Will we run out of natural resources?

• Factors increasing demand

  • the demand for resources is increasing rapidly, outstripping supply in many areas of the world for food, water and energy.
• Population growth

  • in 2022 the world's population increased to over 8 billion people.
  • the world population is predicted to reach 9.2 billion by 2040, which is a rapid increase since the early 1900s when the population was below 2 billion people.
  • the more people there are the higher the demands for food, energy and water.

  
• Economic development

  • as countries develop the people have increased incomes which increases the demand for consumer goods, energy and water.
  • also leads to more industry to produce the goods, both factories and agriculture.
  • these industries require energy and water, further increasing the demand.
• Lack of supply

  • many resources are finite, resources that are being used faster than they can be replenished like fossil fuels like coal, oil and gas, freshwater and minerals like copper and iron.
  • there's a decreasing amount of land available for food growth due to expanding settlements, the use of land for growing biofuels and desertification.
• Exploitation of ecosystems

  • environments and ecosystems are used and modified by humans.
  • the scale of this has increased as the demand for resources rises.
• Food supply

  • as countries develop the impact of farming systems on the environment increases.
  • in LIDCs subsistence farming dominates and in ACs commercial farming dominates.
• Commercial farming

  • relies on improvements in technology to produce high yields which can be sold for profit.
  • mechanisation, the use of tractors, combine harvesters.
  • artificial chemicals, pesticides, herbicides and fertilisers.
  • greenhouses, using artificial heat and light.
• Commercial fishing

  • also uses improvements in technology to catch large quantities of fish.
  • trawlers use large nets which are dragged along the seabed called bottom trawling.
  • blast or dynamite fishing uses explosives to stun or kill large quantities of fish in an area.
  • these lead to overfishing which is when so many fish are caught the fish population is unable to repopulate fast enough.
• Impacts of farming systems

  • monocultures reduce diversity as the animals have no access to a wide range of foods.
  • soil nutrients are depleted as nutrient cycling becomes dependent on fertilisers added to the soil, may be manure of artificial.
  • when the ecosystem is modified with inputs of seed, fertilisers, pesticides, herbicides pollute the water and soil, and the use of machines.
  • food webs are reduced due to lower biodiversity levels.
  • removal of trees to create larger fields reduces biomass.
  • soil erosion increases as soil is exposed to wind and rain.
• Fuelwood deforestation

  • between 2 and 3 billion people across the world rely on fuelwood for heating and cooking usually because they don't have access to other forms of energy.
  • 13% of the world's population doesn't have access to electricity, mostly an issue in LIDCs within Sub-Saharan Africa and Asia.
  • the use of fuelwood leads to deforestation, the amount of wood cut each year is greater than the rate of replanting and regrowth which impacts ecosystems, reducing biodiversity because plants and animal habitats are destroyed.
• Fossil fuels mining

  • over 80% of the world's energy is provided by fossil fuels like oil, gas and coal which are obtained by mining and drilling.
  • this leads to deforestation as areas have to be cleared for buildings and roads.
  • habitats are destroyed which impacts ecosystems.
  • waste material leaches into the soil and water sources, leading to soil and water pollution.
• Reservoirs

  • created to store water.
  • a dam is placed across a river and this causes the land behind the dam to flood creating the reservoir.
  • 60% of the world's major rivers are impacted by dam construction.
• Upstream

  • flooding of the valley destroys habitats.
  • the water may be polluted by any housing or industry which was located in the area flooded.
  • fish migration routes may be blocked and fish may be disorientated.
  • the depth of water reduces oxygen levels as the water is too deep for photosynthesis and the mixing of air and water at the surface.
  • lack of oxygen reduces the biodiversity.
• Downstream

  • water lacking oxygen enters the river, which affects fish and other wildlife.
  • sediment is trapped by the damn which means less sediment is deposited downstream which affects the fertility of the floodplain and the supply of sediment to deltas.
• Water transfer schemes

  • found in many parts of the world.
  • water is transferred from one area to another using pipes, canals and rivers.
  • over abstraction of water from the donor area reduces the availability of water in that ecosystem.
  • water pollution may spread over a greater area.
  • ecosystems and food webs may be disrupted.