Editing Natural resource

{{Short description|Resources that exist without actions of humankind}}
{{Redirect|Primary resource|original sources used in research|Primary source}}

[[File:Rainforest Fatu Hiva.jpg|right|thumb |The [[rainforest]] in Amazon, in the [[Marquesas Islands]], is an example of an undisturbed natural resource. Forest provides timber for humans, food, water and shelter for the flora and fauna tribes and animals. The [[nutrient cycle]] between organisms forms food chains and fosters a biodiversity of species.]]
[[File:Carson Fall Mt Kinabalu.jpg|thumb|upright |The Carson Fall in [[Mount Kinabalu]], [[Malaysia]] is an example of undisturbed natural resources. Waterfalls provide spring water for humans, animals and plants for survival and habitat for marine organisms. The water current can be used to turn turbines for [[hydroelectricity|hydroelectric generation]].]]
[[File:Ocean waves.jpg|thumb |The [[ocean]] is an example of a natural resource. Ocean waves can be used to generate [[wave power]], a [[renewable energy]] source. Ocean water is important for [[Salt#Production|salt production]], [[desalination]], and providing habitat for deep-water fishes. There is biodiversity of marine species in the sea where nutrient cycles are common.]]
[[File:Udachnaya pipe.JPG|thumb |A picture of the [[Udachnaya pipe]], an [[open-pit mining|open-pit]] [[diamond]] mine in [[Siberia]]. An example of a non-renewable natural resource.]]

'''Natural resources''' are [[resource]]s that are drawn from [[nature]] and used with few modifications. This includes the sources of valued characteristics such as commercial and industrial use, aesthetic value, scientific interest, and cultural value. On [[Earth]], it includes [[sunlight]], [[atmosphere]], [[water]], [[land]], all [[mineral]]s along with all [[vegetation]], and [[wildlife]].<ref>{{cite web|archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20131103125106/http://www.oxforddictionaries.com/us/definition/american_english/natural-resources |url-status= dead |archive-date= November 3, 2013 |title= natural resources - definition of natural resources in English |publisher= Oxford Dictionaries |date= 2014-04-20 |url= http://www.oxforddictionaries.com/us/definition/american_english/natural-resources |access-date= 2016-12-12}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url= http://www.wordcentral.com/cgi-bin/student?natural+resource |title= Definition of natural resource - Student Dictionary |website= Wordcentral.com |date= 2012-09-20 |access-date= 2016-12-12 |quote= natural resource [...] : something (as a mineral, waterpower source, forest, or kind of animal) that is found in nature and is valuable to humans (as in providing a source of energy, recreation, or scenic beauty[.] |archive-date= 2017-08-03 |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20170803174950/http://www.wordcentral.com/cgi-bin/student?natural+resource |url-status= live }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url= http://www.investorwords.com/3210/natural_resources.html |title= What is Natural Resources? definition and meaning |website= Investorwords.com |access-date= 2016-12-12 |archive-date= 2019-11-02 |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20191102191000/http://www.investorwords.com/3210/natural_resources.html |url-status= live }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url= http://www.yourdictionary.com/natural-resource |title= Natural resource dictionary definition &#124; natural resource defined |website= Yourdictionary.com |access-date= 2016-12-12 |quote= Natural-resource meaning [:] <br> An actual or potential form of wealth supplied by nature, as coal, oil, water power, timber, arable land, etc. <br> A material source of wealth, such as timber, fresh water, or a mineral deposit, that occurs in a natural state and has economic value. <br> Something, such as a forest, a mineral deposit, or fresh water, that is found in nature and is necessary or useful to humans. <br> Any source of wealth that occurs naturally, especially minerals, fossil fuels, timber, etc. |archive-date= 2019-10-22 |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20191022135036/https://www.yourdictionary.com/natural-resource |url-status= live }}</ref>

Natural resources are part of humanity's [[natural heritage]] or protected in [[nature reserve]]s. Particular areas (such as [[Fatu-Hiva|the rainforest in Fatu-Hiva]]) often feature [[biodiversity]] and [[geodiversity]] in their ecosystems. Natural resources may be classified in different ways. Natural resources are materials and components (something that can be used) found within the environment. Every man-made product is composed of natural resources (at its fundamental level).

