Provision of Income: It means the source or gain of income or money
from somewhere.
Income: money received, especially on a regular basis, for work or
through investments.
Natural Resource:
Materials or substances
occurring in nature which can be exploited for economic gain.
Concept of resources in terms of natural income:
Ecologically minded economists
describe resources as “natural capital”.
If properly managed, renewable and replenish able resources are forms of wealth
that can produce “natural income” indefinitely in the form of valuable goods
and services. This income may consist of marketable commodities such as timber
and grain (goods) or may be in the form of ecological services such as the flood
and erosion protection provided by forests (services).
Natural Capital and Income
The concept of natural capital
refers to the source or supply of resources and services that are derived from
nature. Forests, mineral deposits, fisheries and fertile soil are some examples
of natural capital. Air and water purification are just two of many services.
Natural Income is the annual
yield from such sources of natural capital - timber, ores, fish and plants,
respectively, relative to the examples above. The point, at which the amount of
natural income used up reduces the capacity of natural capital to continue
providing the same amount of natural income in the future, is the point at
which sustainable scale has been exceeded.
Natural Income: More than Resources
Natural resources are not the
only type of natural income which flow from ecosystems. A variety of ecosystem
functions are also provided.
i.
Forests,
for example, are not simply wood production units. They also prevent soil
erosion, absorb rain water and provide flood control, they provide habitat for
a diversity of plant and animal species which may serve as foods or medicines
for other species, they absorb the natural wastes of these diverse life forms,
they generate oxygen and sequester carbon from the atmosphere, they affect the
microclimate of their area, they are a key component of the hydrologic cycle,
as well as providing aesthetic enjoyment and spiritual inspiration. These
forest ecosystem functions evolved to maintain the overall health of the forest
environment and the creatures in it. Ecosystem functions are another form of
natural income derived from the same natural capital of the forest ecosystem
that generates timber for economic use.
ii.
mineral deposits
Mineral
resources are those economic mineral concentrations that have undergone enough
Scrutiny to quantify their contained metal in them.
Mineral deposits
are used to increase income by exporting them thus a source of foreign exchange
iii.
fisheries
Fisheries are also source of income in
many costal countries of world including Pakistan. Through fisheries we can
generate income and economy of country may be improved by giving jobs to poor
people. Directly or
indirectly, the livelihood of over 500 million people in developing countries
depends on fisheries and aquaculture.
iv.
fertile
soil
Fertile soil is
one of the important natural resource, it provide services due to which we are
alive. For example harvesting crops whole year, provides enough cash to farmer
and countries economy and income.
v.
Ores
Ores increases
the country’s economy to high level. Ores are used to extract the minerals like
iron copper, zinc, salt, and many more. Which after are used to produce
different products for common use purposes or for military (tanks, amino and
guns).some other items are Arrows , Axe , Buckets ,Chisel , Firestarter ,Flint&Steel , Hammer ,Hoe , Javelin , Knife , Mace , Pickaxe , Prospector's Pick , Saw , Shovel , Sword , Scythe ,Shears , Spindle
vi.
Fresh
water
Fresh water is
naturally occurring water on the Earth's surface in ice sheets, ice caps,
glaciers, icebergs, bogs, ponds, lakes, rivers and streams, and underground as
groundwater in aquifers and underground streams. An important concern for
hydrological ecosystems is securing minimum stream flow, especially preserving
and restoring in stream water allocations. Fresh water is an important natural
resource necessary for the survival of all ecosystems. The use of water by
humans for activities such as irrigation and industrial applications can have
adverse impacts on down-stream ecosystems
vii.
Genetic Resource
Species, subspecies, or genetic
varieties of plants, animals, and microorganisms that currently provide
important goods and services or may be capable of providing them at some time
in the future.
These techniques can be used and are
reason of provision of income.
viii.
Dietary fiber
Dietary fiber, or sometimes roughage and ruffage is the
indigestible portion of food derived from plants and waste of animals that eat
dietary fiber. Dietary fiber is found in plants. While all plants contain some
fiber, plants with high fiber concentrations are generally the most practical
source. Fiber-rich plants can be eaten directly. Or, alternatively, they can be
used to make supplements and fiber-rich processed foods. Fibers are often used
in the manufacture of other materials. The strongest engineering materials are
generally made as fibers, for example carbon
fiber and Ultra-high-molecular-weight polyethylene.
Synthetic fibers can often be produced very cheaply and in large amounts
compared to natural fibers, but for clothing natural fibers can give some
benefits, such as comfort, over their synthetic counterparts.
Services from Natural Capital or Resources
Natural resources are not the
only type of natural income which flow from ecosystems. A variety of ecosystem
functions are also provided.
There are four general services
provided by natural capital, each of which need to be considered from the
perspective of criticality:
i.
Provisioning
Services – which provide resources used in production (timber, fish, etc.)
ii.
Regulating
Services – which regulate ecosystem processes, such as decomposition
organic wastes, cleansing of the air (by oxidation, etc.
iii.
Cultural
Services -providing benefits of a spiritual, aesthetic, recreational or
psychological nature; giving meaning to place, etc
iv.
Supporting
Services - which regulate processes necessary for all the other ecosystem services
The Competition for Natural Capital or
Resource
The exchanges of
energy and nutrients among the planet’s biotic and abiotic components created
the earth's unique capacities to support complex life forms. Our planet's web
of life depends on solar energy and exchanges of natural capital in life
sustaining processes. As the human species evolved, spread around the globe,
and began increasing the level of material throughput via technology, it began
competiting with other species and natural processes for the available, and
finite, amounts of natural capital available. The success of this human
activity is leading us to out-compete the natural world upon which we depend.
Thinking about sustainable scale helps us think about the appropriate balance
between the human use of natural capital, and the rest of nature’s use of the
limited amount available.
Conclusion:
We can conclude
that natural resources are important components in any counties economy and
ecosystem. Disturbance in it can cause fluctuation in earth environment and
income of country or individual.
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