Natural Resources - Essay Example

Introduction

Natural resources form an indispensable part of people’s lives. The four most critical natural resources for human sustainability include water, soil, forests, and food (Water Resources Institute). Human beings entirely depend on them for their development activities, and with the ever-growing rate of human activity, there has been a significant imbalance in the environment. Therefore, this could result in opposition to having an eco-friendly and sustainable environment.

Is your time best spent reading someone else’s essay? Get a 100% original essay FROM A CERTIFIED WRITER!

Save 25%

Water

Water covers the largest proportion of the earth; however, overall water risk is prevalently high. Water risk is majorly contributed by water stress, seasonal viability, water supply, and water demand (Aqueduct Water Resources Institute). The overall water quantity risk globally is 69%, and water quality risk is at 12%. Currently, the water risk is seemingly low in many parts of the United States but does not guarantee adequate water supply in the foreseeable future. According to Aqueduct Water Resources Institute, approximately more than half of the United States regions are likely to face high and extremely high-water risks in the future. The potential increase in water demand will primarily contribute to the high-water risk as water supply and seasonal variability remain normal.

Soil

Soil is a widely available natural resource that enables people to grow food and livestock and support other functions like infrastructure (Missouri Coalition for the Environment). Soil is majorly relied on for crop productivity, which is determined by soil fertility. The larger US has a below-average productivity index of 45 (Missouri Coalition for the Environment). The lower the productivity index of soil, the lower the yield. The low productivity has been contributed by poor agricultural practices that have made the soil susceptible to runoff and erosion. The rate of soil runoffs covers almost half of the region, although they are well-drained. Areas with poorly drained soil face high flood risks (Missouri Coalition for the Environment). In the long run, if the agricultural practices are not changed, the country may face adverse floods and low agricultural productivity.

Forests

The value of forests cannot be underestimated as they are vital for human survival; the air people breathe, habitat for the wildlife, prevent soil erosion, and reduce climate change (World Resources Institute). Despite their usefulness, human beings have continuously engaged in deforestation, with the US losing much of its forests, causing many carbon emissions and increased wildfires. In 2019 alone, the US lost over 1.70Mha of natural forest, and the total humid primary forest area had reduced by 99% (World Resources Institute). But it has gained a tree cover of 13.8Mha from 2001 to 2012 (World Resources Institute). If the deforestation trend is not well monitored, the US might suffer increasingly from adverse climate changes.

Conclusion

Food is what sustains people. Without food, people would not be existing. But it is not just about food, but the quality of food people consume and the available supply. The world faces a food threat issue due to food insecurity. The prevalence of undernourishment (PoU) projection tool is used to estimate the rate of food insecurity by evaluating the approximated value of undernourished people and the prevalence between 2000-02 – 2017 – 19 and generate the FAO projection approximates up to 2028-30 (Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations). The US has a PoU of less than 2.5%, denoting food security in the country (Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations). However, the country will need to commit further in managing the adverse climate changes as the situation can quickly turn around.

Works Cited

Aqueduct Water Resources Institute. Identify and Evaluate Around the World, n.d.,
http://www.wri.org/our-work/project/aqueduct

Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations. The State of Food Security and Nutrition in the World, 2020, http://www.fao.org/state-of-food-security-nutrition/en/

Missouri Coalition for the Environment. Soil Story Map, 2019,
https://moenvironment.org/soilstorymap/

World Resources Institute. Global Forest Watch, n.d.,
https://www.globalforestwatch.org.