Module 1: NATURAL RESOURCES

❑Course Contents
• Introduction
• Current trends related to Natural resources
• Natural Resources: Concept, Definition, Types
• Forest Resources
• Water Resources
• Mineral Resources
• Food Resources
• Energy Resources
• Land Resources
 Environmental Studies: Definition

• Studies that deals with every issue that affects a living organism
• Studies the living and non-living elements in the environment and their
interaction
• It is an applied science, as it seeks practical solutions to make human
civilisation sustainable on the available limited resources.
• Its component include: Biology, Botany, Zoology, Geology, Chemistry,
Physics, Engineering, Sociology, Health, Anthropology, Economics,
Statistics, etc.

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 Environmental Studies: Scope
• The scope of EVS is very wide and cover some aspects of nearly every
major discipline
• Environment is not a single subject; it is an integration of several subjects
that include both science and social studies.
• To understand different aspects of our environment, we need to
understand biology, chemistry, physics, geography, resource management,
economics, and population issues.

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Multidisciplinary Nature of Environmental Studies:
• Anthropology: EVS is connected to anthropology since it studies humans and their
environments throughout place and time.

• Biology: EVS is connected to biology since it is concerned with the natural environment of
living creatures.

• Chemistry: Understanding natural occurrences in EVS necessitates knowledge of chemistry.

• Computers: Computers are used by the Environmental Protection Agency to keep track of
pollutants found in soil and water.

• Physics: It is a field of science that examines energy and matter in space and time, as well as
their interactions. Physics is concerned with energy conservation, atmospheric modelling, and
many environmental concerns.

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 Multidisciplinary Nature of Environmental Studies
• Geology: It is the study of physical structures and substances found on Earth, as well as their history
and the processes that they go through. EVS is also concerned with the study of the earth and
environment.

• Statistics: It is the study of quantitative data collection, analysis, interpretation, and presentation. It
is also used to evaluate data in order to find trends and recommend the optimal environmental
growth.

• Sociology: It is the study of social life, change, social causes, and the social repercussions of human
action. It also addresses the connection between contemporary society and the environment.

• Economics: It is a field of study concerned with the production, consumption, and distribution of
commodities and services. Various economic strategies have been established to preserve the
environment from pollution, global warming, and climate change by evaluating and developing
answers or cures for environmental concerns.

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 Environmental Studies: Importance
Environmental studies is important:
• To understand the impacts of development on the environment
• To understand environmental problems, their causes and solutions
• To utilize natural resources efficiently and sustainably.
• To create awareness about preserving the environment
• To bring behavioural change in people
• To bring sustainable development through innovations
• To create awareness among people regarding human actions,
responsibilities, and our common shared future.
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 Some Potential-Current trends :
Renewable Energy Growth: The transition towards renewable energy sources such as solar, wind, and hydropower was
already gaining momentum. This trend likely continued as countries and industries strive to reduce their carbon footprint and
promote sustainability.

Electric Vehicles and Minerals Demand: The demand for minerals like lithium, cobalt, and rare earth elements used in
electric vehicle batteries and renewable energy technologies was expected to increase. Efforts to secure a stable supply chain
and develop sustainable mining practices likely continued.

Water Scarcity and Management: Issues related to water scarcity and efficient water management were becoming more
critical in various parts of the world. Governments and businesses were focusing on sustainable water use, conservation, and
technologies for water purification and desalination.

Circular Economy: The concept of a circular economy, where resources are used, recycled, and reused in a closed loop,
gained prominence. This trend likely continued as businesses and governments explored ways to minimize waste and extend
the lifespan of products and materials.

Sustainable Agriculture: Agriculture was undergoing changes to reduce its environmental impact. Practices such as
precision agriculture, agroforestry, and organic farming were gaining attraction to promote sustainable land use and
biodiversity conservation.
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Climate Change Adaptation: With the increasing impacts of climate change, efforts to adapt to changing
conditions and build resilience were likely on the rise. This includes strategies for managing natural resources in
the face of shifting weather patterns and extreme events.

Green Finance and Investments: The financial sector was increasingly integrating environmental
considerations into investment decisions. Green bonds, sustainable investing, and other mechanisms aimed at
funding environmentally friendly projects were gaining popularity.

Waste Management and Recycling: Improved waste management practices, including better recycling
infrastructure and waste reduction strategies, were being pursued to minimize the environmental impact of waste
disposal.

