Resources and Development
What is a Resource?
Definition: A resource is anything that can satisfy a need. Examples include water, electricity, food, and transportation.
Utility and Value: Utility or usability makes an object a resource. Resources have value, which can be economic or non-economic.
Types of Resources
2.1 Natural Resources
Definition: Resources drawn from nature and used with minimal modification.
Categories:
Renewable Resources: Replenished naturally, e.g., solar and wind energy. Overuse of certain renewable resources, like water, can lead to scarcity.
Non-renewable Resources: Limited stock, e.g., coal and petroleum, which take thousands of years to form.
2.2 Human-Made Resources
Definition: Natural resources transformed by human efforts, like buildings, machinery, and technology.
2.3 Human Resources
Definition: People with skills and knowledge who create more resources. Education and health enhance human resources, a process known as human resource development.
Conserving Resources
Resource Conservation: Using resources wisely to allow for renewal.
Sustainable Development: Balancing current resource use with conservation for future generations.
Methods: Reducing consumption, recycling, and reusing materials.
Principles of Sustainable Development
Respect and care for all forms of life.
Improve the quality of human life.
Conserve Earth’s vitality and diversity.
Minimize resource depletion.
Foster environmental responsibility in communities.
Exercises and Activities
Questions: Topics on resource distribution, importance of human resources, and sustainable development.
Creative Exercises: Activities like listing renewable resources and imagining ways to use natural elements as resources.
