 50 mm of rain. What volume of water can be harvested? Volume = area × depth = 100 m2 × 0.050 m = 5 m3. Since 1 m3 = 1000 L, this is 5000 L. That is enough for several days of household use or for recharging a pit, which shows why rooftop harvesting is useful in Bihar's monsoon climate.
Traps that cost marks
- Saying dams have only benefits; displacement and ecological damage are costs.
- Treating groundwater as unlimited; recharge is slow.
- Confusing recycling with reuse; recycling reprocesses, reuse uses again.
- Forgetting that fossil fuels are non-renewable and that burning them adds CO2.