Biodiversity Conservation: Conservation efforts to protect biodiversity and ecosystems were likely continuing.
This includes the establishment of protected areas, habitat restoration, and measures to combat illegal wildlife
trade.

Technological Innovations: Technology was playing a significant role in resource management and
conservation. Innovations like satellite monitoring, blockchain for supply chain transparency, and AI-driven
resource optimization were being explored.
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 Natural resources: Concept & Definition
• These are the resources that are found in the environment and are
developed without the intervention of humans.
• Natural resources are naturally occurring materials that are useful to
man or could be useful under conceivable technological, economic or
social circumstances or supplies drawn from the earth, such as food,
building and clothing materials, fertilizers, metals, water and
geothermal power.
• Common examples of natural resources include air, sunlight, water,
soil, stone, plants, animals and fossil fuels.

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 Natural resources: Types

Renewable Resources
• It can be renewed as it is available in infinite quantity
• Sustainable in nature
• Low cost and environment-friendly
• Replenish quickly

Non-Renewable Resources
• Once completely consumed, it cannot be renewed due to limited stock
• Exhaustible in nature
• High cost and less environment-friendly
• Replenish slowly or do not replenish naturally at all
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 Forest Resources
• Forest is an important renewable resource.
• It is not only the trees that make a forest, but the many different species of
plants and animals that reside in the soil, understorey and canopy.
• Forests cover large areas, produce variety of products and provide food for
living organisms, and also important to save the environment.
• Forest vary in composition and diversity and can contribute substantially to
the economic development of any country.
• Forest ecosystems are a critical component of the world’s biodiversity as
many forests are more biodiverse than other ecosystems.
• Forests absorb around one-quarter of the carbon emitted by human actions
globally (Carbon Sink).
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Importance of Forest Resources:
• Forest resources include a wide range of goods and services derived from
forests, such as timber, non-timber forest products (NTFPs), clean water,
carbon sequestration, biodiversity, recreational opportunities, and cultural
values.
• Forests play a crucial role in maintaining ecological balance, supporting
wildlife habitats, and providing livelihoods to millions of people
worldwide.

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Types of Forest Resources:
• Timber: Wood from trees is a significant economic resource used for
construction, furniture, paper, and various industries.
• Non-Timber Forest Products (NTFPs): These are products other than
timber that are obtained from forests, including fruits, nuts, medicinal
plants, resin, and handicraft materials.
• Ecosystem Services: Forests provide ecosystem services like carbon
storage, air and water purification, soil erosion control, and climate
regulation.
• Biodiversity: Forests are home to a vast array of plant and animal species,
contributing to global biodiversity.
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Sustainable Management:
Sustainable forest management aims to balance the utilization of forest
resources with their conservation to meet the needs of current and future
generations.
Proper management practices include selective logging, reforestation, and
protection of old-growth forests to ensure long-term resource availability.
Deforestation and Conservation:
Deforestation results a significant threat to forest resources, leading to habitat
loss, reduced biodiversity, and increased carbon emissions.
Conservation efforts involve establishing protected areas, promoting
sustainable land use practices, and combating illegal logging.

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Forest Certification:
Forest certification programs (e.g., FSC - Forest Stewardship Council) help
consumers identify products from sustainably managed forests, encouraging
responsible consumption.
Indigenous and Local Communities:
Many forest-dependent communities rely on forests for their livelihoods, cultural
practices, and identity. Their traditional knowledge can play a crucial role in
sustainable management.
Climate Change and Forests:
Forests act as carbon sinks, absorbing CO2 from the atmosphere. Deforestation and
degradation contribute significantly to greenhouse gas emissions.
Reforestation and afforestation efforts are crucial for climate change mitigation.

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Challenges:
• Illegal logging, inadequate law enforcement, and weak governance can lead to
unsustainable resource extraction.
• Economic pressures can drive unsustainable land-use changes, leading to deforestation.
• Balancing conservation with resource extraction requires careful planning and cooperation
among stakeholders.
Technological Innovations:
Remote sensing, GIS (Geographic Information Systems), and data analytics play a role in
monitoring and managing forests.
Advanced logging techniques and sustainable harvesting practices can minimize ecological
impact.
International Initiatives:
Agreements like the United Nations' REDD+ (Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and
Forest Degradation) program aim to incentivize forest conservation in developing countries.
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Future Outlook:
The sustainable management of forest resources is crucial to ensure a balance
between human needs and environmental health.
Innovative solutions, policy frameworks, and global collaboration are
necessary to address challenges and secure forest resources for future
generations.

