Environment and Natural Resources: notes

Resources

• Natural resources: things from nature that people use: soil, water, minerals, forests and wildlife.
• Renewable: can be replaced, such as trees (if replanted), water and sunlight.
• Non-renewable: cannot be replaced in a human lifetime, such as coal, gold and diamonds.

Environmental problems

• Soil erosion: soil washed or blown away, often after trees and grass are removed.
• Deforestation: cutting down forests faster than they grow back.
• Pollution: harming air, water or land with waste.
• Climate change: long-term change in weather, bringing more droughts and floods.

Protecting the environment

• Conservation: using resources wisely so they last.
• Sustainable development: meeting today's needs without harming the future.
• Environmental Management Agency (EMA): the body that enforces environmental law in Zimbabwe.
• CAMPFIRE: a programme that lets rural communities earn from wildlife.

Common mistake

Renewable does not mean unlimited. Forests and fish can run out if used too fast.