Natural Resources
Water, minerals, energy resources and sustainable management
Natural resources = materials provided by nature. Classified as:
- Renewable: replenished naturally (solar, wind, water, forests if managed sustainably)
- Non-renewable: finite supply formed over millions of years (coal, oil, natural gas, minerals)
Water resources:
Pakistan is water scarce — annual per capita water availability has dropped from 5,000 m³ in 1950 to ~900 m³ today (stress threshold = 1,000 m³). Sources: Indus River system, glaciers, groundwater, monsoon rain.
Indus Waters Treaty (1960): Pakistan controls Jhelum, Chenab, Indus; India controls Ravi, Beas, Sutlej.
Mineral resources:
- Coal: Thar Desert (Tharparkar) — one of the world's largest lignite coal deposits (~175 billion tonnes)
- Natural gas: Sui (Balochistan) — historically Pakistan's main gas field, now depleting
- Copper and gold: Reko Diq (Balochistan) — world-class ore deposits
- Salt: Khewra Salt Mine (Punjab) — world's second largest salt mine
Energy challenges:
Pakistan faces an energy crisis — frequent load shedding due to capacity shortfall. Sources: thermal (oil/gas), hydro (Tarbela, Mangla dams), nuclear (KANUPP, Chashma), and growing solar/wind.
Sustainable resource management:
- Water: drip irrigation, dams, rainwater harvesting
- Energy: solar panels (CPEC solar parks), wind (Jhimpir wind farm)
- Forests: reforestation (Billion Tree Tsunami, KPK)
Key Points to Remember
- 1Renewable: replenished naturally; non-renewable: finite supply
- 2Pakistan water scarce — below 1,000 m³ per capita
- 3Thar coal, Sui gas, Reko Diq copper/gold — key mineral resources
- 4Sustainable: solar, wind, drip irrigation, reforestation
Pakistan Example
Reko Diq and Thar Coal — Pakistan's Resource Dilemma
Reko Diq (Balochistan) holds one of the world's largest copper-gold reserves — potentially worth $3 trillion. Pakistan delayed extraction for decades due to legal disputes. Meanwhile, Thar Coal Block II now generates 1,320 MW of electricity. AKU Geography students should evaluate: mining creates jobs and revenue but causes environmental degradation (open-cast mining, acid drainage) — a classic resource management dilemma.
Quick Revision Infographic
Geography — Quick Revision
Natural Resources
Key Concepts
Reko Diq and Thar Coal — Pakistan's Resource Dilemma
Reko Diq (Balochistan) holds one of the world's largest copper-gold reserves — potentially worth $3 trillion. Pakistan delayed extraction for decades due to legal disputes. Meanwhile, Thar Coal Block II now generates 1,320 MW of electricity. AKU Geography students should evaluate: mining creates jobs and revenue but causes environmental degradation (open-cast mining, acid drainage) — a classic resource management dilemma.