Natural resources are resources that exist
without actions of humankind. This includes
all valued characteristics such as magnetic,
gravitational, electrical properties and forces
etc. On earth it includes: sunlight, atmosphere,
water, land (includes all minerals) along
with all vegetation, crops and animal life
that naturally subsists upon or within the
heretofore identified characteristics and
substances.Particular areas such as the rainforest
in Fatu-Hiva are often characterized by the
biodiversity and geodiversity existent in
their ecosystems. Natural resources may be
further classified in different ways. Natural
resources are materials and components (something
that can be used) that can be found within
the environment. Every man-made product is
composed of natural resources (at its fundamental
level). A natural resource may exist as a
separate entity such as fresh water, air,
and as well as a living organism such as a
fish, or it may exist in an alternate form
that must be processed to obtain the resource
such as metal ores, rare earth metals, petroleum,
and most forms of energy.
There is much debate worldwide over natural
resource allocations, this is particularly
true during periods of increasing scarcity
and shortages (depletion and overconsumption
of resources) but also because the exportation
of natural resources is the basis .
== 
Classification ==
There are various methods of categorizing
natural resources, these include source of
origin, stage of development, and by their
renewability.
On the basis of origin, natural resources
may be divided into two types:
Biotic — Biotic resources are obtained from
the biosphere (living and organic material),
such as forests and animals, and the materials
that can be obtained from them. Fossil fuels
such as coal and petroleum are also included
in this category because they are formed from
decayed organic matter.
Abiotic – Abiotic resources are those that
come from non-living, non-organic material.
Examples of abiotic resources include land,
fresh water, air, rare earth metals and heavy
metals including ores such as gold, iron,
copper, silver, etc.Considering their stage
of development, natural resources may be referred
to in the following ways:
Potential resources — Potential resources
are those that may be used in the future—for
example, petroleum in sedimentary rocks that,
until drilled out and put to use remains a
potential resource
Actual resources — Those resources that
have been surveyed, quantified and qualified
and, are currently used—development, such
as wood processing, depends on technology
and cost
Reserve resources — The part of an actual
resource that can be developed profitably
in the future
Stock resources — Those that have been surveyed,
but cannot be used due to lack of technology—for
example, hydrogenMany natural resources can
be categorized as either renewable or non-renewable:
Renewable resources — Renewable resources
can be replenished naturally. Some of these
resources, like sunlight, air, wind, water,
etc., are continuously available and their
quantity is not noticeably affected by human
consumption. Though many renewable resources
do not have such a rapid recovery rate, these
resources are susceptible to depletion by
over-use. Resources from a human use perspective
are classified as renewable so long as the
rate of replenishment/recovery exceeds that
of the rate of consumption. They replenish
easily compared to Non-renewable resources.
Non-renewable resources – Non-renewable
resources either form slowly or do not naturally
form in the environment. Minerals are the
most common resource included in this category.
By the human perspective, resources are non-renewable
when their rate of consumption exceeds the
rate of replenishment/recovery; a good example
of this are fossil fuels, which are in this
category because their rate of formation is
extremely slow (potentially millions of years),
meaning they are considered non-renewable.
Some resources actually naturally deplete
in amount without human interference, the
most notable of these being radio-active elements
such as uranium, which naturally decay into
heavy metals. Of these, the metallic minerals
can be re-used by recycling them, but coal
and petroleum cannot be recycled. Once they
are completely used they take millions of
years to replenish.
== Extraction ==
Resource extraction involves any activity
that withdraws resources from nature. This
can range in scale from the traditional use
of preindustrial societies, to global industry.
Extractive industries are, along with agriculture,
the basis of the primary sector of the economy.
Extraction produces raw material, which is
then processed to add value. Examples of extractive
industries are hunting, trapping, mining,
oil and gas drilling, and forestry. Natural
resources can add substantial amounts to a
country's wealth, however a sudden inflow
of money caused by a resource boom can create
social problems including inflation harming
other industries ("Dutch disease") and corruption,
leading to inequality and underdevelopment,
this is known as the "resource curse".
Extractive industries represent a large growing
activity in many less-developed countries
but the wealth generated does not always lead
to sustainable and inclusive growth. People
often accuse extractive industry businesses
as acting only to maximize short-term value,
implying that less-developed countries are
vulnerable to powerful corporations. Alternatively,
host governments are often assumed to be only
maximizing immediate revenue. Researchers
argue there are areas of common interest where
development goals and business cross. These
present opportunities for international governmental
agencies to engage with the private sector
and host governments through revenue management
and expenditure accountability, infrastructure
development, employment creation, skills and
enterprise development and impacts on children,
especially girls and women. A strong civil
society can play an important role in ensuring
effective management of natural resources.
