CBSE Class 8 Social Science Revision Notes Chapter 1: Natural Resources and Their Use

Natural resources are materials and substances found in nature that become useful when people use them to meet their needs. CBSE class 8 social science chapter 1 notes explain resource categories, unequal distribution, overexploitation, restoration, regeneration and responsible stewardship.

Air, water, soil, forests, minerals and fossil fuels support human life and economic activity. However, an element of nature becomes a resource only when people can access and use it in a practical, affordable and socially acceptable way.

Class 8 social science chapter 1 revision notes explain how natural resources are classified and distributed. They also show why their careless use leads to pollution, resource depletion and ecological imbalance.

Key Takeaways

• Natural resources must be technologically accessible, economically feasible and culturally acceptable.
• Renewable resources remain available only when their natural regeneration is not disturbed.
• Natural resources are unevenly distributed and influence settlements, industries, trade and conflict.
• Stewardship means using nature responsibly for present and future generations.

Access Class 8 Social Science Chapter 1 Natural Resources and Their Use Notes in 30 Minutes

Revise the chapter in three parts:

• First 10 minutes: Meaning, categories, renewable resources and non-renewable resources
• Next 10 minutes: Distribution, resource curse, overexploitation and environmental effects
• Final 10 minutes: Groundwater, organic farming, renewable energy and stewardship

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Natural Resources and Their Use in Class 8 Social Science Chapter 1

Nature includes all living and non-living things that exist around us and have not been created by humans.

Examples include:

• Air
• Water
• Soil
• Forests
• Wildlife
• Coal
• Petroleum
• Minerals
• Sunlight
• Wind

When people use an element of nature for survival, comfort or production, it becomes a resource.

A tree is part of nature. When its wood is used to make furniture, houses or tools, it is treated as a natural resource.

When Does Nature Become a Resource?

Not everything found in nature is automatically considered a resource.

For something to become a resource, it should meet three conditions:

Technological Accessibility

People should have the technology needed to locate, extract or use it.

Petroleum may be present deep below the ocean. It becomes usable only when suitable drilling technology is available.

Economic Feasibility

The cost of obtaining the resource should not be unreasonably high.

A mineral deposit may exist, but it may not be treated as a useful resource if extraction costs are greater than its economic value.

Cultural Acceptability

Its use should be acceptable within the cultural and social values of the community.

For example, people may avoid cutting trees from sacred groves even when the timber is useful.

Therefore, natural resources are substances found in nature that are valuable and usable for human beings.

Categories of Natural Resources

There are different ways to classify natural resources.

One method is to group them according to their use.

Resources Essential for Life

Some resources are necessary for survival.

These include:

• Air for breathing
• Water for drinking
• Soil for growing food
• Plants and animals for food
• Sunlight for life processes

Human beings cannot manufacture these basic natural systems from nothing.

Resources Used as Materials

Nature provides materials for buildings, tools, machines and decorative objects.

Examples include:

• Wood
• Stone
• Marble
• Clay
• Iron
• Copper
• Gold
• Sand

A piece of wood may become a chair, a door or a carved object.

Resources Used for Energy

Modern life depends heavily on energy.

Sources include:

• Coal
• Petroleum
• Natural gas
• Sunlight
• Wind
• Flowing water

Energy is used in transport, industries, homes, farms and communication systems.

Renewable and Non-Renewable Resources

Natural resources can also be classified according to whether they can be naturally replenished.

Renewable Resources

Renewable resources can be restored or regenerated naturally over time.

Examples include:

• Sunlight
• Wind
• Flowing water
• Forests
• Soil
• Biomass

However, these resources remain renewable only when people do not use them faster than nature can replace them.

A forest can provide timber over a long period if trees are allowed to regrow. If trees are cut continuously without replanting, the forest may eventually disappear.

Non-Renewable Resources

Non-renewable resources take millions of years to form.

They cannot be replaced at the speed at which people consume them.

Examples include:

• Coal
• Petroleum
• Natural gas
• Iron
• Copper
• Gold

These resources should be used carefully because the available stock is limited.

Restoration and Regeneration of Natural Resources

Nature works through cycles.

When something is damaged, nature may restore it to a healthier condition. This is called restoration.

Regeneration goes a step further. It refers to nature’s ability to create new life and conditions in which ecosystems can continue to grow.

For example, when a tree falls in a forest:

• Bacteria, insects and fungi decompose it.
• Nutrients return to the soil.
• New plants grow.
• Animals use the plants for food and shelter.

The fallen tree does not become waste. It becomes part of a natural cycle.

Why Regeneration Matters

A renewable resource remains renewable only if its regeneration cycle is protected.

If groundwater is removed faster than rain can replenish it, the water table falls.

If fish are caught faster than they reproduce, their population declines.

If soil is repeatedly damaged by chemicals, it loses fertility.