A natural resource may exist as a separate entity such as freshwater, [[air]], or any living organism such as a fish, or it may be transformed by [[Extractivism|extractivist industries]] into an economically useful form that must be processed to obtain the resource such as [[ore|metal ores]], [[rare-earth element]]s, [[petroleum]], [[Lumber|timber]] and most forms of [[energy]]. Some resources are [[renewable resource|renewable]], which means that they can be used at a certain rate and natural processes will restore them. In contrast, many extractive industries rely heavily on [[non-renewable resource]]s that can only be extracted once.

Natural resource allocations can be at the centre of many economic and political confrontations both within and between countries. This is particularly true during periods of increasing scarcity and shortages ([[resource depletion|depletion]] and [[overconsumption]] of resources). [[Resource extraction]] is also a major source of human rights violations and environmental damage. The [[Sustainable Development Goals]] and other international development agendas frequently focus on creating more sustainable resource extraction, with some scholars and researchers focused on creating economic models, such as [[circular economy]], that rely less on resource extraction, and more on [[reuse]], [[recycling]] and renewable resources that can be sustainably managed.

==Classification==
{{See also|United Nations Framework Classification for Resources}}
There are various criteria for classifying natural resources. These include the source of origin, stages of development, renewability and [[ownership]].

===Origin===
* '''[[Biotic component|Biotic]]:''' Resources that originate from the [[biosphere]] and have [[life]] such as [[forest|flora]] and [[animal|fauna]], [[Fishery|fisheries]], [[livestock]], etc. [[Fossil fuel]]s such as [[coal]] and [[petroleum]] are also included in this category because they are formed from decayed [[organic matter]].
* '''[[Abiotic component|Abiotic]]:''' Resources that originate from non-living and [[Inorganic compound|inorganic material]]. These include [[land]], [[water]], [[air]], [[rare-earth element]]s, and heavy metals including [[ore]]s, such as [[gold]], [[iron]], [[copper]], [[silver]], etc.

===Stage of development===
* '''Potential resources:''' Resources that are known to exist, but have not been utilized yet. These may be used in the future. For example, [[petroleum]] in sedimentary rocks that, until extracted and put to use, remains a ''potential'' resource.
* '''Actual resources:''' Resources that have been surveyed, quantified and qualified, and are currently used in development. These are typically dependent on technology and the level of their feasibility, [[wood processing]] for example.
* '''Reserves:''' The part of an actual resource that can be developed profitably in the future.
* ''' Stocks:''' Resources that have been surveyed, but cannot be used due to lack of technology, [[hydrogen vehicle]]s for example.

===Renewability/exhaustibility===
* '''[[Renewable resources]]:''' These resources can be replenished naturally. Some of these resources, like [[solar energy]], air, wind, water, etc. are continuously available and their quantities are not noticeably affected by human consumption. Though many renewable resources do not have such a rapid recovery rate, these resources are susceptible to depletion by over-use. Resources from a human use perspective are classified as renewable so long as the rate of replenishment/recovery exceeds that of the rate of consumption. They replenish easily compared to non-renewable resources.
[[File:Waters of the Victoria Nile in the Murchison Falls National Park.jpg|alt=Victoria Nile waters as one of Uganda's key natural resources|thumb|The waters of the [[White Nile]] River are a key natural resource for [[Uganda]].]]
* '''[[Non-renewable resources]]:''' These resources are formed over a long [[Geologic time scale|geological time]] period in the environment and cannot be renewed easily. Minerals are the most common resource included in this category. From the human perspective, resources are non-renewable when their rate of consumption exceeds the rate of replenishment/recovery; a good example of this is [[fossil fuels]], which are in this category because their rate of formation is extremely slow (potentially millions of years), meaning they are considered non-renewable. Some resources naturally deplete in amount without human interference, the most notable of these being radio-active elements such as uranium, which naturally decay into heavy metals. Of these, the metallic minerals can be re-used by [[recycling]] them,<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.science.org.au/nova/newscientist/027ns_005.htm?id=mg19426051.200&print=true |title=Earth's natural wealth: an audit |publisher=Science.org.au |date=May 23, 2007 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080720095945/http://www.science.org.au/nova/newscientist/027ns_005.htm?id=mg19426051.200&print=true |archive-date=July 20, 2008 }}</ref> but coal and petroleum cannot be recycled.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://reason.com/archives/2010/04/27/peak-everything |title=Peak Everything? |publisher=Reason.com |date=April 27, 2010 |access-date=May 5, 2010 |archive-date=January 1, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190101131819/http://reason.com/archives/2010/04/27/peak-everything |url-status=live }}</ref>

