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What Mother Earth gives us, without human touch, we call NR (Natural Resources). They boost human W&D (well-being and development) via goods like RM (raw materials), minerals, and meals, or through vital ES (ecological services). All LFs (life forms), us included, have always needed Earth’s gifts to survive. Think about water, soil, stone, forests, creatures, and stored energy like FF (fossil fuels). These are NR, vital for everything alive here. Nature makes these. Folks can adjust them for gain, but not create them. A good example is how human-made items need NR.
| Natural resource | Products or Services |
| Air | Wind energy, tires |
| Animals | Food (milk, cheese, meat, bacon) and clothing (wool sweaters, silk shirts, leather belts) |
| Coal | Electricity |
| Minerals | Coins, wire, steel, aluminum cans, jewelry |
| Natural gas | Electricity, heating |
| Petroleum | Electricity, fuel for cars and airplanes, plastic |
| Plants | Wood, paper, cotton clothing, fruits, vegetables |
| Sunlight | Solar energy, photosynthesis |
| Water | Hydroelectric energy, drinking, cleaning |
Types of Natural Resources
Nature gives us three main types of natural resources (NR):
a) Continuous Resources (CR): These energy sources never run out. People’s actions don’t affect them.
b) Renewable Resources (RR): These can renew naturally. We can keep using them if we don’t take too much, too fast.
c) Non-Renewable Resources (NRR): Once these are gone, they don’t come back naturally within a human lifespan.
We can sort NR in different ways. One way is by where they come from and if they renew, like we just saw.
Another way to group NR is by whether they come from living things or organic stuff. We call these Biotic Resources (BR).
BR include plants, animals, and fossil fuels (FF). The three main FF are coal, oil, and natural gas. FF are BR because they formed over millions of years from dead organic material.
Abiotic Resources (AR), on the other hand, come from non-living, non-organic stuff. For example, air, sunlight, and water are AR. Minerals are also AR.
The sun and gravity are our main sources of continuous energy. The sun gives us solar energy (from its rays) and wind energy (by heating air). Gravity helps create hydropower from dams, and power from waves and tides.
Human activity can lead to overuse, putting these resources at risk. Here are some serious examples of overusing resources:
- Too much hunting and fishing of whales and other animals that are in danger.
- Cutting down forests without thinking about saving them.
- Using too much water causes big environmental issues like deserts forming and water supplies shrinking fast.
The United Nations (UN) says people are overusing or misusing two-thirds of Earth’s ecosystems. This could cause big problems for future generations.
Priorities for Renewable Natural Resources
For Renewable Natural Resources (RNR), we must keep them healthy. This means using them wisely to stop damage and helping degraded ones grow back. In our country, these are top priorities:
- Manage ocean resources well. Stop overfishing that reduces fish stocks. We shouldn’t repeat mistakes like overfishing anchovies or sharply reducing sea lions and guano birds.
- Manage water life in rivers and lakes. Key areas include river shrimp on the coast, mountain lakes, and Amazon fishing.
- Saving farm lands is super urgent. They are scarce and getting worse, which threatens our food supply (FS).
- Saving water is also very urgent, especially along the coast, in western valleys, and in the mountains.
- Keeping plants on the coast and in the mountains is just as urgent. These areas need strong reforestation plans quickly to protect water sources and grow future forests.
- Planning land use in both high and low jungle areas. This helps use resources wisely and protect native groups.
- Saving biodiversity (BD) – species, genes, and key ecosystems – is a must-do.
Peru must stop losing its living resources. They offer cultural and scientific benefits.
Main Sources of Pollution
Here are some main ways pollution happens:
- Factory smoke or dust released into the air. This pollutes our air.
- Waste water from factories. This is a big cause of water pollution.
- Sewage from people’s homes and activities.
- Farm chemicals that wash into water. These include pesticides, fertilizers, and animal waste.
- Solid trash from factories and homes.
- Gas fumes from cars and other vehicles.
- Oil spills in rivers and seas, often from transport.
Natural Resource Management Plan
A Natural Resource Management Plan (NRMP) is a land-use tool in Spanish law. It helps manage NR, especially natural areas and endangered species. This follows the conservation rules set by Law 42/2007, known as the ‘Natural Heritage and Biodiversity Law’ (NHBL).
NRMPs define, classify, and connect natural heritage systems within an area. They also show how these systems relate to other land, no matter what local laws say.
The Ministry of Environment (ME), with regional help, will make NR guidelines. These guidelines fit within the State Strategic Plan for Natural Heritage and Biodiversity (SSPNHB). Regional NRMPs must follow these guidelines.
These guidelines will become official by Royal Decree within two years. First, the State Council for Natural Heritage and Biodiversity (SCNHB) must review them.
The goal of these guidelines is to set basic rules for managing and using NR. These rules align with the current law.
