NCERT SOLUTIONS
Chapter 16. Management of Natural Resources
QUESTIONS
Page No. 269
1. What changes can you make in your habits to become more environment-friendly ?
Ans: In order to become more environment-friendly the following changes can be made in our day to day life –
(i) Turning off any electrical appliances such as TV, water heaters, lights, fans, air conditioners when they are not in use .
(ii) Segregate waste into recyclable and non-recyclable part .
(iii) Use of public transport instead of using personal vehicles .
(iv) Use of energy efficient electrical appliances .
(v) Reuse paper, plastic and glass bottles .
2. What would be the advantages of exploiting resources with short-term aims ?
Ans: The advantages of exploiting resources with short-term aims are
(i) Rapid industrial growth .
(ii) Addressing and fulfilling the immediate requirement of the population .
(iii) Compared to long-term goals, gains are much higher .
(iv) Agricultural development on the rise .
3. How would these advantages differ from the advantages of using a long-term perspective in managing our resources ?
Ans: The long-term model of resource consumption enables the conservation of resources for them to be used by future generations . This will enable the economy to grow over a longer time frame . It also provides more time for technology to advance and discover new sustainable energy sources . All in all, the long-term perspective in managing of resources has significantly greater advantages when compared to the short-term perspective .
4. Why do you think there should be equitable distribution of resources ? What forces would be working against an equitable distribution of our resources ?
Ans: Equitable distribution of resources enables every human to receive their share of the resources and makes sure that everyone has the basic requirements for life such as food, water, shelter etc.
The factors that work against equitable distribution include
(i) Regional distribution of resources .
(ii) Corruption and greed of some humans .
(iii) Uneven distribution of resources between the rich and the poor .
QUESTIONS
Page No. 273
1. Why should we conserve forests and wildlife ?
Ans: We should conserve forests and wildlife because of the following reasons –
(i) They help in maintaining the ecological balance at a place.
(ii) They provide us with useful things like rubber, wood, gum, dyes, resin, oil, fibres, medicines, wax, honey, fruits, seeds, leaves of bidi etc.
(iii) They purify the air, control flood and soil erosion and maintain its fertility .
(iv) Forests conserve biodiversity and hereditary resources. Ecological stability gets imbalanced due to damage in diversity.
2. Suggest some approaches towards the conservation of forests.
Ans: Some methods for forest conservation are as follows –
(i) Only except some trees, there should be ban on cutting of forest. Forest stop soil erosion.
(ii) Forests should be saved from fires. Many forests get destroyed due to fires.
(iii) Overgrazing should be prohibited.
(iv) National rules and laws should be strictly enforced.
(iv) Planting of trees to combat deforestation.
(v) Planting of trees to combat deforestation.
QUESTIONS
Page No. 276
1. Find out about the traditional systems of water harvesting/management in your region.
Ans: Many of us live in cities where water is supplied by the municipal authorities. In populated metropolitan cities, the primary sources of water include ground water and lakes. Groundwater is harvested with the help of borewells whereas pipes harvest water diversity from the lakes. The harvested water is then stored in water tankers placed at strategic location throughout the city.
2. Compare the above system with the probable systems in hilly / mountainous areas or plains or platea regions.
Ans: Drinking water system in hilly areas:
(i) Kulhs were a traditional irrigation system in hilly areas such as Himachal In this system, the water flowing through falls, comes to villages located at lower regions through small human made drains.
(ii) In Meghalaya, the water is brought down to the lower areas of hills through bamboo drain.
Drinking water system in plains:
(i) Jhalaras were made in Rajasthan and Gujarat, essentially meant for community use and for religious rites.
(ii) In some places bawaries etc. were made to supply water.
Drinking water system in plateau regions :
(i) Bandharas were check dams or diversion which were built across rivers. Such a traditional system was formed in Maharashtra.
(ii) In some regions, small pits were dug due to collect water.
3. Find out the source of water in your region/locality. Is water from this source available to all people living in that area ?
Ans: In our region, the primary source of water is ground water. This water is made available to all people in the city. However, poor infrastructure in some localities makes it difficult for some people to obtain water.
EXERCISES
Page No. 278
1. What changes would you suggest in your home in order to be environment-friendly ?
Ans: Some important changes that can help make houses more environment-friendly include –
(i) Segregation of the garbage into biodegradable waste (food waste) and non-biodegradable waste (plastic).
(ii) Use of eco-friendly products such as cloth shopping bags and paper cups instead of plastic.
(iii) Avoiding the wastage of water by quickly fix leaking taps and close the taps while they are not in use.
2. Can you suggest some changes in your school which would make it environment-friendly ?
Ans: Some important changes that can help make schools more environment-friendly are
(i) Students and teachers must make sure all the lights and fans are switched off when the classes end for the day.
(ii) Setting up waste segregation bins for biodegradable waste throughout the school.
(iii) Promoting the use of transport methods such as bicycles and school buses.
(iv) Plant enough trees in the school.
(v) Leaking taps should be repaired so that water is not wasted.
3. We saw in this chapter that there are four main stakeholders when it comes to forests and wildlife. Which among these should have the authority to decide the management of forest produce ? Why do you think so ?