===Ownership===
* '''Individual resources:''' Resources owned [[Private property|privately]] by individuals. These include plots, houses, [[plantation]]s, [[pasture]]s, [[pond]]s, etc.
* '''Community resources:''' Resources which are accessible to all the members of a [[community]]. E.g.: [[Cemetery|Cemeteries]]
* '''National resources:''' Resources that belong to the [[nation]]. The nation has legal powers to acquire them for public welfare. These also include minerals, forests and [[wildlife]] within the [[Border|political boundaries]] and [[Exclusive economic zone]].
* '''International resources:''' These resources are regulated by [[international organization]]s. E.g.: [[International waters]].

== Extraction ==
{{See also|Extractivism}}
Resource extraction involves any activity that withdraws resources from nature. This can range in scale from the [[traditional economy|traditional use]] of preindustrial societies to global industry. Extractive industries are, along with agriculture, the basis of the [[primary sector]] of the economy. Extraction produces [[raw material]], which is then processed to [[add value]]. Examples of extractive industries are [[hunting]], [[Animal trapping|trapping]], [[mining industry|mining]], [[Petroleum industry in Nigeria|oil and gas drilling]], and [[timber industry|forestry]]. Natural resources can be a substantial part of a country's wealth;<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.statcan.gc.ca/pub/16-002-x/2007003/10454-eng.htm |title=EnviroStats: Canada's natural resource wealth at a glance |publisher=Statcan.gc.ca |access-date=2014-05-31 |archive-date=2014-11-06 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141106142956/http://www.statcan.gc.ca/pub/16-002-x/2007003/10454-eng.htm |url-status=live }}</ref> however, a sudden inflow of money caused by a resource extraction boom can create social problems including inflation harming other industries ("[[Dutch disease]]") and corruption, leading to inequality and underdevelopment, this is known as the "[[resource curse]]".