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 Forest distribution in the World:

• Forests are not equally distributed around the globe.

• Among all continents, Africa has largest forested area (33%) followed by
Latin America (25%), whereas in North America forest cover is only 11%.
• Asia and former USSR has 14% area under forest.
• European continent has only 3% area under forest cover.
• More than half of the world’s forests are found in only five countries (the
Russian Federation, Brazil, Canada, the United States of America and China).

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 Forest resources in India
• According to the India State of Forest Report 2023, India’s total forest and tree cover is 8,27,357 square
kilometers, which accounts for 25.17% of the country’s geographical area (32,87,263 sq km). It was 24.62%
in 2021.
• Forest Cover: 715,343 sq km (21.76% of the geographical area), an increase of 156 sq km since 2021.
• Tree Cover: 112,014 sq km (3.41% of the geographical area), an increase of 1,289 sq km since 2021.
• This growth is attributed to plantation activities, agroforestry, and conservation initiatives.
• Area-wise Madhya Pradesh has the largest forest cover in the country (77,073 sq km).
• 19 states/UT’s have above 33 percent of the geographical area under forest cover.
• Out of these states and UT’s, Eight states/UTs namely Lakshadweep, Mizoram, Andaman & Nicobar Islands,
Arunachal Pradesh, Meghalaya, Nagaland, Tripura and Manipur have more than 75 percent forest cover.
• The top Five States in terms of forest cover as a percentage of their total geographical area were Mizoram
(84.53%), Arunachal Pradesh (79.33%), Meghalaya (76%), Manipur (74.34%) and Nagaland (73.90%).
• There are 107 existing national parks in India covering an area of 1.35% of the total geographical area of the
country.
• Madhya Pradesh has highest number of National parks (11) followed by Andaman & Nicobar Islands (9).
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 People, biodiversity and forests
• In both low- and high-income countries, communities that live within forests rely the
most directly on forest biodiversity for their lives and livelihoods.
• About 1.5 billion people depend upon fuel wood as an energy source.
• Forest provide food, medicine and other products needed for tribal people and play a
vital role in the life and economy of tribes living in the forest.
• Forest can act as pollution purifier by absorbing toxic gases. Forest not only helps in soil
conservation but also helps to regulate the hydrological cycle.
• Non-consumptive uses of forest biodiversity, such as recreation and tourism, are also a
growing part of rural cash economies.
• Forests play major role in prevention and control of soil erosion and also increase the
soil fertility.
• Flood control

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Sustainable use of forests and forest biodiversity
• There are ways to manage the world’s forest ecosystems that will ensure the
conservation and sustainable use of their biodiversity.
• Creation of protected areas has historically been the forest governance instrument most
often adopted to pursue biodiversity objectives.
• This approach has achieved positive results in terms of conserving species and establishing barriers to
the progress of deforestation.
• Globally, 18 percent of the world’s forest area fall within legally established protected
areas such as national parks, conservation areas and game reserves
• Natural reserves alone are not sufficient to conserve biodiversity.
• They are usually too small, create barriers to species migration and are vulnerable to
factors such as climate change.
• Additionally, protected areas contain only a fraction of existing forest biodiversity.
• This means that there is a need to look beyond protected areas and to mainstream
biodiversity conservation into forest management practices.
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 Measures of forest conservation
Deforestation and forest degradation continue to take place at alarming rates, which contributes
significantly to the ongoing loss of biodiversity.
Agricultural expansion continues to be the main driver of deforestation and forest degradation
and the associated loss of forest biodiversity.
• Afforestation
• Development of green-belts
• Encroachment of agriculture in forests should be made punishable.
• Rural population should be provided alternate sources of fuel.
• Developmental projects should be planned to have minimal damage to forests and the
environment.
• Tribal and local people should be directly involved in the protection, regeneration, and
management of forests.
• Scientific methods should be adopted to check and contain forest fire diseases and pests.
• Awareness and behavior change.

