Many African nations are bestowed with valuable natural resources, yet, poverty, disease, and famine are recurrent themes in these countries. In contrast to this, a tiny island nation in the western pacific ocean, Japan, with its limited resources, achieved significant economic progress through efficient management of its resources and by productive investments in human resources. In this respect, an aspiring India, to become a world superpower, can’t ignore the efficient and sustainable ways of its resources. So, it is important to understand the richness of Indian resources, the barriers that exist to effective development, and the management practices that it should adopt to achieve the goal of inclusive and sustainable development ahead. Anything that can be used to derive benefit or value out of it can be treated as a resource. 

The geography of India is so varied and it is blessed with rich and diverse natural resources. India is the seventh largest country in the world by area. The rivers like Ganga, Yamuna, Godavari and Krishna formed large basins, perhaps, no other country has such rich fertile soil. India has large quantities of iron ore reserves that it exports significant amounts to other nations. It also has large reserves of coal for its power generation. Most importantly, India has 2nd largest world population of 1.24 billion people. It is home to a large number of flora & fauna, and three biodiversity hotspots Western ghats, the Himalayas, and the Indo-Burma region are identified by the world community. The continuing civilization since the Indus valley times and the number of tribal practices resulted in rich tangible and intangible cultural resources.

 

Such a rich resource base both natural & human presents a unique context for resource management in India. Firstly, India has 17% of the world's population yet, it has just 2.4% of the land area. In contrast to this, Brazil has 2.5 times the land area and one-sixth of the population of India. So there is high pressure on our natural resources due to the rising population. Secondly, about 25% of the world's poor lives in India. For the development of the poor, Adivasis, Dalits, and women,  a limited resource base poses unique challenges. Thirdly, Climate is a reality today. A country with 60% of its agriculture depends on rainfall, with 7500kms of long coastline, global warming & rising sea levels can affect its development. In this context, it is important to identify the current problems that are facing India in different resource areas.

 

To begin with, Land use management is an important productive resource for any nation for its food production and infrastructure development. Soil degradation is one of the major problems currently India is facing with. The imbalances in fertilizer application, and the change in cropping pattern from low water-intensive crops to high water-intensive crops such as rice, and sugar is causing this problem. Along with this, the failure of land reforms resulted in a skewed pattern of land holdings. Because of this, a large number of small & marginal farmers, of whom Dalits and poor constitute a significant number, are finding agriculture unproductive.

 

Water is another important resource. It provides drinking water for the population and irrigation for agriculture. However, current water management practices are inefficient and unsustainable. Pollution of water bodies, due to the release of sewerage and industrial effluent, is resulting in dead rivers and lakes. The current situation of Ganga & Yamuna best depicts the picture. On the other hand, excessive usage of groundwater lowering of the water table and aquifer depletion. Large dams have been constructed to increase irrigated agricultural area, however, there are significant lag exits in the utilization of the full potential created. Most often, the construction of large-scale dams are creating problems of large-scale displacement of indigenous tribals and vulnerable sections without adequate and timely compensation. There is large-scale submergence of rich flora and fauna.

 

Management of mineral & energy resources poses difficult challenges in India. India imports 70% of its oil requirements. The skewed policy of fuel subsidies is benefiting diesel cars & SUVs of the rich, causing significant nonplan expenditure and leaving less financial resources for poverty alleviation, and planned development.  Similarly, coal mining has problems like corruption as highlighted by CAG, inefficient technology for extraction, displacement of tribal population leading to the growth of Naxalism, and deforestation causing damage to the environment. Apart from oil & coal, the current power generation has problems of pollution due to inefficient thermal plants, lack of natural gas, and concerns about safety in nuclear power generation.

 

Quality air is basic for the livelihood of, not only human beings but also the entire global ecology. However, pollution of the atmosphere by releasing greenhouse gases and other life-threatening emissions is a major problem that India is facing today. Using fossil fuels as a source of energy for the demands of urbanization and industrialization without due regard to the environment is a major cause. After achieving two-digit growth for successive years, China has become a victim of air pollution. Stories of smoke engulfing Beijing & Shanghai are not new nowadays.  India is fast catching up with China in this respect. Various reports by global organizations rank Mumbai, Delhi, Madras, and Hyderabad as the top most polluted cities.

