Natural resources may be defined as various natural bodies, materials and phenomena used for the purpose of meeting different human demands, either processed or in its rough condition. Functioning of modern societies depends on resources primarily characterized by exhaustibility and non-renewability, whereas needs rapidly grow simultaneously with depleting of its reserves. It implies that shortages of those resources will become important issue in the future.
Resource efficiency is a way to deliver more with less (natural resources). It increases aggregate economic value through more productive use of resources, taking their whole life cycle into account. It requires extracting and using natural resources in a sustainable way, within the planet’s long-term boundaries. It also includes minimizing impacts of the use of one resource on other natural resources.
Sustainable development would imply actual use of natural resources for the well-being of current generations in such ways that the capacity of future generations to reach comparably high levels of well -being is not pre-empted. Obviously, to mitigate over -usage of natural resources enhancing resource efficiency is paramount.
The EASD has expertise in the field of natural resources management and resource efficiency (1, 2).
2018 – More for Less
Connecting regions: participation at 10th International Convention on Environment and Development in Havana, Cuba, July 2015 : MIHAJLOV A., D. ALEKSIC, F. JOVANOVIC, K.S. JOVANOVIC, A. MLADENOVIC, D. PROKIC and M.TABASEVIC, Scoping the future trends in natural resources availability using selected indicators as measures of progress: the links with interests and values, presented at the 7th CONGRESS OF ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT – X CONVENCIÓN INTERNACIONAL SOBRE MEDIO AMBIENTE Y DESARROLLO, 6 -10.07.2015, Havana, Cuba