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 Water resources

• Water is one of the most precious natural resources and a

key element in the socio-economic development of a country.
• About 71% of earth’s surface is covered by water.
• But, water on earth is distributed in such a way that only a small fraction of total
water available on the earth is useful for human consumption.
• Saltwater makes up about 97% of the world's water.
• Freshwater makes up only 3% of the total, with slightly more than two-thirds frozen
in glaciers and polar ice caps. The remaining unfrozen freshwater is mostly found as
groundwater, with only a little amount found above ground or in the atmosphere.
• The water cycle through evaporation and precipitation, maintains hydrological
systems which form rivers and lakes and supports a variety of aquatic ecosystem.
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Types of Water Resources
Saltwater Resources
• Saltwater fish and weeds are indeed a staple of many people's diets around the world.
• In addition, tidal waters have been used to generate hydroelectric power.
• Desalination plants, though they do operate, are in short supply due to the high energy costs
associated with the operation
Groundwater Resources
• Groundwater storage is typically much greater (in volume) than surface water storage.
• Because of this, humans may use groundwater in an unsustainable manner over an extended
period of time without suffering serious repercussions
Surface Water Resources
• The water in lakes and rivers is known as surface water.
• Potable water, recreation, industry, agriculture, transportation, livestock, and hydroelectric
energy are all uses for this water.
• Surface water resources fulfil over 63 % requirement of the municipal water supply while
58 percent requirement of irrigation relies on Surface water natural resources.
• Surface water systems have nearly 98 % of the water used by industry. As a result,
maintaining and improving the surface water quality is critical.

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 Water Resources in India.
Population and Surface Area Context
• Population: India accounts for approximately 17.8% of the world’s population (about 1.44 billion
people as of 2025, based on UN and World Bank projections).
• Surface Area: India covers 2.45% of the world’s land area (approximately 3.287 million sq km out of
the global land area of 134 million sq km).
• Water Resources: India has about 4% of the world’s renewable water resources, equating to roughly
4,000 billion cubic meters (BCM) of annual precipitation, including snowfall.
Rainfall as the Primary Freshwater Source
• Rainfall Volume: India receives an average annual precipitation of 1,170 mm, totaling approximately
4,000 BCM , or about 1,720 cubic meters per person per year. This makes India the second-highest
recipient of rainfall for a country of its size, after Brazil.
• Storage Limitation: India stores only 6% of its annual rainfall (approximately 253 BCM). Much of the
rainfall flows to the sea, unutilized, due to limited storage infrastructure.

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Rivers and Drainage Basins
• Total Rivers: India has approximately 10,360 rivers and tributaries, with a cumulative length
exceeding 160,000 km.
• Major Rivers: India’s 13 major rivers (e.g., Ganga, Brahmaputra, Indus, Godavari, Krishna, Narmada,
etc.) account for 83% of the total drainage basin area. The Ganga and Brahmaputra basins alone
contribute 50% of the total drainage basin area, primarily due to their Himalayan origins and
extensive catchments.

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Dams and Storage Capacity
• Number of Dams: As of 2023, India has 5,334 large dams (completed) and 447 under
construction, per the National Register of Large Dams. This includes major and
medium dams, barrages, and other structures built for river water storage and
groundwater recharge.
• Storage Capacity: The 59 most significant dams collectively provide a gross storage
capacity of 170 BCM (6.0×10¹² cubic feet). However, the CWC’s 2024 data indicates
that the 150 major reservoirs monitored have a total live storage capacity of 180.65
BCM, with live storage at 56.085 BCM (31%) in April 2024, reflecting a decade-low
due to rainfall deficits.

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 Use of Water Resources in India

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 Threats to water resources
• Mismanagement of water bodies
• Pollution
• Global Climate Change
• Floods
• Droughts
• Water for agriculture and power
generation
• Deforestation
• Urban Growth
• Agriculture
• Water-intensive industries

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 Fig. 1: Water stress in 2040 [1].
Thursday, September 11, 2025 Advanced Materials Lab 33
Thursday, September 11, 2025 Advanced Materials Lab 34
Thursday, September 11, 2025 Advanced Materials Lab 35
 Fig. 2: Lifeless bodies of fish float near a bank of Ulsoor Lake in Bangalore, India.
Thursday, September 11, 2025 Advanced Materials Lab 36
 Reusing of waste water by proper treatment

❖ Different techniques:
❑Membrane separation,
❑Electrolysis,
❑Ion-exchange,
❑Biological methods,
❑Distillation or evaporation,
❑Flocculation or coagulation,
❑Adsorption, and
❑Photocatalysis, etc.

➢ Semiconductors are used in PHOTOCATALYSIS.

