POPULATION AND NATURAL RESOURCE MANAGEMENT What is a natural resource? A natural resource is any asset that we can obtain from our environment: water, soil, plants, wind, animals, minerals, the energy of the sun and many others. Natural resources are often seen in terms of economic value, because so many of them are crucial for people’s livelihoods. Types of natural resources A renewable natural resource is one that can regrow, or whose supplies can be replenished through natural processes Some examples of renewable resource include plants, animals, water or wind. But being renewable does not mean that these resources automatically last forever. If the renewable resources in a particular area are overexploited for a long period of time, it is entirely possible that they may become endangered or even disappear altogether.

A non-renewable natural resources one that can be used up, one that will not replenish itself. Examples of these include oil, coal, minerals or rocks. The use of these resources should be carefully monitored and managed according to their availability. Natural resource management refers to the management of natural resources such as land,water,soil,plants and animals, with a particular focus on how management affects the quality of life for both present and future generations (stewardship). Natural resources management deals with managing the way in which people and land scape interact. It brings together land use planning, water management, biodiversity conservation and future sustainability of industries.

It recognizes that people and their livelihoods rely on the health and productivity of our landscapes and their actions and stewards of the land play a critical role in maintaining this health and productivity. Natural resource management is also congruent with the concept of sustainable development. Natural resource management specifically focuses on scientific and technical understanding of resources and ecology and the life- supporting capacity of those resources Environmental management is also similar to natural resource management.

NRM provides a range of benefits that contribute to achieving the goals of ESD and ensuring that the four key principles of Ecologically Sustainable Development are met. The principles include: Valuing Biodiversity :Which means decision makers and the community in general place an appropriate value on the variety of plants and animals in an area. Precautionary principle :Which requires decision makers and the community to err on the side of caution when assessing the potential environmental impact of any development.

Intergenerational equity :Which requires decision makers and the community to consider the needs of future generations in relation to maintaining their quality of life. User pays :Which requires decision makers and the community to make sure the users of particular resources pay an appropriate price for those resources. Judicious use of natural resources and avoiding wastage of natural resources. The exploitation of natural resources should not be for the benefit few people but should be distributed equally for all.

While extracting and using natural resources we should also plan for the safe disposal of wastes so that no damage is caused to the environment.