1. The Multidisciplinary Nature Of
Environmental Studies And
Natural Resources
Made By:- Maitry Agrawal
B.Sc. Clinical Research And Healthcare Management 2nd
Sub:- Environmental Studies
ICRI - JNU

2. Overview
• What Is Environmental Studies?
• Multidisciplinary Nature of Environmental Studies
• Scope Of Environmental Studies
• Importance Of Environmental Studies
• Need For Public Awareness.
• What Is Natural Resources?
• Types Of Natural Resource
• Role Of Individual In Conservation Of Natural
Resources.
• Equitable Use Of Resources For Sustainable Lifestyle.

3. What Is Environmental Studies?
• Environmental studies are the scientific study of the
environmental system and the status of its inherent
or induced changes on organisms.
• It includes not only the study of physical and
biological characters of the environment but also the
social and cultural factors and the impact of man on
environment.

4. What Is Environment?
• The circumstances, objects, or conditions by which
one is surrounded. The complex of physical, chemical,
and biotic factors (such as climate, soil, and living
things) that act upon an organism or an ecological
community and ultimately determine its form and
survival.

5. Components Multidisciplinary Nature Of
Environmental Studies...
Biology Geology Chemistry Physics Engineering
Sociology Health
Anthropology
Economics Statistics
Computers Philosophy Ethics Archaeology Oceanography
Political
science
Atmospheric
science

6. Scope Of Environmental Studies
• The environment consist of 4 segments are:-
• Atmosphere :- The atmosphere forms a distinctive
protective layer about 100 km thick around the earth. A
blanket of gases called the atmosphere surrounds the earth
and protects the surface of earth from the sun’s harmful,
ultraviolet rays. It also regulates temperature, preventing the
earth from becoming too hot or too cold. The atmosphere is
composed of nitrogen and oxygen besides, argon, carbon
dioxide and trace gases.

7. • Hydrosphere :- The Hydrosphere comprises all types of
water resources oceans, seas, lakes, rivers, streams,
reservoirs, polar icecaps, glaciers, and ground water. Oceans
represent 97% of the earth’s water and about 2% of the water
resources is locked in the polar icecaps and glaciers. Only
about 1% is available as fresh water as surface water in rivers,
lakes, streams, and as ground water for human use.
• Lithosphere:- Lithosphere is the outer mantle of the solid
earth. It consists of minerals occurring in the earth’s crusts
and the soil e.g. minerals, organic matter, air and water.
• Biosphere:- Biosphere indicates the realm of living
organisms and their interactions with environment, via
atmosphere, hydrosphere and lithosphere.

8. Importance Of Environmental Studies
1. Environment Issues are being of Global: It has been well
recognized that environment issues like global warming and
ozone depletion, acid rain, marine pollution and biodiversity are
not merely national issues but are global issues and hence
require international efforts and cooperation to solve them.
2. To understand the impacts of development on
environment: development results in Industrial growth,
urbanization, expansion of telecommunication and
transport systems, hi-tech agriculture and expansion of
housing. Environmental science seeks to teach the general
population about the need for decentralization of
industries to reduce congestion in urban areas.
Decentralization means many people will move out of
urban centers to reduce pollution resulting from
overpopulation.

9. 3. Explosive Increase in Pollution: Evidently with 16 per
cent of the world's population and only 2.4 per cent of its land
area, there is a heavy pressure on the natural resources
including land. Agricultural experts have recognized soil
health problems like deficiency of micronutrients and organic
matter, soil salinity and damage of soil structure.
4. To Discover Sustainable Ways Of Living: Environmental
science is more concerned with discovering ways to live more
sustainably. This means utilizing present resources in a
manner that conserves their supplies for the future. This
includes minimizing household energy consumption, using
disposals to dispose of waste, eating locally, recycling more,
growing your own food, drinking from the tap, conserving
household water, and driving your car less.

10. Need For Public Awareness
• In today’s world because of industrialization and
increasing population, the natural resources has been
rapidly utilized and our environment is being
increasingly degraded by human activities, so we need
to protect the environment.
• It is not only the duty of government but also the
people to take active role for protecting the
environment, so protecting our environment is
economically more viable than cleaning it up once, it is
damaged.

