The process of utilising and harnessing natural resources, such as water, land, minerals, forests, and wildlife, to meet the requirements and wants of human populations is referred to as the mobilisation of natural resources.
This may entail a number of actions, including the extraction, harvesting, cultivation, and use of natural resources. Resource mobilisation encourages making the best use of already acquired resources to ensure they are used to their full potential at the appropriate moment and at the right price.
Need for Mobilization of Natural Resources
- Economic Growth: Economic growth and development depend heavily on the effective use of natural resources. Resources like minerals, oil, gas, and timber are employed in a variety of businesses and have a substantial impact on a nation’s GDP which can be used for infrastructure development, Trade, Investments, education, healthcare, and other essential services. This will further help with employment opportunities.
- Energy Production: Natural resources are utilised to produce energy, including renewable energy sources like wind, solar, and hydropower as well as fossil fuels like coal, oil, and natural gas. Despite having ample natural resources, India imports iron and coal because of policy, which worsens its current account disparity. So India needs to mobilize its natural resources In order to overcome the deficit and increase the foreign reserve by exporting more.
- Agriculture: The use of resources such as land, water, and other natural resources must be mobilized in order to produce food. In order to use some of its natural resources, India also faces technological challenges. Mobilization of Natural resources will incite investments in agricultural sectors by companies/industries. Quality food will also increase living standard for many.
- Environment Conservation: Resource mobilisation is also required for environmental conservation initiatives, such as the preservation of forests, wildlife, and ecosystems. It is important to use resources sustainably, which means doing so in a way that preserves both their long-term availability and the health of the environment. Otherwise, doing so risks depletion, degradation, and the loss of biodiversity.
Challenges
- Environmental Changes: Deforestation, soil erosion, and water pollution are some examples of the environmental damage that can result from the overuse of natural resources. Also the overuse of natural resources can result in the overuse of renewable resources like forests and fisheries and the depletion of non-renewable resources like fossil fuels. Ecosystems and biodiversity may suffer long-term detrimental effects as a result of this.
- Climate change: The exploitation of natural resources, especially fossil fuels, contributes significantly to greenhouse gas emissions, a primary factor in climate change, which can have profound effects on ecosystems, economies, and society. Natural catastrophes like floods, droughts, and wildfires could become more frequent and more severe as a result of climate change. It may become more challenging to mobilise natural resources if this results in the breakdown of supply chains and the destruction of infrastructure. Rise in the Sea Levels, Changes in temperature and weather patterns are also a challenge to the mobilisation of natural resources.
- Social impact: Local communities that may have been present in a place for many generations may be evicted as a result of the use of natural resources. Because of this, people may be forced to relocate to new areas where they might not have access to basic amenities, disrupt existing social systems, and lose access to their customary land and resources. as well as a result in the loss of cultural heritage.
- Health Impact: Natural resource exploitation has the potential to result in human rights abuses, such as child labour, and forced labour, which will further affect the local community’s health,increase in different types of illnesses, and exposure to toxic chemicals.
Government Initiatives
- PMKKKY or the Pradhan Mantri Khanij Kshetra Kalyan Yojana: With the help of development programmes, this movement attempts to make sure that the advantages of mining are distributed to the impacted communities. In accordance with this plan, a share of mining profits is allotted for the welfare of the impacted people, including the improvement of their infrastructure, access to healthcare, and educational opportunities.
- Project Pradhan Mantri Urja Ganga: This initiative intends to deliver clean natural gas to homes and businesses in eastern India. The project entails building a network of pipelines that will carry natural gas from the eastern coast to towns and cities in the area.
- Swachh Bharat Abhiyan: This programme aims to advance sanitation and cleanliness in India, including river and other water body cleansing. The programme also calls for the creation of a waste management infrastructure and the promotion of environmentally friendly trash disposal methods.
- Pradhan Mantri Kaushal Vikas Yojna (PMKMY): One of the Government of India’s most prominent programmes, aims to train young people in the country’s skill development.PMKVY provides training programmes in industries that depend on natural resources, including agriculture, mining, and renewable energy. The PMKVY can support these businesses in having a competent workforce that can contribute to the responsible and sustainable use of natural resources by offering skill development training to youth in these sectors. They also receive instruction in water and waste management. SANKALP and UDAAN are also government initiatives for skill training similarly.