Thursday, September 11, 2025 Advanced Materials Lab 37

 Conservation of water resources
• Preventing water pollution
• Recycling and Reusing of water: Photocatalysis, etc.
• Agriculture
• Rainwater Harvesting
• Desalinisation of water
• Watershed management
• It refers to efficient management and conservation of surface and groundwater
resources.
• It involves prevention of runoff and storage and recharge of groundwater through
various methods like percolation tanks, recharge wells, etc.
• Haryali is a watershed development project sponsored by the Central Government
which aims at enabling the rural population to conserve water for drinking,
irrigation, fisheries and afforestation.
The Project is being executed by Gram Panchayats with people’s participation.
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 Mineral Resources
• The earth is composed of mineral elements, either alone or in a myriad of
combinations called compounds.
• A mineral is composed of a single element or compound.
• By definition, a mineral is a naturally occurring inorganic substance with a
definite chemical composition and ordered atomic structure.
• Minerals are of two types: Metallic and Non-metallic
• Examples of metallic mineral resources: Iron, aluminium, zinc, manganese,
copper, etc.
• Examples of non-metallic resources: coal, granite, limestone, quartz, silica,
diamond, emerald, rubies, oil, gas, etc.
• Mineral Resources provide employment, infrastructure facilities and
economic
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 Mineral Resources in India
• In India, the majority of metallic minerals are found in ancient crystalline
rocks on the peninsular plateau.
• Over 97% of coal deposits are found in the Damodar (Jharkhand-West
Bengal), Sone (Madhya Pradesh), Mahanadi (Chhattisgarh-Odisha), and
Godavari basins (Maharashtra-Telangana-Andhra).
• Petroleum deposits are found in the Assam, Gujarat, and Mumbai High
sedimentary basins (located offshore in the Arabian Sea).
• In the Krishna-Godavari and Kaveri basins, new deposits have been
discovered.
• Uranium, Coal, Gold, Iron ore, Lead, Zinc, Magnesium, Tungsten,
Diamond, Feldspar, Quartz, Mica, etc. are found in India.

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Problems associated with Mineral Resources
Ecological
Pollution
• Deforestation,
• Loss of flora and fauna • Air Pollution
• Ecosystem degradation • Water Pollution
Physical
• Soil Pollution
• Land subsidence
• Underground fires • Noise Pollution
• Landscape Destructions
• Soil Erosion
Accidents

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 Food Resources
• All the living things including human beings obtain food from three major sources:
cultivated plants i.e. agriculture, domesticated animals and aquaculture.
• Although some food is obtained from oceans and fresh waters, but the great majority of
food for human population is obtained from traditional land-based agriculture of crops and
livestock.
• At global level, only 20 species of crops are used for food.
• These, in approximate order of importance are wheat, rice, corn, potatoes; barley, sweet
potatoes, cassavas, soybeans, oats, sorghum, millet, sugarcane, sugar beets, rye, peanuts,
field beans, chick-peas, pigeon- peas, bananas and coconuts.
• Many of them are used directly, whereas other can be used by changing them by using
different techniques for enhancing calorific value.
• Domesticated animals are an important food source.

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 World Food Problem
• As per estimates of Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), about 840 million people remain chronically
hungry and out of this 800 million are living in the developing and underdeveloped world.
• In last decade, it is decreasing at the rate of 2.5 million per year, but at the same time world’s population is
increasing.
• Due to inadequate purchasing power to buy food, it is difficult to fulfil minimum calorific requirement of
human body per day.
• Food insufficiency can be divided into two categories into under-nourishment and malnourishment.
• The FAO estimates that the average minimum daily caloric intake over the whole world is about 2,500
calories per day.
• People who receive less than 90% of their minimum dietary intake on a long-term basis are considered
undernourished.
• Those who receive less than 80% of their minimum daily caloric intake requirements are considered
‘seriously’ undernourished.
• Malnourishment can be defined as lack of specific components of food such as proteins, vitamins, or
essential chemical elements.
• Person may have excess food but still diet suffers from due to nutritional imbalance or inability to absorb or
may have problem to utilize essential nutrients.
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 Improvement in Food Resources
• Increasing food production
• Crop Diversification
• Modern Agricultural Practices and technologies
• Good quality seeds
• Proper Irrigation facilities
• Effective food distribution system
• Farmers literacy programs
• Judicious use of fertilizers
• Gradual shifting to organic farming
• Cattle farming
• Education, Awareness and behaviour change.
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 Energy resources
There are two types of energy resources:
Conventional energy sources are those that have been widely used for the
majority of human history.
They are non-renewable in nature, which means that once a sample of a
conventional energy source has been depleted, it cannot be used again.

