Environmental Sciences and
Sustainability
WMES 6101B
Course Teacher:
Dr. Md. Mostafizur Rahman
Associate professor
Department of Environmental Science
Jahangirnagar University
Email: rahmanmm@[Link]
Google Scholar ID: [Link]
Research gate ID: [Link]
Natural resources
• Materials or substances occurring in nature which
can be exploited for economic gain.
Renewable resources
A renewable natural resource is any natural resource that is
depleted at a rate equal to or less than the rate at which it is
replenished. Renewable resources can be easily renewed by
nature.
Air, water, wind,
solar energy
Woody biomass
Plant, animal
Rock etc
Renewable Energy Sources
Non-renewable resources
• Non-renewable resources are those natural
resources that are available in limited quantity.
These resources cannot be renewed or
replenished in short duration.
• Therefore they are also known as exhaustible
resources.
Examples
How is fossil fuel formed?
Natural
Resources
Non-
Renewabl
renewabl
e
e
Solar Fossil fuel
energy Oil, Coal, Natural
gas
Air, Wind Metallic minerals
Iron, Copper,
Aluminium
Water,
Tides Non-metallic
minerals
Soil, Plants, Salts, Phosphates
Animals
Threats to natural resources
Natural hazards
Flood, Cyclone, Drought etc.
Human activities
Industrialization and Urbanization, Dependency on fossil
fuels trigger climate change, Poor waste management
system.
Human influence on natural resources
[Link] influence
[Link] influence
Human influence on natural resources
A. Direct influence
1. Urbanization & industrialization
2. Tourism
3. Consumption of natural resources: Deforestation,
excessive uptake of ground water and burning of fossil fuels.
Human influence on natural resources
B. Indirect influence
1. Burning fossil fuels release carbon-di-oxide and other
toxic gases to the atmosphere
2. Poor waste management system release toxic compound
to the receiving environment.
Conservation of natural
resources
Wastage of
resources
Conservation
Aim: Sustainable use of resources for better
future
Use the earth’s resources wisely or
efficiently
Minimize the energy consumption
Reduce the waste generation during
Conservation of natural resources
Fossil fuel
-Scientists are exploring
alternatives to fossil fuels.
They are trying to produce
renewable biofuels to power
cars and trucks. They are
looking to produce electricity
using the sun, wind, water,
and geothermal energy—the
Earth’s natural heat.
Mineral
Less wasteful mining methods and the recycling of
materials will help conserve mineral resources. In Japan,
for example, car manufacturers recycle many raw
materials used in making automobiles. In the United
States, nearly one-third of the iron produced comes from
recycled automobiles.
The medals offered at the
Tokyo 2020 Games were
made of recycled metals
from small electronic
devices such as used mobile
phones, which were donated
by people across Japan
Conservation of natural resources
Forests
• Sustainable forestry practices
– leaving some trees to die and decay naturally in the
forest.
– harvesting with natural regeneration in mind, and
avoiding certain logging techniques, such as removing all
the high-value trees or all the largest trees from a forest.
• consumers recycle
– reuse much of their wastepaper, including writing paper,
wrapping paper, and cardboard
Conservation of natural resources
• Soil
• Selective harvesting
– the practice of removing individual trees or small
groups of trees—leaves other trees standing
to anchor the soil.
• Contour strip cropping
- Different crops, with
different root systems
and leaves, help slow
erosion.
Conservation of natural resources
• Biodiversity
• Some governments have established parks and preserves
to protect wildlife and their habitats. They are also working
to abolish hunting and fishing practices that may cause the
extinction of some species.
Thanks!!