Extractive industries represent a large growing activity in many less-developed countries but the wealth generated does not always lead to [[sustainable growth|sustainable]] and [[inclusive growth]]. People often accuse extractive industry businesses as acting only to maximize short-term value, implying that less-developed countries are vulnerable to powerful corporations. Alternatively, host governments are often assumed to be only maximizing immediate [[revenue]]. Researchers argue there are areas of common interest where development goals and business cross. These present opportunities for international governmental agencies to engage with the [[private sector]] and host governments through revenue management and expenditure accountability, infrastructure development, [[employment creation]], skills and [[enterprise development]], and impacts on children, especially girls and women.<ref>{{cite web|author1=Evelyn Dietsche|author2=Samantha Dodd|author3=Dan Haglund|author4=Mark Henstridge|author5=Maja Jakobsen|author6=Esméralda Sindou|author7=Caroline Slaven|title=Extractive industries, development and the role of donors - ECONOMIC AND PRIVATE SECTOR PROFESSIONAL EVIDENCE AND APPLIED KNOWLEDGE SERVICES|url=http://www.partnerplatform.org/?wwwszt4b|website=Partberplatform.org|access-date=2016-12-12|archive-date=2017-02-05|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170205225440/https://www.partnerplatform.org/?wwwszt4b|url-status=live}}</ref> A strong civil society can play an important role in ensuring the effective management of natural resources. Norway can serve as a role model in this regard as it has good institutions and open and dynamic public debate with strong civil society actors that provide an effective checks and balances system for the government's management of extractive industries, such as the [[Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative]] (EITI), a global standard for the good governance of oil, gas and mineral resources. It seeks to address the key governance issues in the extractive sectors.<ref>Indra Overland (2018) 'Introduction: Civil Society, Public Debate and Natural Resource Management', in Indra Overland (ed.) Public Brainpower: Civil Society and Natural Resource Management, Cham: Palgrave, pp. 1–22.
https://www.researchgate.net/publication/320656629 {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180612140013/https://www.researchgate.net/publication/320656629 |date=2018-06-12 }}</ref> However, in countries that do not have a very strong and unified society, meaning that there are dissidents who are not as happy with the government as in Norway's case, natural resources can actually be a factor in whether a civil war starts and how long the war lasts.<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Lujala |first1=Päivi |title=The spoils of nature: Armed civil conflict and rebel access to natural resources |journal=Journal of Peace Research |date=January 2010 |volume=47 |issue=1 |pages=15–28 |doi=10.1177/0022343309350015|s2cid=111088968 }}</ref>

==Depletion==
[[File:Windmills D1-D4 - Thornton Bank.jpg|thumb|left|upright|Wind is a natural resource that can be used to generate electricity, as with these 5&nbsp;MW wind turbines in [[Thorntonbank Wind Farm]] {{convert|28|km|0|abbr=on}} off the coast of [[Belgium]].]]
{{See also|Exploitation of natural resources}}

In recent years, the [[depletion of natural resources]] has become a major focus of governments and organizations such as the [[United Nations]] (UN). This is evident in the UN's Agenda 21 Section Two, which outlines the necessary steps for countries to take to sustain their natural resources.<ref name="UN 2002">{{cite web |title=UN 2002 Earth Summit Agenda 21 The United Nations programme for action from Rio: Section Two – Conservation and Management of Resources for Development, United Nations, Rio |url=https://www.un.org/esa/dsd/agenda21/res_agenda21_09.shtml |publisher=Un.org |date=12 September 2011 |access-date=2016-12-12 |archive-date=2019-10-10 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191010221701/https://www.un.org/esa/dsd/agenda21/res_agenda21_09.shtml |url-status=live }}</ref> The depletion of natural resources is considered a [[sustainable development]] issue.<ref name="Schilling">Schilling M and Chiang L 2011 The effect of natural resources on sustainable development policy: The approach of non-sustainable externalities. Energy Policy 39: 990–998</ref> The term ''sustainable development'' has many interpretations, most notably the Brundtland Commission's 'to ensure that it meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of [[future generations]] to meet their own needs';<ref>{{cite web |title=UN 1987 'Report of the World Commission on Environment and Development: Our Common Future' UN Documents: Gathering a body of global agreements |url=http://www.un-documents.net/ocf-02.htm |publisher=Un.org |date=12 September 2011 |access-date=2016-12-12 |archive-date=2019-05-17 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190517002735/http://www.un-documents.net/ocf-02.htm |url-status=live }}</ref> however, in broad terms it is balancing the needs of the planet's people and species now and in the future.<ref name="UN 2002"/> In regards to natural resources, depletion is of concern for sustainable development as it has the ability to degrade current environments<ref>Salvati L and Marco Z 2008 Natural [[resource depletion]] and economic performance of local districts: suggestions from a within-country analysis ''Journal of Sustainable Development and World Ecology''. 15(6): 518–523</ref> and the potential to impact the needs of future generations.<ref name="Schilling"/>

{{quote box
|quote=''"The conservation of natural resources is the fundamental problem. Unless we solve that problem, it will avail us little to solve all others."''|source=[[Theodore Roosevelt]]<ref>Theodore Roosevelt, Address to the Deep Waterway Convention
Memphis, TN, October 4, 1907</ref>
|width= 300px
|align=}}

