Relationship Between Natural Resources and Human Civilization

1. 1.0 NATURAL RESOURCES

Natural resources are materials from the Earth that are used to support life and meet
people’s needs. It also can be defined as something that occurs naturally within environments
that exist relatively undisturbed by mankind, in a natural form. A natural resource is often
characterized by amounts of biodiversity and geodiversity existent in various ecosystems.
Any natural substance that humans use can be considered a natural resource. Oil, coal, natural
gas, metals, stone and sand are natural resources. Other natural resources are air, sunlight,
soil and water. Animals, birds, fish and plants are natural resources as well.

Natural resources are materials and components or something that can be used that
can be found within the environment. Every man-made product is composed of natural
resources usually at its fundamental level. A natural resource may exist as a separate entity
such as fresh water, and air, as well as a living organism such as a fish, or it may exist in an
alternate form which must be processed to obtain the resource such as metal ores, oil, and
most forms of energy.

Natural resources are used to make food, fuel and raw materials for the production of
goods. All of the food that people eat comes from plants or animals. Natural resources such
as coal, natural gas and oil provide heat, light and power. Natural resources also are the raw
materials for making products that we use every day from our toothbrush and lunch box to
our clothes, cars, televisions, computers and refrigerators.

There are two kinds of natural resources which are renewable and non-renewable.
Renewable resources are those natural resources such as trees, water, sun and wind that can
be replenished at about the same rate at which they are used. Renewable resources, however,
can be depleted if not properly managed or conserved. Non-renewable resources are those
natural resources that are depleted more quickly than they can regenerate. Fossil fuels like oil
and natural gas were formed over millions of years. Once mined and used completely, non-
renewableresources are gone forever.

2. 2.0 CIVILIZATION

Civilization in English is from the Greek civilization of civitas which means city. In
other word such as Arabic, it’s come from native language consist of mudun, madain and
madana which means high courtesy and opening. Westerners such as Gordon Childe, Darcy
Riberio and R. A. Buchanan relate civilization to the development of material civilization.
According to the Islam,civilization includes physical and spiritual development. Syed Naquib
al-Attas considers human civilization is a high level of achievement and noble culture of a
society. This is supported by Richard Sullivan.

Civilization can be defined being as a result the reaction between human with nature
and life (al-Buti, 2004).This means that a civilization that emerged as a result of the
occurrence of the human response to the human universe in their daily lives on planet earth.
How do people manage and run their lives through interaction with various units of the
universe that exists around them so that they can defend their survival and survival, then that
is where the birth of civilization. (ZakariaStapa, 2009)

That is pretty clear here is that the human being is a major player in the process of
building a civilization. Only they need or opportunity of life and age of the universe that is
available to be used in the construction process. Thus the elements of rebuilding a human
civilization are human beings, their lives and environment universe.Reviewed from the
perspective of Islam, as revealed in the Qur'an; roles, responsibilities and goals of human
presence in the universe is focused on the implementation of two major tasks which is
perform worship to Allah S.W.T and keep and prosperplanet they inhabit. About this task
clearly revealed in the verses following the word of Allah S.W.T:

[Meaning]: "I did not create the jinn and mankind except to worship to Me"
(al-Dhariyat 51: 56).

[Meaning]: "He who created you from earth materials, and settled you therein"
(Hud 11: 61).

3. 3.0 NATURAL RESOURCES AND HUMAN CIVILIZATION

Construction of human civilization is closely linked with the use of natural resources.
Results obtained by the human exploration of natural resources provide many benefits to the
development of human life.The emergence of early civilizations since 5000 BC has been
caused by the existence of permanent settlements. Existence of village community where
people can gather in a place and live together for the physical challenges where the
environment can be controlled more effectively. Humans no longer a nomadic as they can
rely on food produced in the vicinity of their locality. Permanent settlement then creates
urbanization.

Humans are attracted to the fertility of the soil in the river valley for agriculture and
livestock activities. Agricultural processes and irrigation in Mesopotamia and Egypt show the
human ability to control river water for agriculture on a large scale. This wasproven when
early civilizations located on the banks of large rivers such as the Nile, Tigris and Euphrates,
Indus and Hwang Ho.

To understand the role of natural resources, the assignment will discuss about role of
natural resources in ancient Egypt civilization, Roman civilization, Muslim civilization and
its development until modern times.


Diagram 3.1: Map showing early civilization located on the river valley

4. 3.1 Natural Resources in Early Civilization

Expansion of settlement construction in the early civilizations began about
5000 BC. Some of the earliest settlements in the northern part ZawiChemiShanidar
and Shanidar in Northeast Rawanduz, Karim Rihanna, QalatJarmo, Hassuna and Tell
Arpachiya in Mesopotamia, Egypt, North and South Egypt, and the Indo-Iranian
Indus. Location of settlement construction occur in the vicinity of agricultural areas
and river valleys such as Sg. And the Tigris River.Eupharates in Mesopotamia, Sg.
Nile in Egypt, Sg. India and the River Indus. Hwang Ho in China.

