Management of Natural Resources is a comprehensive textbook designed to provide an integrated understanding of natural resources and their sustainable management, particularly in the context of agriculture. The book responds to the growing need for scientific knowledge on land, soil, water, climate, vegetation, biodiversity and energy resources, whose availability and quality directly influence agricultural productivity, livelihoods and ecological security. The book systematically covers the concepts, classification, availability, distribution, utilisation and interrelationships of natural resources, along with their ecological, social and economic dimensions. It addresses important contemporary issues including land degradation, erosion, desertification, landscape ecology, wetlands, floods, droughts, water conflicts, large dams and integrated water-resource management. Detailed attention is also given to energy resources, resource access and conflicts, soil and water conservation, erosion control, water harvesting and groundwater recharge.

Designed primarily for students, the book is also useful for teachers, researchers, extension professionals, resource managers and other readers interested in sustainable resource management. Review questions and multiple-choice questions with answers have been included to support classroom teaching, self-assessment and examination preparation. The central message of the book is that natural resources must be managed scientifically, equitably and responsibly so that present needs are met without compromising the resource base and ecological resilience required by future generations.

BV Ramana Rao is a distinguished agricultural meteorologist with a career spanning more than four decades. He taught Agricultural Meteorology at the University of Agricultural Sciences, Bengaluru, and later served in several important positions at the Indian Council of Agricultural Research. He was associated with ICAR-CAZRI, Jodhpur, and served as the Founder Project Coordinator of the All India Coordinated Research Project on Agrometeorology at ICAR-CRIDA, Hyderabad. His research contributions include agroclimatic characterization, crop-weather modelling, agricultural drought management, cropping-zone delineation, and operational agrometeorology. He has authored numerous research papers, books, monographs, and technical publications. He also served as Editor-in-Chief of the Journal of Agrometeorology and has received the British Council Fellowship, Honorary Fellowship of the Association of Agrometeorologists, and the Lifetime Achievement Award.

Chhavi Sirohi is an Assistant Professor of Forestry at Chaudhary Charan Singh Haryana Agricultural University, Hisar. She holds postgraduate and doctoral degrees in Forestry and has more than nine years of experience in teaching, research, and extension. Her research interests include agroforestry systems, tree–crop interactions, carbon sequestration, climate-resilient agriculture, and sustainable land-use management. She has contributed to research projects on agroforestry and published research papers, books, book chapters, and extension articles in reputed national and international publications. She has also received several awards and participated in academic and scientific programmes in India and abroad.

Mukesh Kumar is serving as Joint Director (Soil and Water Engineering) at the Deendayal Upadhyay Centre of Excellence for Organic Farming, CCS Haryana Agricultural University, Hisar. He holds an MTech and PhD in Soil and Water Engineering and has more than sixteen years of teaching and research experience. His areas of expertise include irrigation engineering, micro-irrigation, biofertigation, agricultural drainage, organic farming, and soil and water conservation. He has published research papers in peer-reviewed journals and has guided postgraduate research scholars. He has also actively contributed to technology transfer, agricultural extension, farmer training, field demonstrations, and student welfare activities.

Pattam Keerthi is an Assistant Professor of Agronomy at Chaudhary Charan Singh Haryana Agricultural University, Hisar. She obtained her MSc in Agronomy from ANGRAU University, Hyderabad, and her PhD in Agronomy from CCS HAU, Hisar. With more than ten years of experience in teaching, research, and extension, she has contributed to agricultural education and sustainable crop production. She has guided postgraduate scholars and published research papers, books, and book chapters. Her research interests include crop production, nutrient management, weed management, and crop modelling. She is also actively involved in farmer awareness programmes, field demonstrations, training programmes, and agricultural technology dissemination.

Ram Prakash is an accomplished soil scientist associated with Chaudhary Charan Singh Haryana Agricultural University, Hisar. He holds MSc and PhD degrees in Soil Science and has more than fifteen years of professional experience. His research focuses on salt-affected soils, saline-water irrigation, soil and groundwater quality, nutrient management, climate-resilient farming, and sustainable crop production under semi-arid conditions. His work also includes GIS-based water-quality mapping, heavy-metal phytoextraction, sewage-sludge utilization, and natural-resource management. He has contributed to the development of salt-tolerant Indian mustard varieties and has received awards for research excellence and scientific presentations.

Surender Singh is an experienced agrometeorologist with more than thirty-five years of professional experience in teaching, research, extension, and academic administration. He has served in several capacities at Chaudhary Charan Singh Haryana Agricultural University, Hisar, including Principal Scientist, Professor and Head, Senior Scientist, Assistant Scientist, and other academic and administrative positions. He holds a PhD in Agrometeorology and has undertaken postdoctoral research and fellowships at reputed international institutions in Italy, Brazil, and Austria. His contributions include research publications, books, manuals, teaching materials, and book chapters. He has served in professional societies and international expert groups associated with agrometeorology, drought management, and climate science. He is a Fellow of the Association of Agrometeorologists.

Chapter 1. Natural Resources: Concepts, Classification and Importance

Chapter 2. Availability, Distribution and Utilization of Natural Resources

Chapter 3. Interrelationships Among Natural Resources

Chapter 4. Natural Resources and Agricultural Productivity

Chapter 5. Ecological, Social and Economic Dimensions of Resource Management

Chapter 6. Land Resources, Drylands and Land-Use Classification

Chapter 7. Land Degradation and Human-Induced Landslides

Chapter 8. Soil Erosion and Desertification

Chapter 9. Landscape Ecology and Impact Analysis

Chapter 10. Wetland Ecology, Conservation and Management

Chapter 11. Surface Water and Groundwater Resources

Chapter 12. Floods and Droughts

Chapter 13. Water Conflicts and Large Dams

Chapter 14. Water Ecology and Integrated Water Management

Chapter 15. Energy Resources and Sustainable Energy Systems

Chapter 16. Evolution and Approaches to Resource Management

Chapter 17. Resource Access, Extraction, Control and Conflicts

Chapter 18. Approaches to Natural Resource Management

Chapter 19. Soil and Water Conservation, Water Erosion and Soil-Loss Estimation

Chapter 20. Principles and Practices of Soil-Erosion Control

Chapter 21. Wind Erosion and Its Control

Chapter 22. Water Harvesting Techniques and Lining of Ponds, Tanks and Canal Systems