Depletion of natural resources is associated with [[social inequity]]. Considering most biodiversity are located in developing countries,<ref name="cultural">UNESCO and UNEP 2002 Cultural Diversity and Biodiversity for Sustainable Development, World Summit on Sustainable Development, Johannesburg.</ref> depletion of this resource could result in losses of [[ecosystem services]] for these countries.<ref name="living planet">Nellemann C and Corcoran E 2010 Dead Planet, Living Planet- Biodiversity and Ecosystem Restoration for Sustainable Development: A Rapid Response Assessment. United Nations Environment Program, GRID-Arendal</ref> Some view this depletion as a major source of social unrest and conflicts in developing nations.<ref>Von Braun J cited in Inforesources Trends 2005 Depletion of Natural Resources – Implications for Development: An assessment by experts Berne, Switzerland</ref>

At present, there is a particular concern for rainforest regions that hold most of the Earth's biodiversity.<ref name="forest">{{cite news|url=https://www.un.org/en/events/iyof2011/|title=UNEP 2011 International Year of Forests|newspaper=United Nations|date=12 September 2011|publisher=Un.org|access-date=2016-12-12|last1=Nations|first1=United|archive-date=2016-12-09|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161209010116/http://www.un.org/en/events/iyof2011/|url-status=live}}</ref> According to Nelson,<ref name="Nelson">{{cite web|title=Nelson 2005 Chapter 3: Drivers of Ecosystem Change: Summary Chapter in Current State and Trends Assessment Millenium Ecosystem Assessment |url=http://www.maweb.org/documents/document.272.aspx.pdf |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20091014132137/http://www.maweb.org/documents/document.272.aspx.pdf |url-status=dead |archive-date=14 October 2009 |date=12 September 2011 |access-date=2016-12-12 }}</ref> deforestation and degradation affect 8.5% of the world's forests with 30% of the Earth's surface already cropped. If we consider that 80% of people rely on medicines obtained from plants and {{frac|3|4}} of the world's prescription medicines have ingredients taken from plants,<ref name="living planet"/> loss of the world's rainforests could result in a loss of finding more potential life-saving medicines.<ref>Clark H cited in
UNESCO and UNEP 2002 Cultural Diversity and Biodiversity for Sustainable Development, World Summit on Sustainable Development, Johannesburg</ref>

The depletion of natural resources is caused by 'direct drivers of change'<ref name="Nelson"/> such as [[mining]], [[petroleum extraction]], [[fishing]], and forestry as well as 'indirect drivers of change' such as demography (e.g. population growth), economy, society, politics, and technology.<ref name="Nelson"/> The current practice of [[agriculture]] is another factor causing depletion of natural resources. For example, the depletion of nutrients in the soil due to excessive use of nitrogen<ref name="Nelson"/> and [[desertification]].<ref name="UN 2002"/>
The depletion of natural resources is a continuing concern for society. This is seen in the cited quote given by [[Theodore Roosevelt]], a well-known conservationist and former United States president, who was opposed to unregulated natural resource extraction.

