Which one of the following is an exhaustible but renewable natural resource ?
Solar energy
Water in usable condition
Soil
Landscape in its natural condition
Answer is Right!
Answer is Wrong!
This question was previously asked in
UPSC CDS-1 – 2022
– Renewable resources replenish naturally over time (e.g., solar energy, wind, water, soil, forests).
– Non-renewable resources are finite and do not replenish at a rate comparable to consumption (e.g., fossil fuels, minerals).
– Soil is technically renewable through natural processes like weathering and decomposition, but this process is extremely slow (centuries to millennia to form a few inches of topsoil).
– Water in usable condition (freshwater) is renewable through the water cycle, but localized sources like aquifers can be exhausted by over-extraction, and water can be rendered unusable by pollution. However, the global water cycle ensures its renewal.
– Landscape in its natural condition is not a resource in the same category; it refers to the physical environment.
– The term “exhaustible but renewable” is not a standard scientific classification, but it can be interpreted to mean a resource that is renewable but highly susceptible to exhaustion through unsustainable use due to a slow renewal rate or limited usable quantity at any given time. Soil fits this description well.