CBSE Class 10 Science: Management of Natural Resources — Notes 2026

Why Manage Natural Resources

• Natural resources: air, water, soil, minerals, forests, wildlife — essential for all life and economic activity
• Non-renewable resources (coal, petroleum): once used, cannot be replenished within human timescale
• Sustainable development: meeting present needs without compromising future generations' ability to meet their own needs

Forest Resources

• Forests provide: timber, paper, medicinal plants, clean air (O₂), watershed protection, habitat for biodiversity
• Deforestation causes: agriculture, urbanisation, mining, paper industry; India loses ~1.5 million ha/year
• Community forest management: Arabari forest (West Bengal) — villagers protect forest in exchange for forest produce access

Water Resources

• Freshwater: only 2.5% of Earth's water; groundwater and surface water under pressure from agriculture, industry, population growth
• Rainwater harvesting: khadins (Rajasthan), bamboo drip irrigation (Meghalaya), johads (traditional ponds)
• Pollution sources: agricultural runoff (fertilisers, pesticides), industrial effluents, untreated sewage

Ganga Action Plan

• Ganga River: sacred and vital; highly polluted by domestic waste, industrial effluents, agricultural runoff
• GAP launched 1985; spent ₹900+ crore; limited success due to governance, enforcement, and scale issues
• Coliform bacteria count in Ganga at Varanasi: thousands × safe limit; primary cause is untreated sewage

Coal and Petroleum

• Coal: formed from compressed plant material over 300 million years; major source of electricity and coke for steel
• Petroleum: formed from marine organisms; refined into fuels; India imports 85% of crude oil (cost ~₹8 lakh crore/year)
• Alternatives: electric vehicles, CNG, hydrogen fuel; India's EV policy and PLI scheme for battery manufacturing

The Five R's of Resource Management

• Refuse: don't buy what you don't need; Reduce: minimise usage; Reuse: use same item again
• Repurpose: use for different purpose; Recycle: process into new material
• Consumer behaviour change: turning off lights, shorter showers, using public transport — aggregated impact is enormous

CBSE Exam Focus

• Arabari experiment and Chipko movement: 3-mark short answer frequently asked
• Ganga Action Plan: 2-mark; explain and evaluate (it didn't fully succeed)
• Define sustainable development; name three traditional water harvesting methods in India