==Protection==
{{see also|Environmental protection}}
In 1982, the [[United Nations]] developed the [[World Charter for Nature]], which recognized the need to protect nature from further depletion due to human activity. It states that measures must be taken at all societal levels, from international to individual, to protect nature. It outlines the need for sustainable use of natural resources and suggests that the protection of resources should be incorporated into national and international systems of law.<ref>{{cite web |title=UN 1982 General Assembly World Charter for Nature: 48th Plenary meeting |url=https://www.un.org/documents/ga/res/37/a37r007.htm |publisher=United Nations |date=13 September 2011 |access-date=2016-12-12 |archive-date=2019-04-02 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190402223342/https://www.un.org/documents/ga/res/37/a37r007.htm |url-status=live }}</ref> To look at the importance of protecting natural resources further, the World Ethic of Sustainability, developed by the [[IUCN]], [[World Wide Fund for Nature|WWF]] and the [[UNEP]] in 1990,<ref>{{cite journal|author=Fein, J.|date=2003|title=Learning to Care: Education and Compassion|journal=Australian Journal of Environmental Education|volume=19|pages=1–13|doi=10.1017/S0814062600001427|hdl=10072/368672|url=http://www.griffith.edu.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0018/314613/fien03.pdf|access-date=May 31, 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150914130418/https://www.griffith.edu.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0018/314613/fien03.pdf|archive-date=September 14, 2015|url-status=dead|hdl-access=free}}</ref> set out eight values for sustainability, including the need to protect natural resources from depletion. Since the development of these documents, many measures have been taken to protect natural resources including establishment of the scientific field and practice of conservation biology and habitat conservation, respectively.

[[Conservation biology]] is the scientific study of the nature and status of Earth's biodiversity with the aim of protecting [[species]], their [[habitats]], and ecosystems from excessive rates of [[extinction]].<ref>M. E. Soulé and B. A. Wilcox. 1980. Conservation Biology: An Evolutionary-Ecological Perspective. Sinauer Associatess. Sunderland, Massachusetts.</ref><ref>M. E. Soule. (1986). What is conservation Biology? [[BioScience]], 35(11): 727–734 [http://www.michaelsoule.com/resource_files/85/85_resource_file1.pdf] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190412085412/http://www.michaelsoule.com/resource_files/85/85_resource_file1.pdf|date=2019-04-12}}</ref> It is an interdisciplinary subject drawing on science, economics and the practice of [[natural resource management]].<ref name="Soule86">{{cite book|last = Soule| first= Michael E. | title= Conservation Biology: The Science of Scarcity and Diversity| year = 1986 | publisher = Sinauer Associates| page = 584 | isbn=0-87893-795-1}}</ref><ref name="Hunter96">Hunter, M. L. (1996). Fundamentals of Conservation Biology. Blackwell Science Inc., Cambridge, Massachusetts., {{ISBN|0-86542-371-7}}.</ref><ref name="Groom06">Groom, M.J., Meffe, G.K. and Carroll, C.R. (2006) Principles of Conservation Biology (3rd ed.). Sinauer Associates, Sunderland, MA. {{ISBN|0-87893-518-5}}</ref><ref name="Dyke08">{{cite book|last = van Dyke| first=Fred | title= Conservation Biology: Foundations, Concepts, Applications, 2nd ed.| year = 2008 | publisher = Springer Verlag| page = 478 | isbn=978-1-4020-6890-4<!-- (hc)-->}}</ref> The term ''conservation biology'' was introduced as the title of a conference held at the [[University of California, San Diego]], in La Jolla, California, in 1978, organized by biologists Bruce A. Wilcox and [[Michael E. Soulé]].

[[Habitat conservation]] is a type of [[land management]] that seeks to [[Conservation (ethic)|conserve]], protect and restore [[habitat]] areas for wild [[plant]]s and [[animal]]s, especially [[conservation reliant species]], and prevent their extinction, [[habitat fragmentation|fragmentation]] or reduction in [[Range (biology)|range]].<ref name="CDFG">{{cite web|url=http://www.dfg.ca.gov/habcon/|title=Habitat Conservation|last=Habitat Conservation Planning Branch|publisher=[[California Department of Fish & Game]]|access-date=2009-04-07|archive-date=2019-10-26|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191026173356/http://www.dfg.ca.gov/habcon/|url-status=dead}}</ref>

==Management==
{{Main|Natural resource management|United Nations Resource Management System}}

Natural resource management is a discipline in the management of natural resources such as land, [[water]], [[soil]], [[plant]]s, and [[animal]]s—with a particular focus on how management affects [[quality of life]] for present and future generations. Hence, sustainable development is followed according to the judicious use of resources to supply present and future generations.  The disciplines of fisheries, forestry, and wildlife are examples of large subdisciplines of natural resource management.