Ecosystem Functions and Ecosystem Services

An ecosystem performs several natural functions.

Examples include:

• Trees producing oxygen
• Forests preventing soil erosion
• Wetlands storing water
• Insects pollinating plants
• Soil organisms decomposing waste

When these natural functions benefit human beings, they are called ecosystem services.

For example:

• A forest naturally filters water.
• Farmers benefit from cleaner water.
• Trees hold soil in place.
• Nearby fields experience less erosion.
• Pollinators help crops produce fruits and seeds.

Nature performs these services without charging people, but they can be damaged through irresponsible use.

Distribution of Natural Resources and Its Effects

Natural resources are not distributed equally across the Earth.

Some regions have coal, while others have petroleum, iron ore, fertile soil or large rivers.

This unequal distribution affects:

• Human settlements
• Employment
• Industries
• Trade
• Transport
• International relations
• Political conflicts

Industries often develop near the resources they need.

Mining areas may attract workers, roads, markets and townships. This can create jobs and improve access to modern services.

However, resource extraction may also cause:

• Displacement of local communities
• Loss of forests
• Pollution
• Damage to sacred places
• Conflict over land
• Unequal sharing of benefits

Shared Natural Resources

Rivers often flow across state or national borders.

This can create disputes over water sharing.

The Kaveri River, for example, is shared by Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Kerala and Puducherry. Careful negotiation and management are needed to distribute the water fairly.

Natural Resources, Trade and Economic Activity

Natural resources influence national and international trade.

A region may export minerals, timber, fuel or agricultural products.

When natural resources are combined with human knowledge and skills, they can produce valuable goods.

India’s Wootz steel is an example of how raw materials, technical knowledge and skilled work can create an important trade product.

However, exporting only raw materials may not produce long-term prosperity. Greater value is created when industries convert raw materials into finished products.

Resource Curse or Paradox of Plenty

A region rich in natural resources does not always become economically prosperous.

This situation is called the resource curse or paradox of plenty.

It may happen when:

• A country depends too heavily on one resource.
• Raw materials are exported without processing.
• Industries and skills remain underdeveloped.
• Resource income is not distributed fairly.
• Corruption or conflict affects governance.

Natural wealth becomes useful only when it is supported by:

• Skilled workers
• Technology
• Industries
• Good governance
• Strategic planning
• Fair distribution

India has generally tried to develop industries that process natural resources into more valuable products.

Sustainable Use of Natural Resources

Sustainable use means meeting present needs without damaging the ability of future generations to meet theirs.

Renewable resources should be used within their capacity to regenerate.

Non-renewable resources should be used judiciously so that they last longer while better alternatives are developed.

Sustainable resource use includes:

• Reducing waste
• Reusing materials
• Recycling
• Protecting forests
• Saving water
• Restoring soil
• Shifting to renewable energy
• Treating industrial waste
• Supporting biodiversity

Overexploitation of Natural Resources

Overexploitation happens when resources are used faster than they can recover.

It can lead to:

• Falling groundwater levels
• Deforestation
• Loss of biodiversity
• Soil degradation
• Water pollution
• Air pollution
• Climate change
• Declining fish populations

Overfishing

Traditional fishing communities often avoided fishing during breeding seasons.

This allowed fish populations to recover.

Commercial overfishing disturbed this balance. Some fish species, including tuna, have experienced major population decline.

Industrial Waste

Industries produce goods needed by society, but they also create waste.

When untreated waste enters rivers:

• Water becomes polluted.
• Fish and other organisms die.
• Drinking water becomes unsafe.
• Natural regeneration is disturbed.

Industrial development therefore needs pollution control and waste treatment.

Punjab Groundwater Crisis

Punjab played an important role in the Green Revolution and helped India become self-sufficient in food.

However, the large-scale cultivation of water-intensive crops created a serious groundwater problem.

Causes

• Expansion of paddy and wheat cultivation
• Use of high-yielding crop varieties
• Heavy dependence on groundwater
• Free or subsidised electricity for pumping
• Excessive use of chemical fertilisers
• Extensive pesticide use

Groundwater has been extracted faster than nature can replenish it.

Nearly 80% of Punjab’s area has been classified as overexploited.

Effects

• Falling water tables
• Deeper and more expensive wells
• Risk of future water shortage
• Chemical contamination
• Health problems
• Reduced long-term farm sustainability

Food security improved in the short term, but long-term ecological costs became severe.

Possible Solutions

• Rainwater harvesting
• Restoring ponds and tanks
• Growing less water-intensive crops
• Using efficient irrigation
• Reusing treated water
• Reducing chemical inputs
• Monitoring groundwater extraction

Soil Degradation and Sustainable Farming

Excessive use of chemical fertilisers and pesticides can damage soil.