Most of the construction of settlements is influenced by the position of the
early civilizations of the river. Areas near the river settlement construction preferred.
This is because the river provides drinking water sources, food and use in life.
Example construction of settlements is in Mesopotamia near Euphrates and the Tigris
River, Nile Valley in Egypt and Indus Valley in India which human settlements occur.
Water resources has led humans to live permanently settled and open settlements for
economic activities such as agriculture, animal husbandry and fishery.




Diagram 3.2: Map showing early Egypt civilization located on Nile
Valley where natural resources such as water, food and fertile soil occur.

5. As example, in ancient Egypt civilization, Nile Valley has been a major factor
of the development of the Egypt civilization. It provides natural resources basically
from the soil fertility which allow the agricultural activities to be practice and natural
ingredients are easily available such as food and woods.

Good natural and high availability of natural resources in the river valley
contribute to the agriculture as the main economic activities of Egyptian in early
civilizations. Agricultural activities conducted to meet the needs of food such as rice,
wheat, barley and others. Besides the farming and fishing activities were also carried
out. Settlement located near the river provides water and irrigation resources to
agriculture. With progressive development, the agricultural activities lead to the trade
activity between civilizations that contributing to the rise of the civilization to its
glory and prosper.


3.2 Natural Resources Exploitation in Roman Civilization

Roman civilization also depends on natural resources during its golden era.
One of the exploitation of natural resources that in their era is mining. The Roman use
to do mining activities for gold, iron and other for the use of equipment product such
as military, agriculture and others life needs. The main mining regions of the Empire
were Spain which is gold, silver, copper, tin, and lead. In Gaul, it was gold, silver and
iron. In Britain, the product was mainly iron, lead and tin. In other provinces such as
Danube, Macedonia and Thrace and Asia Minor was mainly producing gold, silver,
iron and tin. Intensive large-scale mining of alluvial deposits and by means of open-
cast mining and underground mining took place from the reign of Emperor Augustus
up to the early 3rd century AD, when the instability of the Empire disrupted
production. The gold mines of Dacia, for instance, were no longer available for
Roman exploitation after the province was surrendered in 271. Mining seems to have
resumed to some extent during the 4th century

6. 3.3 Natural Resources Exploitation in Muslim Civilization

Development of Muslim Civilization through history have been outstanding
since first Muslim government in Madinah and continued to the establishment of
Umayyad, Abbasid, Ayyubid, Ottoman, Mughal and Malays Sultanate in South East
Asia. The prosperous development of the Muslim civilization is based on the Islamic
practice in their daily life and other factor such as great ruler, strategic settlement and
others. Exploitation of natural resources also occur which play significant role on
development of the civilization.

Muslim settlements in water valley region have been contribution to economic
activities such as agriculture and livestock. These settlements include region such as
in Spain, Nile River, Euphrates and Tigris River and others. Advances were made in
irrigation and farming, using new technology such as the windmill.Crops such as
almonds and citrus fruit were brought to Europe through al-Andalus, and sugar
cultivation was gradually adopted by the Europeans. Those natural resources for food
came from the fertile ground where settlement occurs. These rich available has
generated some industrial activities such as early industries for textiles, sugar, rope-
making, matting, silk, and paper.





Diagram 3.3: Landscape resulting
from the ruinamontium mining
technique at Las Médulas,Roman
Spain, one of the most important
gold mines in the Roman Empire.

7. Extraction of natural resources through mining also occurs during Ottoman
reign. Chalkidiki has been undoubtedly the wealthiest and most profitable mineral
region in Ottoman Rumelia and thus industrial activity has been meticulously
recorded in state documents of the time.In the province of Trebizond, which
comprises the modern Trebizond, Giresunand Ordu districts there were 21mines of
argentiferous lead, 34 coppermines, 3 of copper and lead, 2 of manganese,10 of iron
and 2 of coal. In the sancak of Gumushane there were 37 mines of argentiferous lead
and 6 copper mines while the sancak of Samsun had only 1 mine of argentiferous lead
(Bryer and Winfield 1985, 3). Intensification of production based on mining of natural
sources is evidenced withthe establishment of a foundry in 1698 where specialised
production of cannon balls and iron for construction material was taking place.















The role of iron tools and weapons in the 1550s was important and demand
was related to a pressure for makingsuperior properties and thus provided a stimulus
to technological innovation. Gun founding and ammunition production would have
been a matter of priority at sites close to the frontier zone to facilitate immediate
supply for the expansion of the Ottomans in the central Balkans. Further the high
inflation throughout Europe caused by the influx of American silver led to redoubled
efforts to maximize the output of precious metals from the Empire’s own natural
resources (Rozen 1993).
Diagram 3.4: Location of Steel Mine
in Rumelia and Anatolian region.