Non-conventional energy sources often known as Renewable energy are

continuously renewed by natural processes.
These are not the source of the pollution.

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 Energy resources
• Coal has fueled the rise of power generation and industry, and it continues to be the most important
single fuel in the energy mix.
• Oil consumption and imports have increased significantly as car ownership and road transport use
have increased.
• Biomass, particularly fuelwood, is a reducing component of the energy mix, but it is still widely
utilized as cooking fuel.
• Natural gas is considered an environmentally beneficial fuel due to its minimal carbon dioxide
emissions and is hence the fuel of the twenty-first century.
• Natural gas deposits of significant size have been identified in the Krishna-Godavari basin and
Andman-Nocobar islands.
• The reserves of Mumbai High and related fields are enhanced along the west coast by discoveries in
the Gulf of Cambay.
• Other non-conventional energy sources such as solar, wind, geothermal, nuclear energy, hydro power,
tidal energy sources, etc.

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 Energy Consumption in India
India’s total installed power generation capacity as of March 2025 is 467.8
GW, with electricity generation reaching 1,700 TWh in FY 2023–24.
India's electrical industry is now dominated by coal, which accounts for more
than 50.2% of total generation.
The non-fossil fuel based energy accounts for around 47.8% of total energy
generation.
Out of which, Solar (15.5%), Hydro (12.2%), Wind (10.7%), Nuclear Energy
(1.7%), Biomass and Waste-to-Energy(2.2%) and Other Fuels (e.g., gas,
diesel): 5.5% are main non-fossil energy sources.

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Energy Consumption Trends
• 2025 Consumption: India’s energy consumption rose by 7.8% in 2025, reaching a per
capita electricity consumption of 1,500 kWh/year (up from 1,106 kWh in 2023–24),
driven by industrial growth (13.2% increase in industrial energy use) and urbanization.
Total electricity supply was 1,646,998 GWh in FY 2023–24, with transmission and
distribution losses reduced to 17.08%.
• 2040 Projections: India’s energy consumption is projected to quadruple by 2040,
reaching approximately 15,820 TWh. This growth is driven by population growth,
urbanization, and industrial expansion. India is expected to account for 25% of global
energy consumption growth between 2019 and 2040, making it the fastest-growing
major energy consumer.
GDP Forecast
• 2040 GDP Estimate: India’s GDP is projected to reach $8.6 trillion by 2040 (in nominal terms). This
aligns with India’s trajectory as the world’s fastest-growing major economy, with an average annual GDP
growth rate of ~6–7% projected through 2030. By 2025, India’s GDP is estimated at ~$4.0 trillion
(nominal), reflecting sustained growth.
• Energy Intensity: Energy intensity (energy per unit of GDP) has improved, dropping to 0.2180 MJ/INR
in 2023–24 from 0.2192 MJ/INR in 2022–23, indicating decoupling of energy use from economic
11growth.
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 Paris agreement
What is Paris Agreement?
• It is a multilateral agreement within the United Nations Framework
Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC); signed by 195 member
countries in 16th April 2015 to reduce, mitigate greenhouse gas emissions.
• It is a legally binding international treaty on climate change.
• The main goal of the Paris Climate Accord is to limit global warming to
well below 2° Celsius and preferably limit it to 1.5° Celsius, compared to
pre-industrial levels.
• China has the highest GHG emissions (30%) while the US contributes
13.5% and the EU 8.7%.

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 India and Paris Agreement
India’s commitment in Paris agreement
• Despite the growing demands, India has pledged to reduce emissions intensity per
unit GDP by 33-35% of 2005 levels.
• Aiming to reach 40% of installed capacity from non-fossil fuels.
• Targeting 175 GW of renewable energy generation by 2030.
• Planning to enlarge forest cover to absorb 2.5 Billion tonnes worth of carbon
dioxide.
• Reducing dependence on fossil fuels through reduction in subsidies.
• Following are the initiatives taken by India for meeting the goals of Paris
Agreement
1. National Solar Mission: From 6 GW in 2015 to 66 GW of solar energy in 2022.
2. BHARAT Stage VI
3. FAME India: Faster Adoption & Manufacturing of hybrid and & Electric vehicles in India.