It may reduce:

• Soil fertility
• Helpful microorganisms
• Water-holding capacity
• Biodiversity
• Long-term crop productivity

Traditional farming practices often treated soil as part of a living system.

Useful practices include:

• Cow dung manure
• Compost
• Mulching
• Crop rotation
• Mixed cropping
• Natural pest control
• Gentle ploughing

These methods help restore moisture, nutrients and biological activity in the soil.

Traditional Knowledge and Vrikshayurveda

Vrikshayurveda is an ancient Indian knowledge system related to the care of plants and trees.

The word combines:

• Vriksha: Tree
• Ayurveda: Knowledge of life and health

It includes guidance on:

• Selecting crops for different soils
• Collecting and preserving seeds
• Preparing seeds before planting
• Irrigation
• Natural pest management
• Crop rotation
• Mixed cropping
• Soil moisture conservation

This knowledge treated plants, soil, water and organisms as parts of an interconnected system.

Traditional practices can be combined with modern scientific methods to support sustainable agriculture.

Organic Farming in Sikkim

Sikkim provides an important example of a large-scale shift towards organic farming.

Farmers stopped depending on chemical fertilisers and pesticides.

Instead, they used:

• Compost
• Natural pest repellents
• Neem and garlic preparations
• Multiple crops
• Organic soil management

The transition was initially difficult because yields declined while damaged soil recovered.

Over time:

• Soil health improved.
• Beneficial insects returned.
• Bird populations increased.
• Biodiversity improved.
• Tourism grew.
• Farmers received premium prices.

In 2016, Sikkim became a fully certified organic state.

The case shows that sustainable farming can produce environmental and economic benefits.

Environmental Effects of Cement Production

Cement is necessary for houses, hospitals, roads, bridges and airports.

However, cement production can cause serious pollution.

Its effects include:

• Fine dust entering human and animal lungs
• Dust settling on plant leaves
• Lower crop productivity
• Soil pollution
• Water pollution
• High energy use

Pollution-control rules help reduce these effects.

Alternatives include:

• Stone
• Mud
• Plant-based materials
• Recycled materials
• Low-pollution construction methods

Traditional building materials can be combined with modern technology to produce climate-friendly structures.

Responsible Use of Non-Renewable Resources

Non-renewable resources cannot be replaced quickly.

Their use must therefore be planned carefully.

Important steps include:

• Improving energy efficiency
• Reducing unnecessary consumption
• Recycling metals
• Using public transport
• Shifting from fossil fuels
• Developing renewable alternatives
• Designing products that last longer

Coal may still be needed for some time, but long-term dependence on it should be reduced.

International Solar Alliance and Renewable Energy

India and France launched an international solar initiative in 2015 to encourage the use of solar energy in sunshine-rich countries.

Its goals include:

• Increasing solar-power capacity
• Sharing technical knowledge
• Supporting developing countries
• Making solar finance more affordable
• Reducing dependence on fossil fuels

Large solar parks in India demonstrate how sunlight can be used to generate electricity on a major scale.

Solar energy offers both environmental and economic opportunities.

Fair Access to Natural Resources

The benefits and costs of resource use are not always shared equally.

Some communities may face:

• Irregular drinking-water supply
• Polluted air
• Industrial waste
• Displacement
• Loss of forests
• Reduced access to common land

Poorer communities often have fewer ways to protect themselves from environmental harm.

Responsible resource management should therefore include fairness and equal access to:

• Clean water
• Fresh air
• Safe housing
• Energy
• Healthy land

Stewardship of Natural Resources

Stewardship means taking responsibility for protecting and wisely using nature.

It includes:

• Respecting natural limits
• Restoring damaged ecosystems
• Allowing renewable resources to regenerate
• Conserving non-renewable resources
• Reducing pollution
• Considering future generations
• Ensuring fair access

The idea of lokasangraha encourages people to act for the welfare of all rather than only for personal benefit.

Stewardship requires governments, industries, communities and individuals to work together.

Class 8 Social Science Chapter 1 Quick Revision

• Natural resources occur in nature and are valuable to people.
• A resource must be technologically accessible, economically feasible and culturally acceptable.
• Resources may support life, provide materials or supply energy.
• Renewable resources can regenerate if used responsibly.
• Non-renewable resources form very slowly.
• Restoration returns a damaged system to a healthier condition.
• Regeneration allows new life and natural cycles to continue.
• Ecosystem services are benefits people receive from nature.
• Resources are unevenly distributed.
• Their distribution affects settlement, trade and conflict.
• Resource abundance does not automatically create prosperity.
• Overexploitation damages water, soil, forests and biodiversity.
• Punjab faces serious groundwater depletion.
• Vrikshayurveda contains traditional sustainable-farming knowledge.
• Sikkim became a fully organic state in 2016.
• Solar power can reduce fossil-fuel dependence.
• Stewardship means responsible use for the wellbeing of all.

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