Natural Resources a Gift from Nature to Humans

Whenever we reflect back to life and think about our day-to-day activities most of the things that we do throughout the day are somehow connected or derived from natural resources. We need to use a lot of things like electricity, devices, cooking, and many other activities. And none of them is possible without the presence of resources that nature gives us. These all are still secondary needs of our life, oxygen and water are a necessity for us and without them, we simply can’t survive and nature is the only thing where we get them from. But have you ever thought that how do we get all these things and in which way they are extracted from nature?

In this article, we are going to talk about all the things that you need to know about natural resources. A complete guide for kids to know that how do we get these from nature, why are they important, and all the ways in which we can conserve them.

What are Natural Resources?

We all have little and vague idea about what are resources that are available in nature and how do they help us. But we are not very clear about what they actually are. In simple words, natural resources are the material found on this planet earth and exist without any actions of humankind. They are present in a very raw and crude way in nature and then are extracted from it for further use. All the actions that human needs to pull off are somehow in connection with the natural resources. This includes the sources of valued characteristics such as commercial and industrial use, aesthetic value, scientific interest, and cultural value. Some of the resources given to us by nature are available in abundance while some are present in scarce amounts.

This video will definitely help you in understanding natural resources a little better

A brief description of all the aspects of natural resources

Why are Natural Resources Important?

Now that question that arises is why are natural resources important and what do they do for us. Some of the reasons why resources are important to both humans and other living organisms are:

• The air that we breath in is a resource
• Water is a necessity of our life and nature is where we find it
• We need them for food and then for cooking it
• Production of electrity id not not possible without the presence of resources like water and coal
• To run our vehicals we need resources like petrol, diesel and CNG that are given to us by nature
• All the furniture in our house is of wood which is also a natural resource.

Other than these, natural resources are important to us in a lot of other ways as well. All we need to do is break down our day in different activities and then think about how we are able to carry forward it or perform it. There will definitely be involvement of one or more natural resources in it.

Types of Natural Resources

Resources are of various different types and broadly they are divided into two categories on the basis of their availability in nature. So the two types of natural resources are:

Inexhaustible Natural Resources

It is very clear by the name that they are the types of resources that will never get exhausted or finished. Inexhaustible resources are naturally reoccurring and are available to us in abundance. They are also referred to as renewable resources because they can renew on their own and will never get finished. No matter how much we use them they will never come to an end. Some of the examples of inexhaustible resources are wind, sun, solar energy, tides, and geothermal energy.

Exhaustible Natural Resources

Then comes the other type which is exhaustible natural resources and is also referred to as non-renewable resources. They are the type of resources that are available to us in a limited amount only and will end one day. That is why one needs to use them judicially and in a sustainable way. Some of the examples of exhaustible natural resources are petroleum, coal, natural gas, forest, and minerals.

Important Natural Resources and Their Uses

There are thousands and thousands of natural resources but some of them are extremely important to us and used by us the most. So top 10 most important natural resources are:

Water

Water is a necessity of our life we need it for our body and along with that to carry out many different activities of the day. It is available to us by different natural water resources like glaciers, oceans, rivers, and many more. But natural water is of further two types salty water and fresh water and fresh water is what is required by us. We get fresh water from places like surface water, under river flow, groundwater, and frozen water.

The very main thing for which we need water is for drinking. Other than that it plays a huge role in the making of electricity and it is required in a lot of other industrial and natural processes.

Soil

Soil is a loose substance that tops the land, it consists of different organic and inorganic matters. It is considered a natural resource because no type of vegetation and agriculture is possible without soil. Soil also consists of minerals, gases, liquids, and other living organisms that together support life. Soil also helps in providing structural support to plants that grow on it. There are many different kinds of soils that vary in their chemical and physical properties.

We need soil for agriculture and different cultivation activities. And it also protects the land from getting eroded.

Timber

Timber is also known as Lumber is a processed form of wood that is converted into beams and planks of wood. It is done mainly for the purpose of using it for industrial and structural purposes. They are taken from the branches and trunks of trees. Lumber may be supplied either rough-sawn or surfaced on one or more of its faces. We need wood and timber for various different purposes like the construction of buildings, dams, bridges, and many different things. And we can get it only from nature as it can not be produced artificially and this is the reason they are considered as natural resources.

Sun Light

Sunlight is the natural resource that is available to us in most abundance. It is a renewable resource and the sun provides us with heat, energy, light, and vitamin D. It is very essential to carry out activities of the human body other than that no natural growth on this planet is possible without the presence of sunlight. The sun also plays a huge role in agriculture and the cultivation of things. With the advancement of technology now sunlight is also being used for the production of electricity with the help of solar power plants. Other than there are many devices like cookers, coolers that run solely on solar energy. Sunlight is a very important natural resource.

Originally posted on Natural Resources!