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 Status of Paris Agreement
• A United Nations report stated that India’s per capita emissions are actually
60% lower than the global average.
• In 2023, India’s CO2 emissions grew by 1.7% (reaching ~2.7 billion tonnes),
slightly higher than the 1.4% growth in 2019 but lower than the decade-long
average of 3.3% (2010–2020).
• India is abled to cutting down its CO2 emissions by 164 million kg.
• Out of 175 GW target of Renewable energy by 2030, India is generated 144
GW by March 2025.
• India is only country which increased its Renewable energy generation
target from 175 GW to 500 GW by 2030.
• The contributions are radically insufficient to reach the well below the 2°
Celsius limit and are even further from the 1.5° Celsius limit given in the
Paris Agreement.
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Five ways to jump-start the renewable energy transition
• Make renewable energy technology a global public good
- It will be essential to remove roadblocks to knowledge sharing and technological transfer,
including intellectual property rights barriers.
- Meaning available to all, and not just to the wealthy
• Improve global access to components and raw materials
- It will take significant international coordination to expand and diversify manufacturing
capacity globally
• Level the playing field for renewable energy technologies
- domestic policy frameworks must urgently be reformed to streamline and fast-track
renewable energy projects and catalyze private sector investments.
• Shift energy subsidies from fossil fuels to renewable energy
- Fossil-fuel subsidies are one of the biggest financial barriers hampering the world’s shift to
renewable energy
• Triple investments in renewables
- At least $4 trillion a year needs to be invested in renewable energy until 2030 – including
investments in technology and infrastructure – to allow us to reach net-zero emissions by
2050.
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 Land Resources
• Land is a naturally occurring finite resource.
• It provides the base for survival of living beings.
• It holds everything that constitutes terrestrial ecosystems.
• Land and Land Resources refer to a delineable area of the earth's terrestrial
surface, encompassing
- all attributes of the biosphere immediately above or below this surface, including those of
the near-surface climate, the soil and terrain forms,
- the surface hydrology (including shallow lakes, rivers, marshes and swamps),
- the near-surface sedimentary layers and associated groundwater and geo-hydrological
reserve,
- the plant and animal populations,
- the human settlement pattern and physical results of past and present human activity
(terracing, water storage or drainage structures, roads, buildings, etc.)
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 Land Degradation
• Land degradation is the process of deterioration of soil or loss of fertility of soil.
• The causes of land degradation can be divided into natural hazards, direct causes, and
underlying causes. (https://www.fao.org/4/v4360e/V4360E08.htm)
• Natural hazards are the conditions of the physical environment that lead to the
existence of a high degradation hazard, for example, water erosion, wind erosion, soil
fertility decline, etc.
• Direct causes are unsuitable land use management practices, for example, Overgrazing,
deforestation, climate change, etc.
• Underlying causes are the reasons why these inappropriate types of land use and
management are practiced; for example- Land shortage, Economic pressures and
attitudes, Poverty, Population increase, etc.

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 Causes of Land degradation
• Population
• Human Activities
• Urbanization
• Fertilizers and Pesticides
• Damage to top soil
• Soil contamination
• Soil salinization: Chloride, Sodium Bicarbonates etc.
• Acidification of Soil

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 Impact of Land degradation
• Loss of soil organic matter and nutrients.
• Loss of soil structure.
• Loss of soil biodiversity.
• Loss of water holding capacity and water infiltration.
• Soil pollution.
• Reduced yields of crops.
• Reduced land value and resilience to future events.
• Impact on food security.
• Reduces ability to adapt to climate change.

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 Sustainable Land Management
• Sustainable Land Management (SLM) is crucial to minimizing land
degradation, rehabilitating degraded areas and ensuring the optimal
use of land resources for the benefit of present and future
generations.
• Sustainable Land Management is based on three common principles:
1. Land-user-driven
2. Participatory approaches;
3. Integrated use of natural resources at ecosystem and farming
systems levels.

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Some of the methods for sustainable management of land are:
• Soil Conservation
• Management on overgrazing
• Managing irrigation
• Managing urban sprawl
• Managing mining and quarrying
• Agroecology
• Crop Rotation and Diversification
• Sustainable Forestry

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• Land Use Planning
• Restoration Ecology: Rehabilitating degraded lands through the restoration of
ecosystems.
• Policy and Governance: rules, regulations, incentives, and enforcement
mechanisms.

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