Locally available natural resources

The natural resources found in the area where you live might include agricultural crops — for example, vegetables and fruits — or fish and shellfish harvested from the sea or river. They can also include domestic animals — for example, cows, pigs, ducks, goats and sheep — reared for household or village use. Patches of forest around a village, both the trees and shrubs, are also considered to be a natural resource.

Habitat conservation through natural resource management

Habitats are places where humans live — for example, farmlands, coastal areas, forest — and where plants and animals normally live and grow. If natural resources are conserved — that is, managed well — in the habitat, there will be enough food for animals and humans alike. In addition, the waste generated in farms and fisheries production can be used as biomass. The concept of total biomass use is a useful approach to manage natural resources in places where farmers and fishermen live and work to ensure minimum wastage of agricultural and marine residues. The residues can be collected as biomass and converted into useful materials for animal feed, fodder and manure (fertiliser).

Innovation and biomass use

Total biomass use can be considered as an innovation in places where agricultural waste is converted into something useful — usually, a fertiliser product. Efficient processes and equipment are crucial for converting agricultural and animal residues effectively. These processes and machinery can also be classed as innovations, and villagers can receive technical knowledge and training and financial assistance from local government to implement them. Governments must pass new legislation and enforce the enactment of relevant policies — an example of institutional innovation — to help farmers implement the total biomass use concept.

Climate change mitigation and total biomass use

Converting biomass to fuel, fertiliser or energy (electricity) is an important climate change mitigation measure because it makes fuel or fertiliser for local use and reduces dependence on fossil fuels. Forests and their residues play an important role in climate change mitigation because the biomass from forest residues can be converted to energy through the use of the appropriate technology.

Group activity

Formative assessment 4: 

Using what you learned in Unit 3 and Unit 4, identify a natural resource in your local area that would be appropriate for total biomass use. The facilitator will engage you and the other participants in smaller group discussions and then bring the discussion points to the whole group to consider and discuss.