8. 3.4 Significance of Natural Resources in Modern Era

Petroleumis a naturally occurring flammable liquid consisting of a complex
mixture of hydrocarbons of various molecular weights and other liquid organic
compounds that are found in geologic formations beneath the Earth's surface. It has
been used since ancient times, and is now important across society, including in
economy, politics and technology. The rise in importance was due to the invention of
the internal combustion engine, the rise in commercial aviation, and the importance of
petroleum to industrial organic chemistry, particularly the synthesis of plastics,
fertilizers, solvents, adhesives and pesticides.
The demand for petroleum as a fuel for lighting in North America and around
the world quickly grew. Access to oil was and still is a major factor in several military
conflicts of the twentieth century, including World War II, during which oil facilities
were a major strategic asset and were extensively bombed. Operation Barbarossa
included the goal to capture the Baku oilfields, as it would provide much needed oil-
supplies for the German military which was suffering from blockades. Oil exploration
in North America during the early 20th century later led to the U.S. becoming the
leading producer by mid-century. As petroleum production in the U.S. peaked during
the 1960s, however, the United States was surpassed by Saudi Arabia and Russia.
Today, about 90 per cent of vehicular fuel needs are met by oil. Petroleum also
makes up 40 per cent of total energy consumption in the United States, but is
responsible for only 1 per cent of electricity generation. Petroleum's worth as a
portable, dense energy source powering the vast majority of vehicles and as the base
of many industrial chemicals makes it one of the world's most important commodities.
The top three oil producing countries are Saudi Arabia, Russia, and the United
States. About 80 per cent of the world's readily accessible reserves are located in the
Middle East, with 62.5 per cent coming from five Arab nation which is Saudi Arabia,
UAE, Iraq, Qatar and Kuwait. A large portion of the world's total oil exists as
unconventional sources, such as bitumen in Canada and oil shale in Venezuela.

9. Forest management has been practiced through centuries as a source for
gathering natural resources. It has changed considerably over the last few centuries,
with rapid changes from the 1980s onwards culminating in a practice now referred to
as sustainable forest management. Forest ecologists concentrate on forest patterns and
processes, usually with the aim of elucidating cause and effect relationships. Foresters
who practice sustainable forest management focus on the integration of ecological,
social and economic values, often in consultation with local communities and other
stakeholders.
The loss and re-growth of forest leads to a distinction between two broad types
of forest, primary or old-growth forest and secondary forest. There are also many
natural factors that can cause changes in forests over time including forest fires,
insects, diseases, weather, competition between species, etc. In 1997, the World
Resources Institute recorded that only 20% of the world's original forests remained in
large intact tracts of undisturbed forest. More than 75% of these intact forests lie in
three countries which is the Boreal forests of Russia and Canada and the rainforest of
Brazil.
In 2010, the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nationsreported
that world deforestation, mainly the conversion of tropical forests to agricultural land,
had decreased over the past ten years but still continues at an alarmingly high rate in
many countries. Globally, around 13 million hectares of forests were converted to
other uses or lost through natural causes each year between 2000 and 2010 as
compared to around 16 million hectares per year during the 1990s. The study covered
233 countries and areas. Brazil and Indonesia, which had the highest loss of forests in
Diagram 3.5: Saudi Arabian Oil
Refinery

10. the 1990s, have significantly reduced their deforestation rates. In addition, ambitious
tree planting programmes in countries such as China, India, the United States and Viet
Nam - combined with natural expansion of forests in some regions - have added more
than seven million hectares of new forests annually. As a result the net loss of forest
area was reduced to 5.2 million hectares per year between 2000 and 2010, down from
8.3 million hectares annually in the 1990s.





















Diagram 3.6: Portable sawmill in a
teak plantation in Kagelu, Central
Equatoria.

11. 4.0 CONCLUSION

In conclusion, natural resources played a major factor in development of human
civilization. Start from the early civilization in Egypt and continued until the modern times,
natural resources have been used to strengthen the civilization and support the foundation and
maintenance of human life. It is proven by evidence of early human settlement on the river
valley where rich resources available, mining activities that occur during Roman era and
Ottoman era which give these great power sources to grow their reign to its glory days.
It continues to the modern world with the discovery of petroleum. It has been major
source of power to human in this era to mobilize the transportation, sources for energy and
bring wealth to the country. Also with the extraction of forest natural sources, the need for
natural resources for human being to live has been essential.
Even though, the interaction between human and natural resources must be control as
it may cause harmless and disaster for humanity. Uncontrollable of extraction may lead to
lack of sources for humanity to continue living and also to the disintegration of nature.
Besides, greed to possess more natural resources may lead to conflict between human and
causing destructionand suffering to humanity and to nature.
As the responsibility of humanity to control and to take care of the natural resources
and preferably keep it, the natural resources extraction must be kept in control in order to
keep in contact not only with the environment but also improving obedience to their Creator.

12. 5.0 REFERENCE

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Biodiversity
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Natural_resource
www.scdhec.gov/environment/lwm/recycle/.../natural_resources.pdf
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Geodiversity
http://sumber-malaysia.blogspot.com/
http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2010/11/23/natural-resources-foundation-
civilization.html
www.ukm.my/jhadhari/.../makalah-v1n1-n2.pdf
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Civilization
http://mysejarah.jutawanasia.com/wp/?p=36
http://drsuhaila.com/2010/02/119/
http://fastnote.wordpress.com/faktor-kemunculan-tamadun/
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Roman_Empire
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Petroleum
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Forest