11. • The role of mass media such as newspapers, radio,
television, etc is also very important to make people
aware regarding environment.
• There are various institutions, which are playing
positive role towards environment to make people
aware regarding environment like BSI (Botanical
Survey of India, 1890), ZSI (Zoological Survey of
India, 1916), WII (Wild Life Institute of India, 1982)
etc.

12. What Is Natural Resource?
• Natural resources are useful raw materials that
we get from the Earth. They occur naturally,
which means that humans cannot make natural
resources. Instead, we use and modify natural
resources in ways that are beneficial to us. The
materials used in human-made objects are
natural resources.

13. Types Of Natural Resources
Natural
resources
Renewable
Non-
renewable

14. Renewable Resources
• A renewable resource is one that can be used repeatedly and
does not run out because it is naturally replaced. A renewable
resource, essentially, has an endless supply such as solar
energy, wind energy, and geothermal pressure.
• Most precious metals are renewable also. Although precious
metals are not naturally replaced, they can be recycled because
they are not destroyed during their extraction and use.
• Examples: Alcohol, Methane, Geothermal Energy (capturing
the heat trapped within the earth's surface and converting it to
usable energy), Trees & Lumber, Hydropower, Food Crops and
so on.

15. Non-renewable Resources
• A nonrenewable resource is a natural substance that is not
replenished with the speed at which it is consumed. It is
a finite resource.
• Nonrenewable resources come from the Earth. Humans extract
them in gas, liquid, or solid form and then convert them for
their use, mainly related to energy. The reserves of these
substances took billions of years to form, and it will take
billions of years to replace the supplies used.
• Example: Fossils Fuel, Crude Oil And Petroleum, Natural Gas,
Coal, Uranium Ore and so on.

16. Role Of Individual In Conservation Of Natural
Resources
oConservation of energy:
1. Switch off light, fan and other appliances when not in use.
2. Use solar heater for cooking.
3. Dry the cloth in the sun light instead of driers.
4. Use always pressure cookers
5. Grow trees near the house to get cool breeze instead of using AC and cooler.
6. Ride bicycle or just walk instead of using scooter for a short distance.
oConservation of water:
1. Use minimum water for all domestic purposes.
2. check the water leaks in pipes and repair them properly.
3. Reuse the soapy water, after washing clothes for washing courtyard, carpets
etc.
4. Use drip irrigation.
5. Rain water harvesting system should be installed in all the houses.
6. Sewage treatment plant may be installed in all industries and institution.

17. oConservation of soil:
1. Grow different type plants i.e. trees, herbs and shrubs.
2. In the irrigation process, using strong flow of water should be avoided.
3. Soil erosion can be prevented by sprinkling irrigation.
oConservation of food resources:
1.Cook required amount of food.
2.Don’t waste the food, give it to some one before spoiling.
3.Don’t store large amount of food grains and protect them from damaging
insects.
oConservation of forest:
1.Use non timber product.
2.Plant more trees.
3.Grassing must be controlled
4.Minimise the use of paper and fuel.
5.Avoid the construction of dam, road in the forest areas.

18. Equitable Use Of Resources For Sustainable
Lifestyle
oSustainable Development:
Development of healthy environment without damaging natural
resources.
oUnsustainable Development:
• Degradation of the environment due to over utilization of natural
resources.
• Life style in more developed countries:
• 22% of world population, 88% of it’s natural resources and 85% of
total global income.
• Consumption is more and pollution is more.

19. oLife style in less developed countries:
• 78% of world population, 12% of it’s natural resources and 15% of
total global income.
• Consumption is less and pollution is less.
oCauses of unsustainability:
• Main cause – difference between MDCs(more developed
countries) and LDCs(least developed country)
oSustainable life style:
• MDCs should have to reduce the utilization of natural resources,
that should have to be diverted to LDCs. This will reduce the gap
between MDCs and LDCs, leads to sustainable development of the
entire world.

20. Bibliography
• www.investopedia.com
• www.yourdictionary.com
• www.yourarticlelibrary.com
• www.wikipedia.com
• www.ecourcesonline.com