 

The electromagneticetic spectrum is another important valuable resource base. It enables both long and short-distance mobile, radio & satellite communications. In the era of globalization, knowledge economy, and service-led development, communication through radio waves places a major role, which India can’t afford to ignore. However, the recent CAG findings on 2G spectrum allocation resulted in huge losses to the exchequer, throwing the poor state of spectrum allocation and efficient management. The problem in this sphere includes transparency in the processes.

 

The problems of Human resource is different from the management of land, water, mineral & energy, and air resource management. A country is known by its people. Whether a country is over or populated or optimally populated is determined by the way it manages the resources at hand. The population is an asset and by right planning, India can reap dividends out of its demography by providing employable opportunities to the poor, women, and Dalits. However, the Dependence of near about 60% of the population on agriculture, and 90% of the informal workforce in the industry sector is a major issue. Lack of employable skills is some of the problems encountered in human resource development.

 

India has rich biological resources. It is home to a large number of genetic resources. Due to its tropical climate and rich forests, many ecological pyramids have reached their highest stage, forming complex ecosystems over centuries. This resulted in rich flora and fauna in the Western Ghats, Himalayas, and central & northeast Indian regions. However, problems of poaching, habitat destruction, and deforestation due to the rising demand for resources are major problems for the biodiversity of the country.


Cultural resources are other resources that need attention today. Cultural resources provide identity and attract tourism. The tangible cultural resources such as antiquities, buildings, and other structures lack proper management in our country. Smuggling & illegal trade in antiquities is a major concerns.  Tangible cultural resources such as tribal knowledge need sufficient focus for their development. There are reported incidents of patenting Neem & turmeric by other countries when their daily usage is common for medicinal and cosmetic purposes.

 

Yes, these problems faced by India are diverse, and yet, it is possible to manage the problems in the management of its resources.

 

The first important step in this respect, having a strong policy framework with transparent implementation. The incidents of the coal scam reinforce the need for a transparent way of allocation when private parties are involved. Having a transparent, independent regulatory body accountable to parliament for the balanced development of valuable natural resources is the need of the hour for different sectors. Right to information is one great potential tool to enforce much-needed accountability in resource management.

 

Second, there is a need to improve efficiency in resource exploitation. The Old thermal power stations are more polluting, the current mining practices are inefficient. The induction of technology like Super Critical Thermal power stations would improve the situation. Though investments in state-of-the-art technology are costly, the benefit, in the long run, would outweigh the pains in the short run.

 

Third, sustainable management of resources should require a larger focus. Promoting practices that use renewable resources such as wind power, solar power energy, and greater use of public transport should help in the conservation of our natural resources not just for the present generation but also for future generations. Changing the policy of subsidizing fossil fuels to renewable sources like wind & solar would derive greater benefits. They also help in regional development by way of reaching those remote areas which are not connected to the grid.

 

Fourth, Soil conservation practices should be promoted. Development of micro water shed programs to arrest soil erosion, establishing soil testing laboratories in clusters of villages to promote the balanced use of fertilizers, and promotion of organic farming should be the way forward. The small & marginal farmers need to be formed into agricultural cooperatives to increase the productivity and income of marginal sections.

 

Fifth, Community based management should be promoted. Conducting an Information, Education, and Communication (IEC) campaign through tribal, folk art in local languages will improve awareness about the ‘reduce-reuse-recycle’ mantra of sustainable resource management. Empowerment of grass root organization by greater devolution of funds, functions, and functionaries to local village panchayats & municipal bodies will result in greater participation. Participation gives a sense of ownership which demands accountability and transparency in resource management.

 

Sixth, Investment in human resources by way of bridging the skill gap. The large population of India, if trained with adequate skills, can reap the benefits of a demographic dividend. It needs investments in large-scale education and health. India is moving in the right direction by enacting the Food security act, and the right to education. However, more needs to be done. More ITI and polytechnic colleges will help bridge the skill gap. Enhancing financial inclusion to reach institutional credit to rural Dalit farmers, women Self Help Groups, and Small and Medium Enterprises would lead to much-needed ‘inclusive’ growth. Right to health will stop large out-of-pocket expenditures by the poor.

 

Seventh, Innovation needs to be promoted. Investment Research and development, a strong patenting regime, and the policy of enabling the environment via incentives to promote innovation would help transform waste as waste to waste as a resource.