People (Human resource)

Some of the problems faced as people try to meet their needs include:

There are people who do not pay for services provided by others. They cheat 
and default when it comes to pay for services given. This kind of behaviour hurts those who provide the service.

Some people over work others and pay them unfairly. This is called exploitation. For example, Some people work for long hour and the pay is not worth the work done and time spent.

Employees are denied meals. Employers in some organisations do not provide meals (food) to their workers. They work on empty stomachs. Some people deny their employees medical care. When employees fall sick, the 
organisations which they work for do not care about their health.

Some workers are exposed to dangerous chemicals and fumes without providing them with the right protective equipment. Worker's lives are at risk. 
They attract illnesses that can not easily be cured.

Animals

Some of the problems met as people use animals to meet their needs:-

Some people hunt and kill animals that are facing extinction. Poachers kill animals regardless of their numbers and value. In some areas, people have encroached on areas reserved for wild animals in game parks and game reserves. They some times create gardens near game reserves which puts animals in danger as they look for food. Overstocking which leads to overgrazing. This practice causes soil erosion since the soil is usually left bare and becomes barren.

Swamps

A number of problems are faced as people use swamps to meet their needs:-

Draining of swamps for cultivation, settlement and grazing animals. When swamps are drained, a lot of aquatic life is destroyed. Disposal of industrial wastes into swamps. Dumping affects the lives of animals that live in water. Over-harvesting of swamp vegetation. The vegetation plays a big role to balance the ecosystem. Constructing of roads in swamps. Swamps are drained in order to create roads. As a result, nearby areas become flooded.

Ways of caring for natural resources.

Land

Practicing good farming methods such as crop rotation, planting, legumes and controlled grazing, improves on soil fertility. Controlling population growth through family planning programmes in order to reduce land fragmentation and pressure on land. Introduce policies that guide people on mining activities. For example large holes in the earth's crust should be filled up. Encourage people living in highland areas to practice terracing, strip cropping, tree planting and contour ploughing down the slopes.

Minerals.

Things that can be done to ensure proper utilisation of minerals. Government should enforce policies that guide mining activities. Proper machinery should carefully be used during the extracting of minerals. Proper survey and study should be undertaken before mining starts. This would help to understand the soil texture before mining is done in a place. Security should be enforced to control smuggling of minerals and poor mining methods. Enforce measures against air, land and water pollution which occur as a result of mining. Finally, government should carryout a survey on all the available mineral deposits in the country and find better ways of exploiting them.

Water sources

Enforce policies that guard against polluting water sources through dumping wastes. Water sources should be well protected to avoid water borne diseases. Protect the water pumps or wells from animals. People should clean and manage them well. Growing of crops on wetland edges should be controlled, so that plant residues and other unwanted dirt can not be washed into the water. Poor fishing methods should be discouraged. Educate the people about benefits of good fishing practices. The use of proper fishing nets should be encouraged to preserve fish stocks. Encourage people to keep animals away from water sources. Hoofs of animals do a lot of damage to the soil and animal dung may contaminate the water.

Water resource

 Activity

Activity

1 . Discuss in groups how people can care for their land in your local area in order to be more productive?

2. In pairs discuss why is it important to control soil erosion?