Norway can serve as a role model in this regard
as it has good institutions and open and dynamic
public debate with strong civil society actors
that provide an effective checks and balances
system for government's management of extractive
industries.
== Depletion of resources ==
In recent years, the depletion of natural
resources has become a major focus of governments
and organizations such as the United Nations
(UN). This is evident in the UN's Agenda 21
Section Two, which outlines the necessary
steps for countries to take to sustain their
natural resources. The depletion of natural
resources is considered a sustainable development
issue. The term sustainable development has
many interpretations, most notably the Brundtland
Commission's 'to ensure that it meets the
needs of the present without compromising
the ability of future generations to meet
their own needs', however in broad terms it
is balancing the needs of the planet's people
and species now and in the future. In regards
to natural resources, depletion is of concern
for sustainable development as it has the
ability to degrade current environments and
potential to impact the needs of future generations.
Depletion of natural resources is associated
with social inequity. Considering most biodiversity
are located in developing countries, depletion
of this resource could result in losses of
ecosystem services for these countries. Some
view this depletion as a major source of social
unrest and conflicts in developing nations.At
present, with it being the year of the forest,
there is particular concern for rainforest
regions that hold most of the Earth's biodiversity.
According to Nelson deforestation and degradation
affect 8.5% of the world's forests with 30%
of the Earth's surface already cropped. If
we consider that 80% of people rely on medicines
obtained from plants and ¾ of the world's
prescription medicines have ingredients taken
from plants, loss of the world's rainforests
could result in a loss of finding more potential
life saving medicines.The depletion of natural
resources is caused by 'direct drivers of
change' such as Mining, petroleum extraction,
fishing and forestry as well as 'indirect
drivers of change' such as demography, economy,
society, politics and technology. The current
practice of Agriculture is another factor
causing depletion of natural resources. For
example, the depletion of nutrients in the
soil due to excessive use of nitrogen and
desertification.
The depletion of natural resources is a continuing
concern for society. This is seen in the cited
quote given by Theodore Roosevelt, a well-known
conservationist and former United States president,
who was opposed to unregulated natural resource
extraction.
== Protection ==
In 1982, the UN developed the World Charter
for Nature, which recognized the need to protect
nature from further depletion due to human
activity. It states that measures must be
taken at all societal levels, from international
to individual, to protect nature. It outlines
the need for sustainable use of natural resources
and suggests that the protection of resources
should be incorporated into national and international
systems of law. To look at the importance
of protecting natural resources further, the
World Ethic of Sustainability, developed by
the IUCN, WWF and the UNEP in 1990, set out
eight values for sustainability, including
the need to protect natural resources from
depletion. Since the development of these
documents, many measures have been taken to
protect natural resources including establishment
of the scientific field and practice of conservation
biology and habitat conservation, respectively.
Conservation biology is the scientific study
of the nature and status of Earth's biodiversity
with the aim of protecting species, their
habitats, and ecosystems from excessive rates
of extinction. It is an interdisciplinary
subject drawing on science, economics and
the practice of natural resource management.
The term conservation biology was introduced
as the title of a conference held at the University
of California, San Diego, in La Jolla, California,
in 1978, organized by biologists Bruce A.
Wilcox and Michael E. Soulé.
Habitat conservation is a land management
practice that seeks to conserve, protect and
restore, habitat areas for wild plants and
animals, especially conservation reliant species,
and prevent their extinction, fragmentation
or reduction in range.
== Management ==
Natural resource management is a discipline
in the management of natural resources such
as land, water, soil, plants, and animals—with
a particular focus on how management affects
quality of life for present and future generations.
Hence, sustainable development is followed
according to judicial use of resources to
supply both the present generation and future
generations.
Management of natural resources involves identifying
who has the right to use the resources and
who does not for defining the boundaries of
the resource. The resources are managed by
the users according to the rules governing
of when and how the resource is used depending
on local condition.A "...successful management
of natural resources depends on freedom of
speech, a dynamic and wide-ranging public
debate through multiple independent media
channels and an active civil society engaged
in natural resource issues...", because of
the nature of the shared resources the individuals
who are affected by the rules can participate
in setting or changing them. The users have
rights to devise their own management institutions
and plans under the recognition by the government.
The right to resources includes land, water,
fisheries and pastoral rights. The users or
parties accountable to the users have to actively
monitor and ensure the utilisation of the
resource compliance with the rules and to
impose penalty on those peoples who violates
the rules. These conflicts are resolved in
a quick and low cost manner by the local institution
according to the seriousness and context of
the offence. The global science-based platform
to discuss natural resources management is
the World Resources Forum, based in Switzerland.
== Natural Resources by country ==
== 
See also ==
Conservation (ethic)
Environmental movement
Sustainable development
United Nations Framework Classification for
Resources
