Renewable resource
Also called: Replenishable resource · Topic: Natural Resources: Classification, Planning and Sustainable Use · NCERT: Class 8, Ch 1 "Natural Resources and Their Use"; Class 10, Ch 1 "Resources and Development"
Meaning
A renewable resource can be renewed or reproduced by physical, chemical or mechanical processes. NCERT divides them into two groups. Continuous or flow resources include wind and water. Biological resources include forests and wildlife. A renewable resource stays renewable only if we use it more slowly than nature restores it (heals it) and regenerates it (makes new life).
Example
The Himalayan glaciers in northern India are often called the "water tower" because they feed many rivers. They are now melting faster than snow and rain can replace them. This shows that a renewable resource can still be overused.
Don't confuse with
- Non-renewable resource: it forms over long geological time and cannot come back once used up, such as minerals and fossil fuels.