Importance of Conservation of Natural Resources
Chapter One
PURPOSE OF THE STUDY
The purpose of this research study is to create awareness in people on the essence and importance of the environment. Definitely people should adopt the best method of exploring the environment and care for nature and there are many benefits derived when our environment is conserved.
- Preservation of natural forest
- Preserving the beauty of life
- Wildlife presentation
- Improvement of quality of life
- Improves our revenue
CHAPTER TWO
REVIEW OF RELATED LITERATURE
INTRODUCTION
The proper application of natural resources for long-lasting human welfare is known as conservation. When talking of natural resources, it includes all land, waters, vegetation, minerals and wildlife useful to the society in the maintenance of civilization. The wise and judicious use of natural resources without wasting them and the efforts of replacement like planting tree whenever possible are called conservation. The term conservation came into use in the late 19th century and referred to the management, mainly for economic reasons, of such valuable natural resources as fish, topsoil, pastureland and minerals and also to the preservation of forests, wilderness and watershed areas.
Natural resources, both renewable and non-renewable, and ecosystem services are a part of the real wealth of nations. They are the natural capital out of which other forms of capital are made. They contribute towards fiscal revenue, income, and poverty reduction. Sectors related to natural resources use provide jobs and are often the basis of livelihoods in poorer communities. Owing to this fundamental importance of natural resources, they must be managed sustainably. Government plays the essential role in putting into place policies that ensure that resources contribute to the long-term economic development of nations, and not only to short-term revenue generation. High-quality institutions in the present, and planning for the future, can turn the so called resource curse into an opportunity. Poverty is an important underlying cause of further deforestation, of which about two thirds is carried out by small farmers clearing land for cultivation and to obtain wood for fuel. Commercial logging for timber is responsible for most of the rest. The pressure on the remaining forests is increasing as the numbers of people with a low income and worldwide demand for commercial timber products grow. The demand for food, and therefore for agricultural land, will also rise sharply as the world’s population rises and people’s diets contain more protein (Matthews 1999). Almost all the best agricultural land is already cultivated and so less suitable land is being brought into cultivation, leading to more soil erosion and loss of biodiversity.
CHAPTER THREE
RESEARCH METHODOLOGY
RESEARCH DESIGN
The researcher used descriptive research survey design in building up this project work the choice of this research design was considered appropriate because of its advantages of identifying attributes of a large population from a group of individuals. The design was suitable for the study as the study sought to examine the importance of conservation of natural resources.
SOURCES OF DATA COLLECTION
Data were collected from two main sources namely:
- Primary source and
- Secondary source
Primary source: Personal interview was conducted with selected people in six areas of Ovia South West Local Government Area, Edo State.
Secondary source: The secondary formed the major theoretical part that was derived through critical review of library and also other related literature (material written by others researchers).
POPULATION OF THE STUDY
Population of a study is a group of persons or aggregate items, things the researcher is interested in getting information on the study the importance of conservation of natural resources. 200 staffs and students of Udo secondary school, Udo ward, College of Agriculture Iguoriakhi, Iguobazuwa Village, Iguelaho Village, Udo Village, Edo State was selected randomly by the researcher as the population of the study.
CHAPTER FOUR
PRESENTATION ANALYSIS INTERPRETATION OF DATA
INTRODUCTION
Efforts will be made at this stage to present, analyze and interpret the data collected during the field survey. This presentation will be based on the responses from the completed questionnaires. The result of this exercise will be summarized in tabular forms for easy references and analysis. It will also show answers to questions relating to the research questions for this research study. The researcher employed simple percentage in the analysis.
CHAPTER FIVE
SUMMARY CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATIONS
INTRODUCTION
It is pertinent to note that this research was aimed at cross examining the how relevance it is to conserve natural resources, thus the topic “important of conservation of natural resources”.
In the preceding chapter, the relevant data collected for this study were presented, critically analyzed and appropriate interpretation given. In this chapter, certain recommendations made which in the opinion of the researcher will be of benefits in addressing the challenges associated with conservation of natural resources in Nigeria.
SUMMARY
The study highlights the importance of natural resources and their utilization right from ancient to modern times in addition to an inalienable relationship between human beings and natural resources.
The findings of the study revealed that, conservation management is created through a process of ecologically based planning and design, whereby planners assess the state of natural resources in the environmental context and use their knowledge for conservation to minimize the environmental impacts. Participatory resource management is often seen as an appropriate approach to reducing rural poverty and resource degradation. A long held perception is that common property resource appropriators can create local management institutions that can ensure an equitable access to the locally based natural resources.
CONCLUSION
Being earth friendly is very essential as this will save our planet at the time making a better place to live in for us, for future generations.
The responsibility lies more on the human population because they have got the thinking power and the wisdom to judge good and bad, man should realize that he is not alone in this world. There are others to use the available resources. The first forest policy of 1894 had upheld the right of the state to an exclusive control over the forest resources. There is a need for promoting social and economic infrastructure development for realizing the potential benefits of the market economy through natural resource policies that incorporate the environment as well as local people’s rights and local economies. Farmers in the developing countries possess a fairly sophisticated knowledge of agriculture and natural resource management which is recognized as being more eco-friendly and sustainable. Reforming and strengthening of forest governance and the forest industry sector is essential for ensuring a sustainable forest resource use and forest conservation through promoting the modernization of forest conservation. Because, development with an industrial emphasis coupled with a reckless resource use can further weaken the interrelationship between the local people and forest resources.
RECOMMENDATIONS
Form the findings of this study, the following recommendations were suggested by the researcher;
- Regulations and laws should be enacted for the preservation of natural resources.
- Responsibility should be for all human being for an equitable use of natural resources for sustainable use of natural resources for sustainable life styles of all in this mother earth.
- Since ecology is all about an interrelated existence of living beings and natural resources, an integrated natural resource management policy can be an ideal directive principle of the State policy for states to administer and the Centre to monitor and evaluate.
- Policies and institutions need to provide the enabling environment and incentives for managing natural resources to reflect scarcities and their full ecological and social values.
- Strategies for conserving, protecting and enhancing the natural resources should be based on the specific resource constraints faced in any given location, as well as the current and desired improvements in reversing depletion and degradation.
REFERENCES
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