Ans: The authority to decide the management of forest produces is with the forest department of the government. This is because the forest department is the caretaker of the forest land and is also for any damage that occurs to the forest.
4. How can you as an individual contribute or make a difference to the management of (a) forests and wildlife, (b) water resources and (c) coal and petroleum ?
Ans: (a) An individual can contribute to the management of forest and wildlife resources by –
(i) Organizing and participating in rallies that protest against deforestation and wildlife poaching.
(ii) Volunteering for many non-government organization (NGOs) that work towards the protection of forests and wildlife.
(iii) Organizing and participating in group activities that involve the planting of new trees in forest areas.
(b) An individual can contribute towards the management of water by –
(i) Avoiding the wastage of water in their daily lives by using water judiciously.
(ii) Spreading awareness about the importance of water management by participating in rallies or activities.
(iii) Promoting practices such as rainwater harvesting and discouraging the discharge of waste water and sewage into lakes and rivers.
(c) An individual can contribute towards the management of non-renewable energy sources such as coal and petroleum by –
(i) Using fuel-efficient transportation methods such as carpooling, use of public transport and use of bicycle.
(ii) Using energy-efficient light source such as CFLs and LEDs instead of ordinary bulbs.
(iii) Using solar water heaters instead of electric heaters for heating water.
5. What can you as an individual do to reduce your consumption of the various natural resources ?
Ans: We can do the following as an individual to reduce our consumption of the various natural resources:
(i) Follow the principle of three R’s i.e. Reduce, Recycle and Reuse.
(ii) Use of fuel-efficient transport options such as carpooling, use of bicycles and public transport.
(iii) Judicious use of water and avoidance of its wastage.
(iv) Promoting the use of renewable resources by using solar water heaters instead of electric heaters.
6. List five things you have done over the last one week to –
(a) conserve our natural resources.
(b) increase the pressure on our natural resources.
Ans: (a) Practices for the conservation of natural resources are
(i) Use of bicycles and public transport while travelling to reduce fuel consumption.
(ii) Segregation of garbage into biodegradable and non-biodegradable bins.
(iii) Avoiding the wastage of water by using it judiciously and fixing any leaking tapes or pipes.
(b) Practices that can increase the pressure on our natural resources are
(i) Wastage of electrical energy by leaving electrical appliances switch on after use.
(ii) Wastage of water by ignoring any leaking pipes or tapes and leaving the tap on after use.
(iii) Excessive use of plastic products such as polythene bags.
7. On the basis of the issues raised in this chapter, what changes would you incorporate in your life-style in a move towards a sustainable use of our resources?
Ans: The following changes incorporate in our life-style in a move towards a sustainable use of our resources are
(i) Segregate the waste generated in homes into biodegradable and non-biodegradable waste.
(ii) Avoid the wastage of electricity by switch off lights, fans and other electrical appliances when not in use.
(iii) Use water judiciously and avoid its wastage by quickly repairing any leaking tapes or pipes.
(iv) Practicing environment-friendly methods such as rainwater harvesting nd planting of trees.
(v) Usage of eco-friendly products such as cloth shopping bags and paper cups instead of non-biodegradable polythene bags and disposal plastic cups.
Additional Questions
1. What is three R’s ?
Ans: Three R’s is a principle to save our environment and three R’s means Reduce, Recycle and Reuse.
Example of Reduce: We save electricity by switching off unnecessary lights and fans and save water by repairing leaky taps.
Example of recycle: Collecting plastic, paper, glass, and metal items and recycle these materials to make required things . As a result synthesizing or extracting of fresh plastic, paper, glass or metal will be reduced.
Example of Reuse: The plastic bottles in which we buy various food – items like jam or pickle can be reuse for storing things in the kitchen . Instead of throwing away used envelops you can reuse it again.
2. What are the stakeholders of forest and wildlife ?
Ans: The stakeholders of forest and wildlife are
(i) The people who live in or around forests are dependent on forest produce for various aspects of their life.
(ii) The Forest Department of the Government which owns the land and controls the resources from forests.
(iii) The industrialists – from those who use ‘tendu’ leaves to make bidis to the ones with paper mills – who use various forest produce, but are not dependent on the forests in any one area.
(iv) The wild life and nature enthusiasts who want to conserve nature in its pristine form.
3. When did Chipko Andolan start ?
Ans: Chipko Andolan started in 1970.
4. What are kulhs ?
Ans: Parts of Himachal Pradesh had evolved a local system of canal irrigation called kulhs.
5. Write the disadvantage of large dams.
Ans: The disadvantage of large dams are
(i) Social problems because they displace large number of peasants and tribals without adequate compensation or rehabilitation.
(ii) Economic problems because they swallow up huge amounts of public money without the generation of proportionate benefits.
(iii) Environmental problems because they contribute enormously to deforestation and the loss of biological diversity.
6. Write some age-old water harvesting methods .
Ans: Some age-old water harvesting methods are
(i) Khadins, tanks and nadis in Rajasthan.
(ii) Bandharas and tals in Maharashtra.
(iii) Bundhis in Madhya Pradesh and Uttar Pradesh.
(iv) Ahars and pynes in Bihar.
(v) Kulhs in Himachal Pradesh.
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