Management of natural resources involves identifying who has the right to use the resources and who does not to define the management boundaries of the resource.<ref name="Kommers and Mackie">{{cite web |title=Ostrom E cited in Kommers N and Mackie P 2005 Journalist guide to world resources 2005 World Resources Institute 1-30 |url=http://pdf.wri.org/worldresources_2005_journalist_guide.pdf |publisher=Pdf.wri.org |access-date=2011-09-22 |archive-date=2011-11-25 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111125125144/http://pdf.wri.org/worldresources_2005_journalist_guide.pdf |url-status=live }}</ref> The resources may be managed by the users according to the rules governing when and how the resource is used depending on local condition<ref name="Managing Ecosystem">{{cite web|title=UNDP, UNEP, The World Bank and World Resources Institute – The Wealth of the Poor: Managing Ecosystems to Fight Poverty Institute 2005 Chapter 3 The board's role in governance, World Resources 2005 |url=http://www.sc.com.my/eng/html/cg/cg2011/pdf/chapter3.pdf |publisher=Sc.com.my |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110725052556/http://www.sc.com.my/eng/html/cg/cg2011/pdf/chapter3.pdf |archive-date=2011-07-25 }}</ref> or the resources may be managed by a governmental organization or other central authority.<ref>{{Cite book|last=Conroy, Michael J.|url=https://www.worldcat.org/oclc/827207638|title=Decision Making in Natural Resource Management: a Structured, Adaptive Approach.|date=2012|publisher=Wiley|others=Peterson, James T.|isbn=978-1-118-50623-3|location=Chicester|oclc=827207638}}</ref>

A "...successful management of natural resources depends on freedom of speech, a dynamic and wide-ranging public debate through multiple independent media channels and an active civil society engaged in natural resource issues..."<ref>{{Cite book|url=https://www.researchgate.net/publication/320656629|title=Public Brainpower: Civil Society and Natural Resource Management|last=Overland|first=Indra|chapter=Introduction: Civil Society, Public Debate and Natural Resource Management|date=2018-01-01|pages=1–22|doi=10.1007/978-3-319-60627-9_1|isbn=9783319606262|access-date=2018-04-05|archive-date=2018-06-12|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180612140013/https://www.researchgate.net/publication/320656629|url-status=live}}</ref> because of the nature of the shared resources, the individuals who are affected by the rules can participate in setting or changing them.<ref name="Kommers and Mackie"/> The users have rights to devise their own management institutions and plans under the recognition by the government. The right to resources includes land, water, fisheries, and pastoral rights.<ref name="Managing Ecosystem"/> The users or parties accountable to the users have to actively monitor and ensure the utilisation of the resource compliance with the rules and impose penalties on those people who violate the rules.<ref name="Kommers and Mackie"/> These conflicts are resolved quickly and efficiently by the local institution according to the seriousness and context of the offense.<ref name="Managing Ecosystem"/> The global science-based platform to discuss natural resources management is the [[World Resources Forum]], based in Switzerland.

==See also==
* [[Asteroid mining]]
* [[Citizen's dividend]]
* [[Conservation (ethic)]]
* [[Cultural resources]]
* [[Environmental movement]]
* [[Land (economics)]]
* [[Lunar resources]]
* [[Mining]]
* [[Nature-based solutions]]
* [[Resource nationalism]]
* [[Sustainable development]]
* [[United Nations Framework Classification for Resources]]
* [[United Nations Resource Management System]]

==References==
{{reflist|22em}}

== External links ==
* [https://www.britannica.com/science/natural-resource Natural resource], britannica.com
* [https://www.encyclopedia.com/earth-and-environment/ecology-and-environmentalism/environmental-studies/natural-resources Natural resources], encyclopedia.com
* {{Commons category-inline|Natural resources}}

{{Natural resources}}
{{Population}}
{{Authority control}}

[[Category:Natural resources| ]]
[[Category:Environmental social science concepts]]
[[Category:Supply chain management]]