are cleared, exposing land to wind and water damage. Fertile soil is exhausted and lost to erosion because of poor farming practices. Fuel supplies are depleted. Water and air are polluted.

If resources are carelessly managed, many will be used up. If used wisely and efficiently, however, renewable resources will last much longer.

Through conservation, people can reduce waste and manage natural resources wisely.

Think of any resource from your surrounding other than water that you cannot do without and write a short account on its sources, availability and condition.

Development and conservation can coexist in harmony. When we use the environment in ways that ensure we have resources for the future, it is called sustainable development. There are many different resources we need to manage and conserve and main order to live sustainably. What would you do to motivate others to manage an important resource in your locality?
How did the villagers in Kothapally resort to sustainable management?

The population of human beings has grown enormously in the past two centuries. Billions of people use up resources quickly as they eat food, build houses, produce goods and burn fuel for transportation and electricity.

fig-7: Sustaibable development The continuation of life as we know depends on the careful use of natural resources.

The need to conserve resources often conflicts with other needs. For some people, a forest area may be a good place to put a farm. A timber company may want to harvest the area’s trees for construction materials.

A business company may want to build a factory or shopping mall on the land. All these needs are valid for us, but sometimes the plants and animals that live in the area are forgotten. The benefits of development need to be weighed against the harm to animals that may be forced to find new habitats, the depletion of resources we may want in the future (such as water or timber), or damage to resources we use today.