1. RESOURCE DEGRADATION
AND
RURAL LIVELIHOODS

2. THE MEANING
 Resource:
A stock or supply of money, materials, staff, and other
assets that can be drawn on by a person or
organization in order to function.
 Resource degradation is the deterioration of the
resources such as air, water and soil; the destruction
of ecosystems and the extinction of wildlife.
 Acc. to UN it is “the reduction of the capacity of the
environment to meet social and ecological
objectives, and needs”

3. DEGRADATION: TYPES
o Water deteriotion
o Land degradation
o Air pollution
o Mining degradation

4. DEGRADATION: TYPES
WATER DETERIOTION
 Estimated that 1 in 3 people over the
entire globe are already facing water
shortages.
 1/5th of the world’s population live in
areas of physical water scarcity.
 The worst sufferers are the rural
people as they do not have the luxury
of municipal water supply.

5. DEGRADATION: TYPES
WATER DETERIOTION
 Causes
 Chemicals and other contaminants
 Thermal pollution
 Thermal pollution is the rise or fall in the temperature of a
natural body of water caused by human influence.
 Thermal pollution, unlike chemical pollution, results in a
change in the physical properties of water.
 Common cause of thermal pollution is the use of water as a
coolant by power plants and industrial manufacturers
 Domestic sewage
 Industrial wastewater

6. WATER DETERIOTION
AND
RURAL LIVELIHOODS
 Water-borne diseases
 Lack of medical facilities make them the worst sufferers.
 Ground water contamination
 Their source of drinking water is also affected
 Aquatic animals die due to pollution
 Source of livelihood affected

7. DEGRADATION: TYPES
LAND DEGRADATION
 The reduction in the capacity of the land to provide
ecosystem goods and services and assure its
functions over a period of time

8. DEGRADATION: TYPES
LAND DEGRADATION
 Components of land degradation:
 Loss of biodiversity
 Decrease in the
number of plant
and animal species
 Salinization
 Rapid increase in
the salt content in
soil.
 Loss in fertility of
soil.

9. DEGRADATION: TYPES
LAND DEGRADATION
 Out-migration
 Many villages have been
abandoned because of
low fertility of lands.

10. LAND DEGRADATION
AND
RURAL LIVELIHOODS
 Loss of fertility results in lower agriculture
production
 Forced to buy grains
 Increase in poverty
 The one and only source of income, i.e agriculture
is badly affected
 Number of diseases also surface.
 Livestock are affected as they do cannot be fed
properly.
 Livestock are exposed to diseases.

11. DEGRADATION: TYPES
AIR POLLUTION
 Air pollution is the introduction of
chemicals, particulate matter or biological materials
into the atmosphere that cause harm or discomfort
to humans or other living organisms, or cause
damage to the natural environment.
 Causes:
 Emission from factories
 Burning of firewood

12. DEGRADATION: TYPES
AIR POLLUTION
 Health Effects:
 Cardio-vascular
diseases
 Skin problems
 Lung cancer
 Bronchial asthma
 Breathing problems

13. DEGRADATION : TYPES
MINING DEGRADATION
 Mining is the extraction of valuable minerals or
other geological resources from the earth.
 The nature of mining processes create a potential
negative impact on the environment both during the
mining operations and for years after the mine is
closed

14. CAUSES:
 Scientific methods of mining are not used
 Land reclamation is not done after mining is over
 Replantation is also not done
 Precautionary measures are not taken

15. ENVIRONMENTAL
IMPACT OF MINING
 Soil Erosion
 Formation of
sinkholes
 Loss of biodiversity
 Contamination of
soil, groundwater
and surface water

16. CONCLUSION
 We must understand that rural livelihoods is deeply
connected to the resource availability.
 Rural areas have been facing the brunt of
industrialization and modernization.
 Government has taken little efforts to correct the
problem
 Forest rights act of 2006 is one of the efforts taken
by govt to redress the issue.
 Recently environment ministry has also become
pro-active in closing down polluting industries.

17.  In the end we must realize that we must be
responsible while using the resources .
 Today rural areas are suffering, tomorrow everyone
of will suffer as our lives are interdependent

18. Thank You!
Group-7