Causes of Depletion of Natural Resources

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1. Overpopulation

Today the world population is over seven billion people and it continues to increase at a fast pace. Overpopulation has been a dangerous factor reason in accelerating the depletion of natural resources. When human population increases, the use of natural resources also increases and naturally it would lead to deterioration of the natural resources reservoirs. Man overexploits the natural resources for his comfort. This may lead to scarcity of these resources in the near future and can ultimately threaten the existence of life on earth

In addition, overpopulation contributes to increased ecological contamination. Research indicates that in developing countries industries work at a large scale, using more resources and emitting more wastes, harmful gases and toxic substances; for sustenance of their ever-growing population. Harmful emissions can again lead to natural resource depletion.

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2. Pollution

An increase in population and other modern technological activities is a major factor contribution to pollution. The pollution gradually leads to environmental degradation and other health problems. Industrial and human waste continues to contaminate the soil, air and water bodies. Some of the major polluting elements include sewage, radioactive materials, and toxic chemicals etc.

Huge amount of carbon monoxide, nitrous oxide, sulfur oxide, and carbon dioxide are leading to the degradation of the ozone layer and global warming. Environmental changes are also affecting the habitat of many species. Millions of different animal and plant species have thus lost their natural habitats and are on the verge of extinction. Example: Pollution in rivers has led to depletion in number of fish and aquatic species.

3. Poor Farming Practices

Humans’ over-reliance on food production from earth causes a lot of stress to land resources. Poor irrigation practices, for example, are a key contributing factor to salinization (build up of salts in soil, toxic for plants) and alkalization (excess of sodium, calcium and magnesium) of the soil that sustains plants growth.

Due to poor soil management practices and the use of heavy machinery, the soil structure is being destroyed, making it unsuitable for plant growth. Some farming practices such as excessive use of pesticides, fungicides, and herbicides can also be a problem as it kills important soil micro-organisms that are essential in replenishing nutrients in the soil.

4. Deforestation/logging:

The World Bank reported that the net loss of global forest between 1990 and 2016 was 1.3 million square kilometers. Forests are being cut down, to make space for residential and industrial areas. People are also clearing forests for agricultural reasons due to the increase in the population and simultaneously the consumption rate.

This not only destroys trees (and wood as a resource) but also destroys home of thousands of species of animals. Plant biodiversity is also at stake because of deforestation. Moreover, increased logging activities lead to soil erosion that degrades natural soil minerals.

5. Over consumption of Natural Resources

After the industrial revolution, large-scale mineral and oil exploration became common. The practice has been gradually growing, leading to the depletion of these resources. With the advancements in technology, exploitation of minerals has become easier and humans are digging deeper to get access to more new resources. The increased exploitation of different minerals has led to some of them entering into a production decline.

For example, minerals such as Gasoline, Copper, and Zinc production are estimated to decline in the next 20 years. Plus, oil mining continues to rise due to the rise in the number of engines that use petroleum thereby magnifying its depletion.

6. Industrial and Technological Development

The present-day world is incessantly becoming industrialized as more and more countries make major technological breakthroughs. But as technological advancements continue, there is similarly a considerable growth in industries that release toxins and chemical by-products which are eventually deposited in lakes, soils, and lands. As a result, the by-products and toxic materials alter natural habits such as aquatic systems and wildlife.

Examples of the impacts include acidic lakes, dead zones, and the death of wildlife as well as aquatic life. Industrial and technological advancements have also driven the demand for virgin materials for research, development, and production. More resources are hence being used to satisfy the industrial demands, increasing the rate of natural resource depletion.

  • Over-consumption and waste – As the standards of living of people improves, they tend to consume more and waste even more.
  • Mining – Mining of Minerals and Oil-Minerals and metals are in high demand in today’s world. This is a very big problem as ores are being depleted day by day.
  • Deforestation: Due to the deforestation cause a decrease in rainfall and amount of firewood. Due to this, 200 crores people suffer from the scarcity of water. Besides this, man is overconsuming the available source of water.
  • Overconsumption: Today the number of motor vehicles is increasing day by day. This needs a huge amount of petroleum and diesel. One liter of petrol will be burned out when a motor car runs about 10 km distance. How many of such vehicles!
  • Natural calamities: natural calamities like flood and drought cause a mass depletion of natural resources. Example: a landslide named Jure landslide swept away a hill consisting a village within it in 2014 in Nepal.
  • Climate change: With increasing global warming, species and ecosystems are likely to shift from lower to higher latitude and altitude. Temperature decreases by altitude at the rate of 5-10 degree Celsius/km across various mountains of the world. Species need to migrate upward in order to survive. Now due to climate change replacement of dominant species by more heat-loving species may occur. And also the replacement of climax species by pioneer species having adaptation capacity for wider range of environment occurs.

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