(a) What are natural resources? (b) Identify any three contributions of forest resources to the economic development of your country. (c) Describe any three...

(a) Natural resources are the free gifts of nature that are useful to man and can be exploited for the production of goods and services. They exist without human effort and include land, mineral deposits, forests, rivers, sunshine, wildlife and the fertility of the soil. In economics they form part of the factor of production called land, and they are valued only when the knowledge, capital and labour needed to exploit them are available.

(b) Three contributions of forest resources to economic development:

• Source of raw materials and revenue: Timber, rubber, wood pulp and gum are exported or fed into local industries, earning foreign exchange and government revenue that finance development projects.
• Employment and income: Logging, saw-milling, furniture-making and the gathering of forest products provide jobs and incomes, reducing unemployment and raising standards of living.
• Environmental and agricultural support: Forests check soil erosion, conserve water and preserve soil fertility, which sustains farming; they also supply firewood, herbs and grazing that support rural livelihoods.

(c) Three negative effects of the exploitation of mineral resources:

• Environmental degradation: Mining destroys vegetation, pollutes water bodies and farmland (for example oil spillage and gas flaring), and leaves derelict land unfit for farming.
• Displacement and health hazards: Communities are displaced from their land, and dust, chemicals and unsafe pits cause diseases and accidents among workers and residents.
• Distortion of the economy: Heavy dependence on one mineral makes the economy vulnerable to price falls, encourages neglect of agriculture and other sectors, and can breed conflict over the sharing of mineral revenue.