Depletion of Natural Resources

The depletion of natural resources occurs when resources are consumed at a faster rate than that of replacement. Natural resources are those resources that are in existence without human actions and they can either be renewable or non-renewable. And when it gets down to the discussion of natural resource depletion, it a terminology used in reference to water usage, farming, fossil fuel consumption, fishing, and mining. And above all, natural resource depletion is defined on the premise that the value of a resource is measured in terms of its availability in nature.

A resource that is rare on earth due to depletion has a higher value than a natural resource which is in abundance. Due to the increasing global population, the levels of natural resource degradation is also increasing. Consequently, the world’s eco-footprint is estimated to be one and a half times the ability of the earth to sustainably provide each individual with enough resources that meet their consumption levels. Herein is a detailed explanation of the causes, effects, and solutions of natural resource depletion.

Causes of Depletion of Natural Resources

1. Overpopulation

The total global population is more than seven billion people. Still, there is a consistent increase in the overall earth populace, and this has been a critical factor in accelerating the depletion of natural resources. An increase in the populace expands the need for resources and conditions necessary to sustain it.

In addition, it contributes to increased ecological contamination. Research further indicates that developing countries are using more and more resources to industrialize and support their ever-increasing population. Hence, the depletion of natural resources will continue as long as the world population increases.

2. Poor Farming Practices

Humans are causing a lot of stress to land resources due to the over-reliance on food production for daily nutritional requirements. Poor irrigation practices, for example, is a key contributing factor to salinization and alkalization of the soil that sustains plant growth. Poor soil management practices and the use of heavy machinery and farming equipment also destroy the soil structure making it unsuitable for plant growth.

Some farming practices such as excessive use of pesticides, fungicides, and herbicides equally kill important soil micro-organisms that are essential in replenishing nutrients in the soil.

3. Logging

The World Bank reported that the net loss of global forest between 1990 and 2016 was 1.3 million square kilometres. On the same note, tropical deforestation is estimated to occur at a rate of one percent annually, especially in Latin America regions. People are clearing forests primarily for agricultural reasons due to the increase in the population pressure.

Humans are also cutting down trees to make space for residential complexes and multiplexes. Through deforestation, the planet not only loses tress but also thousands of animals and great plant biodiversity due to the destruction of their natural habitats. Moreover, increased logging activities lead to soil erosion that degrades natural soil minerals.

4. Overconsumption of Natural Resources

The 1760 industrial revolution saw large-scale mineral and oil exploration and the practice has been gradually growing, leading to more and more natural oil and mineral depletion. And together with the advancements in technology, development, and research in the contemporary era; exploitation of minerals has become easier, and humans are digging deeper to access different ore. The increased exploitation of different minerals has led to some of them entering into a production decline.

5. Pollution

An increase in population and modern anthropogenic activities is a major contributor to the disposal of pollutants into the natural environment and as such, the value of natural environments is gradually exposed to degradation. The soil, air, lakes, and seas are being contaminated with sewage, radioactive, materials, and toxic chemicals among other pollutants.

6. Industrial and Technological Development

The present-day world is incessantly becoming industrialized as more and more countries make major technological breakthroughs. But as technological advancements continue, there is similarly a considerable growth in industries that release toxins and chemical by-products which are eventually deposited in lakes, soils, and lands. As a result, the by-products and toxic materials alter natural habits such as aquatic systems and wildlife.

Effects of Depletion of Natural Resources

1. Water shortages

Poor farming practices, deforestation, and pollution are major causes of water resource depletion due to contamination, wastage, and the destruction of natural water catchment areas. As of today, approximately one billion people lack access to clean water because of the effects of deforestation and contamination of water sources and groundwater. Water shortage further contributes to famine and food insecurity.

2. Oil depletion

Oil is a non-renewable resource that accounts for approximately 40 percent of the total energy used globally. Research by EIA’s International Energy Outlook had shown that due to the high rate of oil exploitation, the amount of oil remaining would last for only 25 years.

Oil is an essential commodity in manufacturing, planting, mining, and transportation among many activities, and its depletion would be devastating. The adverse effects of oil depletion include the fall of the business, the high cost of living in developing countries, and uncertainty in the transport sector.

3. Loss of forest cover

Approximately 18 million acres of forest cover are destroyed annually. This means that half of the world’s natural forest cover has already been cleared. Furthermore, studies indicate an increase in deforestation in the past three decades has resulted in a 12% to 17% rise in greenhouse gases globally.

Other devastating effects of deforestation include soil erosion, an increase in the greenhouse gases leading to global warming, loss of biodiversity, increased flooding, and drought.

4. Depletion of minerals

There has been an increase in the exploitation of minerals such as phosphorus, gasoline, copper, and zinc among others to sustain the seven billion people on earth. Studies by Global Phosphorus Research Institute, for example, shows that the earth could run out of phosphorus – an essential element for plant growth, in the next 50 to 100 years.

Studies by the United States Geological Survey also indicate that there is an increase in non-renewable resources consumption of natural minerals and construction materials such as copper, sand, gravel, and stone.

5. Extinction of Species

Due to the changes in the living conditions of animals as a result of resource overexploitation and habitat degradation, some species may go extinct. Forested regions are known to be a habitat for thousands of animals, but deforestation is progressively destroying forest habitats. Practices such as overfishing, and pollution have similarly led to a drastic reduction in the number of marine species such as the tuna fish.

Solutions of Depletion of Natural Resources

1. Controlling Deforestation

Programs aimed at checking against deforestation such as REDD (Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and Forest Degradation) created by the World Bank, the New York Declaration on Forests, and the United Nations are initiatives that could help reduce the depletion of natural resources.

2. Reducing oil, mineral, and material consumption

Oil-rich countries together with the World Bank, state, and consumables’ regulatory bodies should join hands towards a common international objective of discussing how oil and mineral consumption, as well as exploitation, can be reduced. Manufactures can, for instance, be trained on lean manufacturing (recycling, re-use, and reducing wastage) while consumers sensitized on how to adopt re-use, reducing wastage, and recycling techniques.

3. More exploration and use of renewable sources of energy

Renewables such as solar and wind power can be explored more and utilized to reduce the dependency on fossil fuel, which is a major cause of environmental pollution, climate change, global warming, and destruction of natural habitats.

4. Protecting wetlands and coastal ecosystems

Wetlands are regions saturated with groundwater that serve a significant role in sustaining vegetation cover. The coastal and wetland ecosystems are thus vital in sustaining the food chain as they replenish water sources and avail minerals and nutrients for primary producers (green and flowering plants), essential for maintaining plant and animal biodiversity. Also when coastal ecosystems are protected, they aid in controlling marine overfishing and protect coral reefs.

5. Sensitization and awareness creation

People need to be educated on how their daily practices put a strain on the scarce natural resources and their individual contributions to the depletion of natural resources. The main purpose of creating awareness would be to encourage people to preserve and restore the natural environment by getting involved in conservation efforts.